Migrating from WinGate 6

WinGate has undergone a massive evolution from version 6. With all the changes we recommend that you read the Changes in WinGate section in the WinGate helpfile, to find out the differences between WinGate 6 and WinGate 7 and greater. You can also read the WinGate features section for a full list of all the new features available from version 7 onwards.

If you are currently using WinGate 6 that uses a WinGate 6 License with version protection, then you can upgrade to WinGate 7 or 8 without too much difficulty.

The WinGate installer will examine the WinGate server for previous installations and upgrade based on the following :

Things you will need to do

• Policies do not migrate from version 6 or prior.

  Any policies you have created in WinGate 6 will not be kept. You will need to create new policies with the new Policy System. Rather then being configured around certain users in System and User services, policies are created around events that take place in WinGate.

• HTTP Cache content and Caching policy is not migrated.

  The new HTTP Cache in WinGate uses a completely new indexing and storage system. By default, an HTTP Cache volume is created after upgrading WinGate, to provide HTTP Caching services.

• Scheduled events are not migrated

  WinGate has a completely new Scheduled Events system.

• Plugins

  Old plugins are not compatible, you will need to update to plugins compatible with newer versions of WinGate.

Things WinGate will do for you

Choose a user database based on your current settings

WinGate will examine the current user database that you are using in WinGate 6, and determine the appropriate user database for the new version of WinGate.

These are:

1. WinGate user database

   If you are using the WinGate user database then newer WinGate versions will choose for you to continue to use WinGate user database.

2. Windows Users and Groups

   If you are using the operating system database of the WinGate server in WinGate 6, then WinGate will select the Windows Users and Groups connector for WinGate to continue using the local operating system database.

3. Active Directory

   If you have WinGate 6 located in an Active Directory and using a domain controller user database, then WinGate will select the Active Directory user database connector.

Once the user database has been selected WinGate will :

• Migrate email mailbox settings to new user database.

• Migrate mailboxes to IMAP format.

  In WinGate 7 and above there is no distinction between POP3 or IMAP4 mailboxes, as all mailboxes are now stored in IMAP format. If a user wishes to access their WinGate mailbox using the POP3 Protocol, they will only be able to access the Inbox folder.

• Migrate assumed users to credential rules and migrate multi-user machines to credential rules.

  WinGate has a new Credential rules system that allows you to create credential rules for assumed users when they connect from a certain machine, or multi user machines. Any assumed users or multi user machines that you have configured in WinGate 6, will have appropriate credential rules created during migration.

WinGate remains compatible with

• Existing service configurations.
• Existing Extended networking settings.
• Existing mail settings.
• Existing Network connection settings.
• Dialup settings.

Things that work differently

• Logging

  There is a completely new logging system for WinGate 7.

• Scheduler

  WinGate 7 ushered in a completely new Scheduled Events system.

• Policy

  WinGate no longer has the concept of System and Service policies. All policies are configured in the Policy system based around a selected event taking place somewhere in WinGate.

• Filtering

  Plugins and cache now act as filters that can be enabled or disabled on per service basis if required (e.g. HTTP cache is now an HTTP filter).

• Firewall tab

  There is no longer a panel to display activity in the WinGate Firewall. All firewall activity is now written straight to a log called WinGate NAT. You can access and view the contents of this log file on the Log Files tab on the Logging panel, located in the Control Panel of the WinGate Management console.

Things that are gone

• Java login

  There is now no Java login this has been replaced by WWW auth.

• Quarantine

  WinGate no longer has a Quarantine. HTTP, SMTP, and POP3 Proxy traffic scanned by the optional Kaspersky AntiVirus for WinGate plugin will either be allowed (if found to be clean) or rejected based on the result of the scan.

• Drip-feeding in proxies

  This is now handled in plugins now as required.

• Log file server

• Telnet commandline admin interface