Thoughts on ISA 2004 BETA

From: a (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 04/27/04 

Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 12:06:04 -0700

1. Get rid of MMC. You lose too much screen area to sidebars and other trash that is not needed.
2. Logging is still weak and needs some improvements.
3. A Man with two left brains designed the ISA MMC console screens. Pretty pictures!
4. Though I like many of the quick guides I feel like I am being talked down to. Now kiddies this is what a network looks like with only one network, this is what it looks like with two networks. Sorry, you can not pick that one please try again.
5. Thank goodness it is still in BETA. Cisco and Checkpoint has nothing to fear from this product.
6. This is a vast improvement over the old proxy but ISA 2004 as a Firewall product is still lacking. Manual rule definitions don't always work as they should. Microsoft networking gets in the way. What you define in a rule is not what you get. There is no strong policy checking and logging that I can see to validate security settings.
7. This product does have superior feedback from users, MVPs and Microsoft personnel. Checkpoints support system is so weak any other product is worth the try. Cisco continues to make itself as proprietary as possible in order to gain the greatest dependency on their own support system.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: IPSEC and Windows Security Center
    ... My only network connection is to a LAN for Internet ... > ipsec service. ... You can use the mmc [use mmc in run box to open mmc ...
    (microsoft.public.security)
  • Re: Can MMC be uninstalled?
    ... on a highly secure server network. ... and in particular WMI = Windows Management ... I do not need and have no use for WMI and MMC. ... the laptop to see the network. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment)
  • global start up options
    ... There is a software policy you can ... edit for your network. ... Verify the help file in the MMC ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage)
  • mmc issues
    ... mmc when run on winn 2ooo box will acces and manage any 200 machine on network ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)