Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2004 includes export and import features that you can use to save ISA Server configuration parameters to an .xml file. You can use this file to back up your configuration or to copy the configuration to another ISA Server computer.
You can export on many levels in ISA Server 2004. For example, you can export a whole firewall policy, a single rule, or a single network object. Additionally, you can back up your complete configuration and restore it later.
Export, Import, and Backup Functionality in ISA Server 2004 discusses how to use the export, import, and backup features in ISA Server 2004 in the following scenarios:
- You have configured your ISA Server computer, and you want to back up you configuration. You must back up your complete ISA Server configuration.
- You want to copy a complete ISA Server configuration to a second ISA Server computer. You must export and then import a complete configuration to the second ISA Server computer.
- You want to set up another ISA Server computer with the same policy as the one that you have configured, but the server is located in a different part of the network, possibly in another domain. The server also has different network relationships. In this case, you cannot use the complete configuration. You must export the firewall policy, import it to the other ISA Server computer, and then modify network details in the firewall policy rules.
- You want to create a list of URLs that will not be available from your internal network. You want to provide this list as a service to other companies that are running ISA Server. You must export and then import a URL set.