The IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules (IKEEXT) service hosts the IKE and AuthIP keying modules. These modules are used for authentication and key exchange in IPsec. Stopping or disabling the IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules service disables the IKE and AuthIP key exchange with peer computers. IPsec is typically configured to use IKE or AuthIP; therefore, stopping or disabling the IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules service may result in an IPsec failure and may compromise the security of the system. We strongly recommend that you have the IKEEXT service running.

This service is installed by default and its startup type is Manual. When the IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules service is started in its default configuration, it logs on by using the Local System account.

The IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules service is dependent upon the following system components:

• Base Filtering Engine
• Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
• DCOM Server Process Launcher
• RPC Endpoint Mapper