Customizing Forefront UAG

  • Article

Updated: July 31, 2012

Applies To: Unified Access Gateway

Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG) provides a default portal and Web application that is presented to users when they log in to the portal. Forefront UAG also includes a Web Monitor application that enables you to view, monitor, and filter Forefront UAG related events. There are many features and elements of the portal and Web application, and the Web Monitor, that you can customize to provide a look and feel that matches your corporate identity, and to provide additional functionality for your end users.

Many of the customizations rely on the CustomUpdate mechanism, which allows you to make a copy of the file you want to customize, and place it in the CustomUpdate folder in which you can make your customizations. For details, see About the CustomUpdate mechanism.

About this guide

This guide is intended for the Forefront UAG administrator who is responsible for customizing and configuring applications, and for customizing the end user interface.

The following topics describe:

  • Customizing the portal—The customizations you can make to the Forefront UAG portal to modify the look and feel as well as some of the functionality.

  • Customizing the InternalSite—The customizations you can make to the Web application (also known as the InternalSite); for example, modifying text or the login and logoff pages.

  • Customizing the detection module—How to modify the detection module, which identifies the type of device connecting to the portal and presents the correct portal pages.

  • Customizing endpoint components—How to create a custom script to detect applications on client endpoint devices, and how to modify which endpoint components are downloaded to client devices.

  • Customizing the Web Monitor—How to customize the Web Monitor; for example, modifying the layout of charts displayed in Web Monitor, or modifying the user interface presented to the end user.

  • For information about customizing Remote Desktop Services (RDS) publishing, see Customizing Remote Desktop Services publishing.

About the CustomUpdate mechanism

For each folder in the Forefront UAG installation directory that contains customizable elements or functionality, there is a CustomUpdate folder. To apply a customization, you must place the customized item in the corresponding CustomUpdate folder. When the Web page is displayed to the end user, the customized items will be used in preference to the default item.

The customization mechanism provides the following benefits:

  • Customizations are not deleted when you update Forefront UAG.

    Note

    Some customizations might not work after applying an update or hotfix.

  • When working in an array, customizations are propagated to all array members during activation.

To provide flexibility, you can customize an element for all trunks that use it, or only for specific trunks.

To make a customization for all trunks, copy the relevant file to the CustomUpdate folder without renaming it, and make changes to suit your organization.

To provide a custom element for a single trunk, copy the relevant file to the CustomUpdate folder, and rename it: <Trunk_Name><Secure(0=no/1=yes)><Original_Filename.ext>

where:

  • Trunk_Name is the name of the trunk on which you want the changes to take effect.

  • Secure(0=no/1=yes)—Enter 1 for an HTTPS trunk, enter 0 for an HTTP trunk.

  • Original_Filename.ext is the name of the original file, including the extension.

Note

When customizing Web Monitor pages, you cannot provide custom elements for individual trunks because the Web Monitor monitors all Forefront UAG trunks and cannot be customized per trunk.

For example, to replace the default help icon on all trunks (Microsoft Forefront Unified Access Gateway\von\PortalHomePage\images\Toolbar\help.gif), your custom help icon must be located at Microsoft Forefront Unified Access Gateway\von\PortalHomePage\images\Toolbar\CustomUpdate\help.gif.

To replace the default help icon on an HTTPS trunk named UAGPortal, your custom help icon must be located at Microsoft Forefront Unified Access Gateway\von\PortalHomePage\images\Toolbar\CustomUpdate\UAGPortal1help.gif.