Q&A
Q. What is CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors is a powerful scalable tool for configuring network intrusion prevention system (IPS) sensors, switch IPSs, and IPS network modules for routers. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 is a component of the CiscoWorks VPN/Security Management Solution (VMS) 2.3. It is not sold separately.
Q. Will CiscoWorks for Management Center for IPS Sensors work with network IPS sensors?
A. Yes. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors will still manage sensors that use Cisco® IPS Sensor Software 4.x, as well as sensors that use Cisco IPS Sensor Software 5.0 and 5.1.
Q. Must I transition to Cisco IPS Sensor Software 5.1 in order to use the Cisco IPS Sensor Software 5.1-related features offered by the CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors?
A. Yes.
Q. What is the relationship with Cisco IPS Device Manager (IDM)?
A. Cisco IDM is a Web-based configuration tool for network IPS appliances. It is shipped at no additional cost with IPS sensor code. Cisco IDM implements a Web-based GUI that is similar to the CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors software. For additional scalability, customers may consider the CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors software.
Q. Who should buy CiscoWorks VMS?
A. CiscoWorks VMS, which includes the CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors, should be used for large deployments in enterprises. In addition to IPS management, CiscoWorks VMS includes tools to manage devices in the SAFE Blueprint from Cisco architecture, including Cisco PIX® security appliances, Cisco security agents, and VPNs on Cisco IOS® routers. Customers who want configurations for one to three sensors should consider the Cisco IDM, which is suitable for small implementations or trials.
Q. What are the new features in CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 has the following new features:
• Additional support for Cisco IPS Sensor Software 5.1
• Support of Cisco Incident Control System
• Support of Distributed Threat Mitigation
• Support of Cisco IOS Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
• Support of IOS IPS Signature Definition Files
• Support for single interface, multi-vlan IPS configuration
• Support of Rate Limiting configuration
• Multi-User Support
• Auto-Apply Signature Update
• Copy Signature Wizard
• Global configurations of Event Action Overrides, Event Action Filters, and Event Variables
• Out-of-Band configuration detection
Q. What operating systems are supported?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 software is available for Windows 2000 and Solaris 8.
Q. Is inline intrusion prevention supported?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 supports inline intrusion prevention on Cisco IPS 42XX sensors; Cisco 1700, 2600, and 7200 series routers; Cisco 3725 and 3745 multiservice access routers; and Cisco 2691 multiservice platforms running Cisco IOS Software Release 12.3(8)T4 and higher with inline IPS support.
Q. Is real-time status information available when a configuration is deployed or when a signature update is performed?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 supports a real-time progress bar for configuration deployments and signature updates.
Q. Are automatic updates of new signatures supported?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 supports the ability to automatically download and update new signatures, minor versions, and patches from Cisco.com, including the ability to deploy the signatures to all IPS sensors in the network on an automatic or scheduled basis.
Q. Is role-based access control supported?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 integrates with Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) for role-based access control at the device level.
Q. How can I tell what IPS sensors are in my network?
A. CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors 2.2 has an inventory report that lists all the sensors in the network in one easy-to-find place.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the CiscoWorks Management Center for IPS Sensors, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/vms, contact your local account representative, or send e-mail to ciscoworks@cisco.com.
