Policy Overview

A Policy is a set of filtering rules that control a group’s browsing access for a specified portion of a week (for more on the time aspect, please see the section on ‘Policy Events’.)  Policies have these components:

·       Default Status

·       Categories and Category Templates

·       Local and Shared URL/Keyword Lists

·       Logging

·       Language

·       Policy Deny Page

If a Group has multiple Policies, each Policy covers different portions of the week, using a Group's ‘Policy Events’ which sets the time duration for when the Policy is active.  Each new Group, by default, is created with a ‘default’ Policy. This default Policy is a copy of the default Policy created for the default Group.

Policies Window

The 'Policies' window allows you to view, search, delete and modify existing Group Policies. If a Group has multiple Policies, each Policy covers different portions of the week. These are called Policy Events. Each Group is created with a default Policy which you can modify or delete. Filter the display by typing the letter of your search term. You can also view a Group's Policy by selecting a Group in the 'Group' window.

The Header bar displays these items.

About Policy and WebAdmin Templates

Template-driven Group and Policy management allows you to standardize Group settings using Group, Policy, and Category Templates. 

Category Templates let you assign specific Categories to a Template.  This Category Template can then be assigned to a Policy Template or a Policy for assignment to a Group or WebAdmin Template.  They can also be used by the 'Clients' window when creating or editing new Clients.  In addition, Category Templates can be assigned to a Policy and it will also display in the Categories tab of the Profile Manager.

A Policy Template contains Categories assigned to the Template. It also contains a Policy Deny Page, Logging Mode, a Local and Shared Lists, and Language setting. One or more Policies or Policy Templates and other components, can be assigned to a WebAdmin Template. 

A WebAdmin Template contains the Policies or Policy Templates with their assigned Categories, URL List entries and other settings. A WebAdmin Template also specifies a Time Segment, Deny Page, Logging Mode, Client Thresholds, Group Language, Enforced Categories and IP Range Restrictions (when ‘Enabled Group Restrictions’ is applied).  If a WebAdmin Template is enabled as a ‘Profile Template’, it can be used by the ‘Profile Manager’.

Designating a Policy as a Template

Any Policy can be designated as a Template by opening the selected Policy's edit window and checking the Policy Template' checkbox.  The Policy will then appear in the Policy Templates lists.  Unsetting a Policy Template will not delete the Policy, it will only remove (unset) the Template designation.

Policy Templates

The 'Policy Templates' window displays a list of all available Policy Templates.

When modifying a Policy, you can base it off a Template. The Unset button removes the selected Policy Template(s) from the list.  The Unset link in the 'Default' column indicates that the Policy is the Default Policy.  Choose the Default radio button to make another Policy Template the Default Policy Template.  The links for the individual Policy Templates open the ‘Policy Editor ‘where you can view and modify Policy settings. Use the arrow buttons in the ‘Display Order’ column to change the display order.

For more information, see the 'Policy Management Templates' documentation.

The Policies Page

Each policy page contains the following elements:

Use the Clone button to clone the selected Policy.

Use the Surf button to test the Policy settings for the selected Policy.

Policies General Tab

The General tab can be used to modify the Policy Name and description for the selected Policy.  You can reset or apply another Policy Template or on another Policy. You can also set the default status of Block or Allow Selected Categories.  By default, all Categories are blocked as they are tied to the ‘Block’ option

Copy Policy from Existing Policy

These options in 'General Settings' of 'WebAdmin Settings' control whether you can copy Groups or Policies from existing Groups or Policies. 

If 'Copy Policy from Existing Policy' is enabled and there are Policy Templates, an option will display in the 'Add Policy' window and the Policy General tab that will allow you to create or reset a Policy based on another Policy.

Categories Tab

The Categories tab is used to add or modify Categories or Category Templates for the selected Policy.  The default Categories that display for a new Policy are set in ‘WebAdmin Settings’ for all new Policies. 

Deny List and Allow List mode is linked to Categories assigned to the Policy.  Be careful changing this setting as you may allow Categories that were previously denied.

If the Custom Template is chosen, a list of available Categories displays for inclusion in the Custom Template.

Enforced Categories for the Policy are set in WebAdmin Settings and cannot be modified.  If you are unable to edit a Category setting, it is an ‘Enforced Category’.  Please see 'WebAdmin Settings' for more information.

Updating Web Filtering Categories in Policies

Before clicking the Submit button, you can choose to update the Policies for some or all the Groups. 

WebAdmin Settings for Updating Web Filtering Categories

Depending on setting and limits reached, the 'Web Filtering Categories' options may be hidden or disabled.  Please see information on 'Category Group Definitions Limit', 'Category Update for Multiple Policies' and 'Category Update for Multiple Policies Limit' in the ' Ops and Admin - 02.2 WebAdmin Settings Reference' document.

Warning about Updating Web Filtering Policies

It is very important to understand the impact of using the ‘Update all policies in group’ and the ‘Update all policies in all groups’ options. Using these options will either overwrite all policies in all groups or overwrite all Policies for the selected Group.  A warning message displays for these two options.

Deleted Category Templates

When a Category Template is deleted for a Policy, upon going to a Category selection page for that Policy, the Custom selection will automatically display, if a Customization Template exists. However, when the Customization Template does not exist, and other templates still exist, this warning message displays:

This policy's category template no longer exists, please select a new template.

URL/Keyword Shared Lists Tab

The URL/ Keyword Shared Lists tab lets you Add or Remove Shared Lists.  If no Lists are in the ‘Used Lists’ column, this page displays.  Click the Manage Shared Lists button.

You can search for or filter available list.  Click the Shared List you wish to add to the ‘Used Lists’ column.

URL/Keyword Local Lists Tab

The URL/ Keyword Local List tab lets you add or remove items in the selected Group’s Local List. Click the Create Local List button.

Click the New Entry button, add the entry and then save it.

The new entry displays in the List.

Advanced Tab

The Advanced Tab lets you set the Logging level for the selected Group.  Choices are: Log Everything (default), No Logging, Log Allowed Requests Only, and Log Denied Requests Only. 

Use Policy Language: Use this option to select the language. By default, English and French are displayed as choices once ‘Use Group Languages’ is checked. To make other languages display, go to Administration > Configuration > WebAdmin Settings and scroll to ‘General Settings’. You can select more languages in the ‘Enables Languages’ field.

Policy Deny Page Tab

1.    Go to Policies > Policies > and select a Policy.

2.    Click on the Deny Page tab and click on the Create Content button. 

3.    Click the Rich Text icon.

4.    The Rich Text page displays.  Edit the page and choose submit to save the Policy Deny Page.

Creating a Policy

1.    Go to Policies > Groups and click the List tab.

2.    Click a Group name to open it.

3.    Click the Policies tab and then the Create tab.

4.    Enter the Name Policy names can only contain alpha-numeric characters with no spaces.  Enter an optional ‘Description’.

5.    Click Submit.

6.    The new Policy will display under the List tab. A warning icon displays informing you that the Policy will now require a Policy Event.

7.    Click the new Policy to modify the attributes.

Cloning a Policy

If you clone a Policy, everything about the policy, except Policy Duration, copies to a Policy with a different name.

1.    Go to Policies > Groups and click the List tab.

2.    Click the name of the Group. The ‘Group Policy’ page appears.

3.    Click the Policies tab and then the Lists tab.

4.    Click the Policy you wish to clone.  This opens the ‘Policy’ page.

5.    Click the Clone button.

6.    Edit the ‘Policy Name’.  You can also move the cloned Policy to a Group.

7.    Click Submit. 

8.    The ‘Clone Policy’ page displays.  Please note that ‘Policy Events’ for the Policy are not cloned.  Click Continue.

9.    The cloned Policy page appears.

10.Edit the new Policy as required.