[THIN] CAG AAC 4.2 fallback connection policies
- From: "Pavlo Ignatusha" <Pavlo.Ignatusha@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 11:52:32 -0500
Hi group,
Lately we were working on CAG with AAC policies. Along the way we
encountered a few difficulties and we thought we'd ask for your input.
Environment: CAG with AAC option v4.2 (no hotfix AAC420W001). PS4
3-server farm. Windows Server 2003 SP1 AD.
We would like to use some endpoint analysis and continuous scans in our
AAC policies. We also would like to configure a fallback type of access
so if the client device does not pass the requirements they still get
AAC portal with minimum of "Preview" access. Here is what we found:
Continuous scans seem to only work with Citrix Secure Access client
(VPN). In other words if you want to use continuous scan, the user must
fall under the requirements for a connection policy that launches the
client. You can have multiple connection policies, but it will only
look at the policy with the highest priority. Once that either fails or
passes, it will react accordingly. So, if you have one connection
policy that would say to launch the VPN client under restrictive
conditions (they have a certain antivirus running and a watermark in the
registry), and a connection policy with a lower priority that says not
to launch it under a less restrictive condition (such as that antivirus
is not installed, or that the watermark is not present), once the first
one passes or fails, it simply reacts to that policy rather then going
to next policy if the previous policy failed.
Now, when that initial policy that tries to connect to the VPN fails due
to the non-restrictive conditions, no VPN connection is made. This
would be satisfactory if the portal didn't react a certain way with a
VPN connection. Basically what happens is that when the Secure Access
client is launched, the portal automatically tries to redirect its
connection to:
https://aac_server_fqdn/citrixlogonpoint/logonpoint_name
And not the usual
https://appliance_fqdn/citrixlogonpoint/logonpoint_name
And that's not a problem if the VPN connection is established, but when
it fails, you suddenly don't have this network resource, and hence,
can't hit the portal anymore. This is also true if a continuous scan
detects an error after a VPN connection is established.
(Just an aside: When the VPN does make a connection and the user doesn't
have any network resources assigned through access policies, they have a
default resource of the AAC server. That way, when a VPN client is
connected, the users can then hit the AAC server fine, we're just not
sure WHY this happens this way.)
Using access policies and Endpoint Analysis scans it seems possible to
give different levels of access depending on the conditions that are
present on the client device (antivirus running, certain browser,
etc...). It is not too straightforward either as we had to create 1
filter for the condition of antivirus, and 1 filter with NOT antivirus
(using the 'not' operator in the filter). Then we created 2 access
policies, one with each of the filters, so that when a user has an
antivirus present (that is based on our endpoint analysis), they receive
certain capabilities, and if they don't have it present, they receive
restricted capabilities.
So we have some questions...
1- How to configure fallback between connection policies?
So far we think that the server looks at the highest priority connection
policy, and then reacts accordingly without looking at any other
connection policy that is associated with that specified user. This way
it is completely useless to have a connection policy priority list and
also to have different connection policies applying to the same user
when they come from different devices (such as a less secure
environment).
2- Why does the portal try to connect to the FQDN of the AAC rather then
the FQDN of the appliance if the Citrix Secure Access client is engaged
(whether it be a successful connection or not, see previous question)?
Frankly, if this did not happen, then we really wouldn't be too worried
about a fallback connection policy when the initial connection policy
fails, as the user would still be able to access the portal as normal,
just not any network resources. This is exactly what we would setup as a
fallback connection policy anyways.
3- Why can't we also use continuous scans on access policies?
Is this simply because it needs a VPN connection to the user to
continuously check for these things?
4- How do we create custom endpoint analysis scans?
Ideally, if we can't get the continuous scan and fallback connection
policy stuff figured out, then we'd still like to check for registry
watermarks. This ability (registry checking) only seems to be in the
continuous scan, although, in the endpoint analysis, there is a section
for custom endpoint analyses. The problem with that is, is it's looking
for a *.cab file, which I have absolutely no idea how to create.
Thanks,
Pavlo Ignatusha & Curtis Brunet,
Pembroke Regional Hospital
tel. +1 (613) 732-3675 ext.6150
fax. +1 (613) 732-9986
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