Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 Unleashed

Chapter 18. Backing Up, Restoring, and Recovering an ISA Server 2004 Environment

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding ISA Server's Backup and Recovery Capabilities

• Exporting ISA Settings for Backups

• Importing ISA Settings for Restores

• Automating ISA Server Export with Custom Scripts

• Using Traditional Backup and Restore Tools with ISA Server 2004

• Summary

• Best Practices

One of the most overlooked but necessary tasks for a security implementation such as ISA Server is performing regular backups of key system functionality. Even more important is the capability to quickly recover and restore that functionality in the event of system malfunction or failure. Although it is one of the most important features, this is often overlooked in many other security products, with disastrous consequences in some cases. Fortunately, however, ISA Server 2004 includes robust and capable methods of backing up and restoring ISA configuration or individual policy elements.

This chapter focuses on the export and import capabilities of ISA Server 2004 and how they can be leveraged to back up and restore ISA Server environments. Methods of automating scripting for these types of backups are covered, and information is provided pertaining to export and import of individual ISA rules and/or components.