Reimage a Sourcefire SSL Appliance 1500/2000 to Version 3.6 or Greater

Introduction

This document provides instructions for reimaging a SSL Appliance to version 3.6 or higher.

Prerequisites

Note: The reimaging process requires physical access to the appliance.

Component Used

This guide applies to the following hardware models:

• SSL Appliance 1500
• SSL Appliance 2000
  

Before You Begin

• Cisco recommends that you create a backup of the configuration, policy, and event data on the appliance to external storage prior to reimaging.
• After downloading an appropriate image file (such as, 3.6 or higher) for the SSL Appliance, check the integrity of the file by comparing the md5sum of the downloaded file with the md5sum posted on the download page.
• Obtain a USB storage device (minimum capacity 1 GB). In the imaging process, any existing data on the USB storage device will be completely overwritten.
• Access to an application that is capable of creating a bootable USB disk from an ISO image file.
• Provide console access to the SSL Appliance. It is possible to use either the serial console or a monitor and keyboard. Connectivity for these options can be found on the back panel of the appliance.

Write a Disk Image (.iso file) to the USB Storage Device

Windows

If you are using Windows, please refer to the documentation for the software you are using to write the .iso file to your USB stick.

Linux and Mac OSX (using 'dd')

1. Plug the USB storage device into the computer that will be used for imaging.

2. Determine the block device path for the USB storage device.

In Linux, the path will usually be /dev/sdX , where X will be assigned by the operating system. One method of identifying the device is to execute the mount command before and after inserting the USB device. The new device listed after inserting the USB device will display the path to the USB device.

Warning: If you are unable to determine the path to the device with certainty, please contact support for assistance.

On Mac OSX, use the following procedure to determine the block device path:

• Go to Apple Menu > About This Mac.
• Click More Info...
• Click System Report...
• Under Hardware, select USB.
• Under USB Device Tree, select the USB storage device.
• In the details below, take note of the entry in the BSD Name field. This value substitutes for X in the block device path /dev/X .

3. Using the command line interface, execute the following command as root (note: case-sensitive):

On Linux OS

root@linux:~# dd if=</path/to/iso> of=<block device path> bs=1M; sync

On Mac OSX

sh-3.2# dd if=</path/to/iso> of=<block device path> bs=1m

Warning: If the incorrect block device path is specified, data on the disk specified will be lost.

4. Unmount or eject the USB storage device, and then unplug it from the computer. To unmount the USB stick from the command line of a Linux system, use the following command:

root@linux:~# umount <block device path>

Reimage an SSL Appliance

1. Plug a USB storage device into the USB interface on the front panel of the SSL Appliance.

2. Reboot the SSL Appliance.

3. The GRUB menu will appear on the console. (If GRUB does not appear: reboot the appliance; press F11 during the bootup; select the USB device; and press Enter.) Select the Manufacturing DOM Install menu option, and press Enter.

Figure 1: The GRUB menu, with the Manufacturing DOM install option selected.

4. Wait for the DOM install to complete (see Figure 2). When prompted, manually reboot the SSL Appliance, or wait 10 seconds for the appliance to automatically reboot.

Figure 2: The completed DOM install, just prior to rebooting.

5. Unplug the USB storage device when the system shuts down during the reboot process.

6. When the GRUB menu appears on the console, select the Factory re-install option, and press Enter.

Figure 3: The GRUB menu, with the Factory re-install option selected.

7. Wait for the factory re-installation process to complete. Expect to wait several minutes during the Wiping HD stage (see figure 4).

Figure 4: The console during the Wiping HD stage of the factory re-installation process.

8. When the installation process is complete (see figure 5), manually reboot the SSL Appliance, or wait 10 seconds for the appliance to automatically reboot.

Figure 5: The completed factory re-installation, just prior to rebooting.

9. Once the SSL Appliance has booted, use the LCD panel to either discover the management interface's IP address (if DHCP is available on the network), or to manually set the IP address.

10. Using the IP address of the management interface, access the web user interface of the SSL Appliance to complete the bootstrap process.