Blue Coat SGOS 4.x Upgrade Guide

Changing Between SGOS 4.x Versions

When moving from one SGOS 4.x release to another SGOS 4.x release, the system maintains all settings. Changes made after an upgrade continue to be available after a subsequent downgrade as long as the setting is relevant to the downgraded release.

Note: When upgrading or downgrading between versions of SGOS 4.x, copies of version-specific configurations are not retained. Instead, all configurations created in an upgrade are retained if the configuration is relevant to the downgrade version.

Care should be taken when using policy features introduced in a minor release. These cause compilation errors if you fall back to a previous version of the same major release in which those features were unsupported.

To prevent accidental fallbacks, you should remove unused system images (using the

installed_systems delete number, from the (config installed-systems) prompt).

Licensing

In SGOS 4.x, a base license is issued for SGOS 4.x functionality, regardless of whether those features existed before SGOS 4.x or are new in SGOS 4.x.

If you upgrade from SGOS 3.x with a valid SGOS 4.x component license, the ProxySG lists the licensed components with their expiry dates; those components that are not licensed enter a 60-day trial period.

If you upgrade from SGOS 3.x without a valid SGOS 4.x component license, all licensable components enter a trial period; the ProxySG attempts to download a license from the Blue Coat license download site once a day for the duration of the SGOS 4.x trial period.

There are three types of licensable components:

Required—The SGOS base.

Included—Additional features provided by Blue Coat.

Optional— If applicable, any additional purchased features.

When the license key file is created, it consists of all three components. The SGOS base is a required component of the license key file. The following table lists the ProxySG licensable components, categorized by type.

Table 2.2: Licensable Components

Type

Component

Description

 

 

 

Required

SGOS 4 Base

The ProxySG operating system, plus base features: HTTP, FTP, TCP-Tunnel,

 

 

SOCKS, and DNS proxy. The following additional features are also included

 

 

in the base license:

 

 

 

Included

3rd Party Onbox

Allows use with third-party vendor databases: Intersafe, Optenet, Proventia,

 

Content Filtering

SmartFilter, SurfControl, Websense, and Webwasher.

 

 

 

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Blue Coat Systems SGOS 4.x manual Changing Between Sgos 4.x Versions, Licensing, Type Component Description

SGOS 4.x specifications

Blue Coat Systems SGOS 4.x is a robust operating system designed for the Blue Coat ProxySG series of appliances, which serve as content filtering and web security solutions. The SGOS (Secure Gateway Operating System) is crafted to enhance network performance while providing extensive security and policy enforcement capabilities. This article delves into the numerous features, technologies, and characteristics that define SGOS 4.x, making it an essential tool for organizations looking to fortify their web traffic management and security.

One of the standout features of SGOS 4.x is its advanced web filtering capabilities. The system employs a comprehensive URL categorization database that allows organizations to enforce content policies effectively. By categorizing millions of web pages, SGOS enables users to block or allow access to specific sites based on their content category, ensuring a safe browsing experience for employees and preventing access to harmful or non-work-related content.

Another notable technological characteristic of SGOS 4.x is its accelerated SSL decryption. As encrypted traffic continues to dominate the web, it becomes increasingly important for organizations to inspect this traffic for potential threats. SGOS 4.x offers robust SSL decryption capabilities that allow organizations to analyze encrypted traffic while maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the data being transmitted. This attribute not only strengthens security but also aids in compliance with regulatory requirements.

SGOS 4.x is also equipped with exceptional caching and content delivery features. By caching frequently accessed content, the system reduces load times and optimizes bandwidth usage. This caching mechanism is enhanced by predefined policies that dictate how content is stored and retrieved, significantly improving user experience while reducing operational costs.

Furthermore, SGOS 4.x supports advanced reporting and analytics features. The integrated reporting tools provide administrators with insights into web usage patterns, bandwidth consumption, and security incidents. These insights facilitate informed decision-making and allow organizations to refine their web usage policies based on actual user behavior and threat landscape analysis.

In terms of scalability, SGOS 4.x is engineered to support a wide range of deployment scenarios, from small businesses to large enterprises. The architecture is designed to efficiently handle varying volumes of traffic without compromising performance or security, making it a flexible solution for diverse organizational needs.

Overall, Blue Coat Systems SGOS 4.x presents a powerful platform for web security and traffic management. With its advanced filtering, SSL decryption, caching, and analytics capabilities, SGOS 4.x remains a vital solution for organizations aiming to enhance their security posture and improve operational efficiency in an increasingly complex web environment.