Bandwidth Splitter Overview
Bandwidth Splitter is a program extension for Forefront TMG and ISA Server that supplements it with new features to allow more rational sharing of the existing Internet connection bandwidth and distributing it among all users and servers according to preset rules.
The principal features of Bandwidth Splitter are:
· Limiting of the Internet connection bandwidth used by individual users and hosts, as well as groups of users and hosts (traffic shaping, throttling)
· Setting up quotas for the maximum allowable Internet traffic use (in megabytes) for a set period of time (a day, a week or a month) for individual users and hosts, as well as groups of users and hosts
· Real-time monitoring of all users and their connections through Forefront TMG/ISA Server by the administrator, including the bandwidths used by individual users and connections
· Generating bandwidth usage reports detailed by user, client IP, shaping or quota rule, and with the graphs showing the dynamics of bandwidth usage
With Bandwidth Splitter you will get the following benefits:
· Great real-time monitoring abilities let administrator to effectively control traffic usage
· Rational distribution of the Internet channel bandwidth (you establish the rules)
· Reducing Internet costs because of limiting non-priority traffic (peer-to-peer exchange, big downloads, etc)
· Comfortable work for important users
· Saving users' working time because of more guaranteed bandwidth allocation
· Users can track their traffic quota remainder via web interface (see screenshot)
· Get a long-term picture of your bandwidth usage from the reports to make strategic decisions about managing your bandwidth
Full integration with Forefront TMG/ISA Server and its management console (remote control being possible as well)
Forefront TMG/ISA Server arrays with multiple servers are supported (Bandwidth Splitter synchronizes its activity between all array members, so that limits are applied to entire array as a whole and not per server)
Managing the traffic of all HTTP, HTTPS and FTP connections (for web proxy clients) and TCP/UDP connections (for FWC and SNAT clients). It is also capable to manage all TCP/UDP traffic of DMZ servers and all others that use Forefront TMG/ISA Server as NAT or router (but not in ISA Server 2000).
Managing the traffic of published servers
Setting up the allowable bandwidth for individual users (by AD accounts) and hosts (by IP addresses) and groups of users and hosts
Transparency for users: you do not need to install any software on client computers
Real time monitoring of all users and hosts that access Internet through Forefront TMG/ISA Server with detailed information on all their connections, including bandwidth usage graphs for individual users and connections
Bandwidth usage reports
Web statistics for users
Flexible allocation of bandwidth depending on the time of the day or the day of the week (Schedules) and requested server addresses (Destinations)
Even bandwidth distribution for users inside groups (in case bandwidth is allocated to a group of users)
Even distribution of bandwidth for the active connections of each user
It is possible to set speed limits and quotas separately for incoming and/or outgoing, or total (incoming + outgoing) traffic
Limiting the number of simultaneous connections from individual users and hosts
For some types of web pages, you can set the download speed higher than the standard speed not to let the restrictions slow down the normal work of users (HTTP Boost)
Setting traffic quotas for users, hosts, groups of users and groups of hosts per day, week, month or without any time limitations along with a possibility to automatically reallocate the unused traffic to the next period
It is possible not to take the traffic to specified destinations or at specified time into account in traffic usage counters (this is useful if there is a high-speed connection with some networks and there is no need to limit that traffic, or if you need uninterruptable access to some servers to which quota should not apply)
It is possible to customize web pages that users see when their quota exceeded
Bandwidth Splitter is permanently tested and observed in environment with thousands of users. This helps us to ensure product stability and performance.
Connections Serviced
Bandwidth Splitter is built into Forefront TMG/ISA Server using web and application filters to control most traffic going through Forefront TMG/ISA Server.
Bandwidth Splitter has power to control:
Outgoing web proxy connections (HTTP, HTTPS and FTP)
Connections of Firewall clients (all TCP/UDP connections)
Connections of SecureNAT clients (all TCP/UDP connections)
Connections of published servers
Connections established through application filters (the built-in SOCKS4 filter or third-party SOCKS5 filters)
Connections of the Scheduled Content Download/Job Scheduler service
All routed TCP/UDP connections passed through Forefront TMG/ISA Server (from DMZ servers, etc) (not possible in ISA Server 2000)
Bandwidth Splitter do not control:
Low-level, non TCP/UDP based protocol connections (e.g. ICMP)
Connections between the Local Host network and any internal network (any except External). It is done intentionally because these connections are especially critical, and generally they do not need any bandwidth control.
In version for ISA 2000 only: Routed IP packets (set up in IP Packet Filters) including all data going from/to the DMZ area
How it works?
Unlike numerous other tools for Forefront TMG/ISA Server that just count traffic by analyzing log files, Bandwidth Splitter deeply integrates into Forefront TMG/ISA Server to control most of the traffic. However it does not install any network drivers. Bandwidth Splitter operates using web filter to control web traffic (HTTP, HTTPS and outbound FTP), and application filter to control all other TCP/UDP traffic. These filters extend Forefront TMG/ISA Server functionality allowing you to count and shape traffic. This means that Bandwidth Splitter is just an add-on for Forefront TMG/ISA Server for traffic/bandwidth management. It does not brake or replace Forefront TMG/ISA Server security or functionality.
Because of that integration with Forefront TMG/ISA Server, Bandwidth Splitter can shape traffic based on user accounts (not only by IP addresses) regardless which workstations are used by clients.