Configuring policies based on schedules

Summary

It is possible to use schedules in order to create different policies for the same traffic, based on different times of day

Overview

The Exinda allows for configuring policies in the optimizer tree to make them available based on schedules. As an example - if an administrator wants Windows Update traffic to be blocked during business hours and allowed after hours, a policy to accommodate this can be created based on these different schedules.

The steps to do this are as folllows:
1. Create schedule objects under Objects - Schedules to define the business hours and after hours

• Navigate to Objects -> Schedules
• Pre-created schedules can be edited, or new schedules created according to their requirement.
• Example:
  Work hours: Mon - Fri 9:00 - 17:00
  After hours: Mon - Fri 17:00 - 24:00
  Mon - Fri 00:00 - 9:00
  Sat- Sat 00:00- 24:00
  Sun - Sun 00:00 - 24:00
  The above says that Monday to Friday 9-5 are working hours, whereas all other times are after hours.
• All schedule times are based on the Exinda's local time

2. Create 2 policies for the same type of traffic.

• Navigate to the Optimizer and click on "Create new Policy".
• Choose all the required options like in a normal policy
• In the option for "Schedule", select the first desired schedule - during Work Hours, for example
• Create another policy and in the schedule option select the other schedule - such as After Hours.

3. Add the different schedules to the different policies.

When the time in each schedule is active, the corresponding policy will be active, switching over automatically.