Introduction

Troubleshooting refers to the process of discovering, diagnosing, and correcting problems. As with any piece of computer software, many potential problems with ISA Server can be prevented and time spent troubleshooting thus avoided by careful deployment planning and attention to details during installation and configuration. A classic truism says that it s easier to get it right the first time than to go back and fix it later, and this is especially true when it comes to software. One incorrect setting made inadvertently because you were in a hurry or because you didn t understand how the setting works can result in hours or days of effort later as you search for the cause of the resulting problems.

Some network administrators enjoy the challenge of the hunt. Troubleshooting can be fun, especially when you can do it at your leisure. Unfortunately, in the real world, we often get those Help! It isn t working! calls at the most inconvenient times and are under pressure to figure out what s wrong and fix it now.

In this chapter, we first provide you with some general troubleshooting guidelines that will help you organize your efforts and maximize the efficiency of the troubleshooting process. If you are a born problem solver, it s likely that you already follow an effective procedure for gathering information, analyzing that information, forming hypotheses, testing your theories, and developing a plan to address the problem once you ve discovered the cause. Nonetheless, it could be helpful for you to check your troubleshooting routine against our...