Microsoft's new Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000 rated number one in the Performance/Price category of The Measurement Factory's third Cache-Off event and received high marks in Throughput and Hit Ratio. (The Measurement Factory used ISA Server Standard Edition Release Candidate 2—RC2—for its tests.) ISA Server 2000, which replaces Microsoft Proxy Server, offers multilayer enterprise firewall services and high-performance Web caching services to control, secure, and accelerate Internet access.
"We're thrilled with these results," said Paul Flessner, senior vice president of Microsoft's .NET Enterprise Server Division. "The Cache-Off proves that ISA Server delivers exceptional performance at the best value in the market. Customers want fast and secure Web access that's easy to manage. With the best \[performance/price\] ratio in the industry and exceptional throughput, ISA Server's integrated Web cache and firewall can satisfy the most demanding Internet environments and lower network costs, while also delivering enterprise security and policy-based management."
ISA Server Standard Edition, which costs approximately $1500 per processor, posted the top Performance/Price score, caching 78 hits per second per $1000 and 145 requests per second per $1000 and outperforming the other entries by anywhere from 16 to 600 percent. The product's highest tested request rate was 2083 requests per second, giving it a top five position in the Peak Throughput category. ISA Server 2000 also earned fourth place in the Hit Ratio category, serving 55.2 percent (out of a possible 58 percent) of requests as cache hits.
"With ISA Server, customers have a solution that provides exceptional Web access performance and strong Internet security," Flessner said. "This product embodies our commitment to secure computing that gives our customers the performance they need to compete in the digital age."