Windows Firewall with Advanced Security in Windows Server 2008



Windows Server 2008 comes with an advanced security version of the firewall, called Windows Firewall with Advanced Security. It looks like a traditional firewall configuration utility a la ISA Server. To open this console, double-click the option in Administrative Tools or Server Manager (under Configuration).

The console permits you to set inbound and outbound filtering rules as well as connection security rules. Rules can be set for applications, ports, various predefined services, and custom settings.

The Ports option, for instance, permits you to filter according to the protocol (UDP or TCP) and the ports being targeted.

The ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) and the Security Logging setting are now managed from the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security console. Security Logging permits you to configure logging options for Windows Firewall. Click the Customize button to open the Log Settings dialog box, where you can specify which events are logged, the location of the log file, and the maximum size of the file.

ICMP options are now enables by creating inbound and outbound rules using the ICMPv4 or ICMPv6 protocols.