Sun Java System Access Manager Policy Agent 2.2 Guide for Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0

Chapter 2 About Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft IIS 6.0

This chapter provides information about Sun Java System Policy Agent 2.2 as it pertains specifically to Microsoft IIS 6.0.

While the individual web agents tend to be similar in terms of installation and configuration, they can have unique characteristics that allow them to interact with unique characteristics in the underlying deployment container, such as a web server or proxy server. Therefore, this chapter describes characteristics that are unique to this agent, Sun Java System Access Manager Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft IIS 6.0, and that are unique to just the deployment container, Microsoft IIS 6.0. This chapter also summarizes specific tasks you might need to perform because of the unique characteristics of the deployment container.

Supported Platforms and Compatibility of Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0

The following sections provide information about the supported platforms of Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft IIS 6.0 as well as the compatibility of this agent with Access Manager.

Supported Platforms of Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0

The following table presents the supported platforms of Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0. Throughout this guide the Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0 deployment container is referred to as Microsoft IIS 6.0.

Table 2–1 Supported Platforms of Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0


Agent for	Supported Platforms
Microsoft Internet Information Services 6.0 (Microsoft IIS 6.0) Note – This agent can be deployed to protect Microsoft Office SharePoint and Outlook Web Access.	Windows 2003, Enterprise Edition (includes all service packs, such as SP1, SP2, and so on) Windows 2003, Standard Edition (includes all service packs, such as SP1, SP2, and so on)

Compatibility of Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 With Access Manager

All agents in the Policy Agent 2.2 release are compatible with versions of Sun Java System Access Manager as described in this section.

Compatibility of Policy Agent 2.2 With Access Manager 7 and Access Manager 7.1

All agents in the Policy Agent 2.2 release are compatible with Access Manager 7 and Access Manager 7.1. Compatibility applies to both of the available modes of Access Manager: Realm Mode and Legacy Mode.

Install the latest Access Manager patches to ensure that all enhancements and fixes are applied. For an example of Access Manager patches that can be installed, see the compatibility information discussed in Sun Java System Access Manager Policy Agent 2.2 Release Notes.

Compatibility of Policy Agent 2.2 With Access Manager 6.3

All agents in Policy Agent 2.2 are also compatible with Access Manager 6.3 Patch 1 or greater. However, certain limitations apply. For more information about the limitations, see Backward Compatibility With Access Manager 6.3.

Information Specific to Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0

This section describes characteristics that are unique about this specific web agent.

Note –

To work with this web agent, you should have a thorough understanding of Microsoft IIS 6.0. Besides an understanding of the overall architecture, you should have an understanding of various concepts and technologies as related to Microsoft IIS 6.0, including the following: application pools, web sites, and authentication methods.

Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 is an ISAPI (Internet Server API) application. It is deployed as a wildcard application mapping to a web site. Therefore, when deployed for a particular web site, this agent intercepts every request for accessing the resources on that web site. It does authentication and policy evaluation, thereby providing SSO. If all the conditions are met, the agent allows access to the resource.

However, for protecting Microsoft Office SharePoint and Outlook Web Access, the agent is deployed as an ISAPI filter. In this case, authentication is provided and SSO is enabled by the agent, but policy evaluation is managed by whichever application you have installed: Microsoft Office SharePoint or Outlook Web Access.

The following subsections describe unique characteristics of Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0.

Using Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 with Microsoft Office SharePoint or Outlook Web Access

Besides the option of having Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 protect Microsoft IIS 6.0 Server, you can also configure the agent to protect Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 (referred to as Microsoft Office SharePoint Server throughout this guide) or Outlook Web Access for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 (referred to as Outlook Web Access throughout this guide). Outlook Web Access is the web-based email service for Microsoft Exchange Server.

This guide provides specific instructions for SharePoint and Outlook Web Access in Appendix A, Microsoft Office SharePoint or Outlook Web Access: Deploying Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server: When you install Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 to protect Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, the agent enables single sign-on (SSO) for SharePoint with all the applications configured in Access Manager. When a user attempts to access SharePoint, Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 displays an Access Manager log-in screen. Once authenticated, the user can access SharePoint and all other applications that are secured by Access Manager.
Outlook Web Access: When you install Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 to protect Outlook Web Access, the agent enables single sign-on (SSO) for Outlook Web Access with all the applications configured in Access Manager. When a user attempts to access Outlook Web Access, Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 displays an Access Manager log-in screen. Once authenticated, the user can access the Outlook Web Access applications, such as email, and all the other applications that are secured by Access Manager.

Multiple Instances of Web Agent Not Supported on Same System

Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft IIS 6.0 is unique in that only one instance of Microsoft IIS 6.0 can be installed per computer system. Therefore, you cannot install multiple instances of Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 on the same computer system. However, you can configure multiple web sites on one machine, allowing the agent to be configured for multiple web sites on multiple application pools. All the same, the agent cannot be configured for multiple web sites on the same application pool.

Application Pool and Web Site Configuration

Agent for Microsoft IIS 6.0 supports the configuration of a single web site associated with a single application pool. This agent also supports the configuration of multiple web sites where each web site is assigned to a different application pool. However, this agent is not designed to work when multiple web sites are assigned to the same application pool.

Support for Microsoft IIS 6.0 in IIS 5.0 Isolation Mode

If Microsoft IIS 6.0 is configured to run in IIS 5.0 isolation mode, use Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft IIS 5.0 and not this Policy Agent 2.2 for Microsoft IIS 6.0. For information see Sun Java System Access Manager Policy Agent 2.2 Guide for Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0.