Deployment Planning for X10G Chassis and Blades > Understanding the Policy Database

Understanding the Policy Database

Websense Policy Database stores both policy data (including clients, filters, filter components, and delegated administration settings) and global settings configured in the TRITON - Web Security console. Settings specific to a single Policy Server instance (like its Filtering Service and Network Agent connections) are stored separately.

In multiple Policy Server environments (such as an X10G chassis deployment), a single Policy Database holds policy and general configuration data for all Policy Server instances.

1.	At startup, each Websense component requests applicable configuration information from the Policy Database via the Policy Broker.

2.	Running components frequently check for changes to the Policy Database.

3.	The Policy Database is updated each time administrators make changes in the TRITON - Web Security console and deploy them.

4.	After a change to the Policy Database, each component requests and receives the changes that affect its functioning.

Back up the Policy Database on a regular basis to safeguard important configuration and policy information.

Decide before you configure the X10G where the policy source will be located. Best practice is an off-chassis Windows server.

All security blades must know the IP address of the policy source machine.

Your network's size, traffic load, and reporting needs help to determine the optimal allocation of Websense components in your network. This chapter describes deployment options and best practices. Keep in mind that these will vary with each network's characteristics.

 

Deployment Planning for X10G Chassis and Blades > Understanding the Policy Database