Using BPA2Visio

In previous post we wrote, that the IsaBPAv5 comes with a tool named BPA2Visio. In this post, I will try to elaborate on what BPA2Visio is and how to use it.

The BPA2Visio is a tool that accepts the IsaBPA report and generates a Visio network diagram.

This network diagram simulates how the network is seen from the ISA Server computer itself. The diagram displays the following entities:

1. ISA Server.

2. Network interfaces.

3. Configuration Storage Server (CSS) (Enterprise Edition only)

4. VPN clients and Sites.

5. Published Web Servers and Non-Web Servers.

The network diagram also connects between the entities.

The most common way of using the BPA2Visio is to export the IsaBPA report from the ISA computer and import it to another computer with Visio Professional 2003 or Visio Professional 2007 (referred to as the Visio computer).

Here’s how to use it:

1. Install IsaBPAv5 on both the ISA Server computer and the Visio computer.

2. On the ISA Server computer:

a. Run the ISA Server Best Practices Analyzer from the Programs menu.

b. Create a new scan ('Select options for a new scan'->Verify Scan type='Health Check'->'Start scanning').

c. Go to %userprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\IsaBPA, and copy the xml report to your Visio computer.

3. On the Visio computer:

a. Run BPA2Visio from the Programs menu.

b. Browse to the local copy of your IsaBPA report.

c. Click on ‘Generate Diagram’ and watch the magic :-)

Below is a screenshot of the BPA2Visio output:

 

BPA2Visio screenshot

 

Enjoy it!

Idan Plonsky

ISA Server Team