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I’ve asked about “Application Routing” before because we’ve been presented with a problem in our IT group, and we were also told (by developers) that “application routing” is what will solve our problem.  I had trouble finding anybody that really knew what I meant by the term.  Even Penrod the Cisco god asked me to explain exactly what I meant.  I’ve since learned that what we need is a reverse proxy technology.  He was even kind enough to make a recommendation.

But the Microsoft minds that run our office thought that a Redmond-based product would be the better choice.  The product?  ISA Server 2006.  What is that?  You’ve never heard of it?  Or maybe you’ve heard of it but just don’t know what it is.  I’m with you.  Here’s Microsoft’s definition:

ISA Server 2006 is the integrated edge security gateway that helps protect your IT environment from Internet-based threats while providing your users with fast and secure remote access to applications and data.

Oooooooh.  Um, what?

I wasn’t happy with that definition, so I wrote my own.  Here it is - the official moreron.com definition of the ISA Server 2006 product:

ISA Server 2006 is a multi-homed Windows server, sitting directly on the internet, that is designed to replace existing firewalls and security infrastructure configuration and design.

A Windows box designed to protect my whole network.  Windows.  From Microsoft.  It’ll protect me?

I know Microsoft has made huge (and I mean that literally) advances in the security of their operating system, but anybody who expects a Windows machine, multi-homed and directly on the internet, to protect them is a terribly misinformed (or brainwashed) individual.

That said, on Tuesday afternoon, I’ll be in a meeting with a sales guy who will do his best to convince me that ISA Server 2006 is a good idea.  That should be an interesting meeting.