Step 1: Starting the IP Security Policies Snap-in Configuration Utility

Use the following procedure to start the IP Security Policies configuration utility. This utility is a snap-in module for the Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

1.Start the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). From the Microsoft Start menu, click Run and type MMC. Click OK.

2.If the IP Security Policies snap-in configuration utility is not loaded, use the following procedure to add it:

a.From the MMC window, click File→Add/Remove Snap-in.

b.From the Add/Remove Standalone Snap-in window, click Add.

c.From the Add Standalone Snap-in window, scroll down to IP Security Policy Management and select it. Click Add.

d.In the Select Computer or Domain window, select Local computer (in this procedure, we are configuring IP Security for the local computer). Click Finish.

e.Close the Add Standalone Snap-in window by clicking Close.

f.Close the Add/Remove Snap-in window by clicking OK.

Step 2: Creating a Policy

Use the following procedure to create an IP Security policy. An IP Security policy is a set of IPsec configuration parameters. Only one local IP Security policy can be active (assigned) on a system.

1.In the left navigation pane of the IP Security Policy Management snap-in, click IP Security Policies on Local Computer to display all IP Security Policies. Depending on your Windows platform, there may be IP Security Policies already configured.

2.Right click IP Security Policies on Local Computer and select Create IP Security Policy.

3.The Policy Wizard starts and displays a startup message. Click Next.

4.The Policy Wizard opens the IP Security Policy Name window. Enter a name in the Name field. This name is used only for internal identification.

Click Next.

5.The Policy Wizard opens the Requests for Secure Communication window. Clear the Activate the default response rule check box, as shown in Figure 1. (The default response rule is a pre-configured rule that causes the Windows system to dynamically build a filter list based on the receipt of IKE requests. By default, the Windows system attempts to use IPsec only if it receives an IKE request from a remote system.)

Click Next.

Configuring a Windows Host-to-Host Policy 15