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This book describes the IBM Internet Connection Secure Server for Windows NT.


Information road map


Table 1. Information road map


                                                                               
  If you want to...                      Refer to...                           
                                                                               
  Learn about the server                 the appropriate section               
                                                                               
  Plan for the server                    the appropriate section               
                                                                               
  Install the server                     the appropriate section               
                                                                               
  Start using the server                 the appropriate section               
                                                                               
  Use built-in HTML forms to configure   Webmaster's Guide                     
  the server                                                                   
                                                                               
  Use the configuration file to          Webmaster's Guide                     
  configure the server                                                         
                                                                               
  Configure a proxy server               Webmaster's Guide                     
                                                                               
  Change the directives in the           Webmaster's Guide                     
  configuration file                                                           
                                                                               
  Use the server commands                Webmaster's Guide                     
                                                                               
  View online documentation              the appropriate section               
                                                                               
  Print or order copies of the           the appropriate section               
  documentation                                                                
                                                                               
  Protect your server from unwanted      Webmaster's Guide                     
  access                                                                       
                                                                               
  Use SSL V3 functions to make your      Webmaster's Guide                     
  communications secure                                                        
                                                                               
  Write programs that can interface      Web Programming Guide                 
  with the server                                                              
                                                                               
  Use server-side includes to imbed      Webmaster's Guide                     
  information in HTML files                                                    
                                                                               
  Use multiple IP addresses or virtual   Webmaster's Guide                     
  hosts to manage your server                                                  
                                                                               
  Customize your error messages          Webmaster's Guide                     
                                                                               
  Review style guidelines and tips for   http://www.ics.raleigh.ibm.com/       
  creating Web information                                                     
                                                                               
  Create HTML documents                  http://www.ics.raleigh.ibm.com/       
                                                                               


What's new in Version 4.2

Enhancements for this version include additional function and programming language support, as well as performance improvements.

Customized response based on requesting browser
Your server can now automatically detect the type of browser making a request and return Web information that is appropriately formatted for the particular browser. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Counter and date/time image support for Web pages
You can enhance your Web pages with a user-access counter and the date and time as graphical images. See the section on customizing your Web site in the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Enhancements to logging and generating reports on server activity
This version offers a new Java Graphical User Interface (GUI). You can log and analyze activity on your server based on URLs, host names, methods, or return codes. You can generate tailored reports based on associations such as URL hits by host, host hits by URL, return codes by URL, and methods by URL. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

HTTP Version 1.1 compliance
Support for HTTP now includes HTTP 1.1 compliance, which provides for persistent connections and virtual hosts. Persistent connections allow the server to accept multiple requests and to send responses over the same TCP/IP connection. Virtual hosts allow one IP address to serve multiple files instead of requiring different IP addresses for different files. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Expanded Common Gateway Interface (CGI) support
CGI support now includes the Java programming language in addition to the other languages already supported, such as C, REXX, and Perl. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Year 2000 support
The Internet Connection Secure Server smooths the transition into the 21st century with reliable support for the year 2000 and beyond.

Performance improvements
Dramatic improvements in single and multiple processor environments coupled with significant CPU requirement reductions provide higher throughput and shorter response time. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Web site content rating support
Based on the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS), you can use an independent rating service to rate the content of documents served through your Web site, or you can act as a rating service for your own or other Web sites. Users who request the ratings can then evaluate the Web pages for acceptable content before viewing them. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Client authentication and other enhancements to SSL support
The vast majority of users are choosing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol for their secure transactions instead of S-HTTP, so SSL is where we're putting our efforts. We've removed S-HTTP support in this and future versions of the Internet Connection Secure Server, and we will continue to enhance our support of SSL. Our support of SSL V3 now includes client authentication, which is a security enhancement that allows the server to verify, with a high degree of confidence, that any client is who it says it is. Our support of SSL V3 also includes server authentication, data encryption, and additional Message Digest Hashing algorithms. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) support
The Internet Connection Secure Server now includes an SNMP subagent, which maintains server information and performance data in an SNMP Management Information Base (MIB). From any SNMP-capable network manager, such as IBM NetView for AIX, TME10 Distributed Monitoring, or HP OpenView, you can display, monitor, and adjust thresholds for your server performance. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

SOCKS support and SSL tunneling
The Internet Connection Secure Server can now provide proxy support through a SOCKS server. SSL tunneling allows the server to act as a proxy server for secure transactions. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Online access to server performance and status information
Through your browser, you can use the Server Activity Monitor to observe performance and status information about your server and the network. Access log entries are also displayed. See the section on managing your server in the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Internet Connection Application Program Interface (ICAPI) support
Improvements include expanded diagnostic capability with additional trace capability and additional messages. Users may use existing HTTP methods or tailor them to their needs. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Java servlet support
Java 1.0 support provides Sun Microsystems, Inc., standards for servlets. Servlets typically offer significant performance enhancements over CGI programs. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Proxy authentication
You can set up password protection for your proxy server independently of the password protection at the destination server. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Windows NT Performance Monitor
The Internet Connection Secure Server supports the Windows NT Performance Monitor. See the Webmaster's Guide for details.

Book title change
Our Up and Running books of previous releases have been renamed Quick Beginnings. The focus remains the same: to provide the minimal, essential information for planning for, installing, and starting to use your server as quickly and easily as possible.

New configuration directives and subdirectives: (Ref #1.)


                                                                               
            AddCharSet                        ReportDataExpire
            AddClient                         ReportDataCompressionProgram     
            AgentLog                          ReportDataUnCompressionProgram   
            CGIErrorLog                       ReportDataCompressionSuffix      
            CacheLocalMaxBytes                ReportDataSizeLimit              
            CacheLocalMaxFiles                ReportProcessOldLogs             
            DisInheritEnv                     Servlet                          
            EnableJavaServletSupport          ServletDir                       
            LiveLocalCache                    ServletLog                       
            MaxActiveJavaThreads              SSL_ClientAuth                   
            MaxPersistRequest                 SNMP                             
            PersistTimeout                    SNMPCommunityName                
            PICSDBLookup                      SocksServer                      
            ProxyAccessLog                    SSLClientAuth                    
            RefererLog                        WebMasterEmail                   
            ReportDataArchive                                                  
                                                                               

Deleted configuration directives and subdirectives: (Ref #2.)


                                                                               
            CacheClean                        MinActiveThreads
            Crypt                             PostCrypt                        
            DeleteCrypt                       POST-Script                      
            DELETE-Script                     PutCrypt                         
            GetCrypt                          PUT-Script                       
            IdleThreadTimeout                 Search                           
                                                                               

Changed configuration directives: (Ref #3.)


                                                                               
            DefProt                           NameTrans
            Disable                           Pass                             
            Enable                            Protect                          
            Exec                              Redirect                         
            Fail                              ServerInit                       
            Imbeds                            ServerTerm                       
            Map                               Service                          
                                              Welcome                          
                                                                               


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