Configuring bandwidth rules
Bandwidth rules set priorities for any request passing through Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server, as defined by the following parameters:
| • | One or more protocol definitions |
| • | Users or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses |
| • | Destination sets |
| • | Schedule |
| • | Content types |
For configuration instructions, see Create a bandwidth rule.
You can set the bandwidth priority either to the default scheduling priority or to a bandwidth priority you have configured. If you select the default setting, then the specified communication is guaranteed a minimum network bandwidth.
Note that connections that have specific bandwidth priorities will require some additional overhead while establishing the connection.
Note
| • | Bandwidth rules are not applied when ISA Server returns cached content to an internal computer or to intra-array communication. |
Rule order
Bandwidth rules are ordered, with the default bandwidth rule processed last. For each new connection, the ISA Server computer processes the bandwidth rules in order. The first rule is processed first. If the request matches the conditions specified by the rule, the bandwidth priority is applied to the request. Otherwise, the next rule is processed. This continues until the last default rule is processed and applied to the request. For instructions on ordering rules, see Change the order of a bandwidth rule.
Default bandwidth rule
When you install ISA Server, it configures a default bandwidth rule. The default rule assures that communication without an assigned bandwidth rule will be allocated the minimum bandwidth assured by the Windows 2000 default scheduling.
The default bandwidth rule is always last in order. It cannot be modified or deleted.
Scenario
For example, imagine that you create a bandwidth rule called VIP that uses a bandwidth priority called Maximum, which sets outbound and inbound bandwidth to the maximum rate of 200. The bandwidth rule might allow a client set that includes all senior executives and specifies all protocols, any content, and at any time.
In the scenario, it is assumed that the network is fairly congested and only a limited amount of bandwidth remains. When two requests arrive, one from two senior executives and one from any other employee, the VIP bandwidth will be split between the two requests from the senior executives and the remaining bandwidth will be allocated to the other employee.