The Policy Server is responsible for evaluating the OfficeScan client’s security posture and for creating the posture token. It compares the security posture with the latest versions of the Virus Pattern and Virus Scan Engine received from the OfficeScan server to which the OfficeScan client is a member. It returns the posture token to the Cisco Secure ACS server, which in turn passes it to the OfficeScan client from the Cisco Network Access Device.

Installing additional Policy Servers on a single network can improve performance when a large number of clients simultaneously attempt to access the network. These Policy Servers can also act as a backup if a Policy Server becomes inoperable. If there are multiple OfficeScan servers on a network, the Policy Server handles requests for all OfficeScan servers registered to it. Likewise, multiple Policy Servers can handle requests for a single OfficeScan server registered to all the Policy Servers. The following figure illustrates the relationship of multiple OfficeScan servers and Policy Servers.

You can also install the Policy Server on the same computer as the OfficeScan server.