Release Notes for the Cisco ASA Device Package for ACI

Available APIC Products

Starting with release 1.2(7.8), there are two versions of the Cisco ASA Device Package software for ACI:

  • Cisco ASA Device Package software for ACI. This version allows you to configure many important features of the ASA from the APIC, including (but not limited to) the following:

    • Interface

    • Routing

    • Access-list

    • NAT

    • TrustSec

    • Application inspection

    • NetFlow

    • High availability

    • Site-to-site VPN

  • Cisco ASA Device Package Fabric Insertion software for ACI. This version contains the following subset of features of the original version:

    • Interface

    • Dynamic routing

    • Static routing

Supported Versions

Cisco ASA Device Package software supports only the version of APIC that it is shipped with.

The following table lists the supported versions of the Cisco ASA software for each of the supported platforms.

Platform

Software Version

Cisco ASA 5500-X (5512 through 5555)

ASA 8.4(x) and newer

Cisco ASA 5585-X (SSP 10 through SSP 60)

Cisco Firepower 9300 Security Appliance

ASA 9.6(1) and newer

Cisco Firepower 41xx Security Appliance

Cisco Firepower 21xx Security Appliance

ASA 9.8(1) and newer

Cisco ASAv

ASA 9.2(x) and newer

(Cisco ASA and APIC Compatibility Matrix)

Install the Software

For instructions on how to install the device package, see the respective version of the Cisco ASA Quick Start Guide for APIC Integration hyperlinked on the Software Download page.

Note
Note

To upgrade from an older to a newer version, you do not need to remove the previous software package if your APIC release has the fix for CSCuv4353. Otherwise, remove the older version from the APIC before installing the newer version.


Bug Search

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Resolved Enhancement Requests in Version 1.3(11)

Table 1. Enhancement Requests Resolved in the Cisco ASA Device Package, Version 1.3(11)

Request/Caveat

Description

CSCvf74631

Support ASA cluster configuration.

CSCvi63894

Support configuration of cluster-pool for data interface IP address.

CSCvj75339

CLI 'mac-address-table' command in ASA device package.

CSCvk42308

Support port-channel span-cluster.

Resolved Caveats in Version 1.3(11)

Table 2. Caveats Resolved in the Cisco ASA Device Package, Version 1.3(11)

Caveat

Description

CSCvh95888

ASA DP needs to support access-group and security-level for BVI for IRB deployment.

CSCvh95899

ASA DP FI cloud-orchestration functional profiles need to support static route.

CSCvi23896

ASA DP missing function profile for IPv4 and IPv6.

CSCvi80770

ASA multi-context feature with overlapping mgmt IPs, needs a solution with APIC.

CSCvj87694

Cannot assign bridge-group to interface.

CSCvj97862

ASA DP needs a function profile for mixed-mode IRB.

CSCvk44096

ASA DP unable to upload FI device package to APIC.

CSCvm22810

Cloud Mode: nameif length becomes too long when both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are configured.

CSCvn10162

ASA DP treats 9.10 as less than 9.3 in which some BGP test cases fail.

Important Notes

  • The ASAv does not support multiple context mode.

  • ACE with dynamic EPG requires ASA image 9.3.2 or newer.

Policy Manager Locks Up When the Configuration for BGP Peering for the Service Appliance is Incomplete

Use this workaround for caveat CSCuw0342:

Symptom: The Policy Manager crashes when the l3Out that is used for BGP peering for the service appliance has an incomplete configuration (CSCuw03425).

Conditions: The l3Out used for BGP peering for the service appliance is missing l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt.

Workaround: Make sure that the l3Out contains l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt. This problem will be fixed in a subsequent release.

The following shows the BGP XML example with l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt:

<polUni>
<fvTenant name="tenant1">
<l3extOut name="StaticExternal">
<l3extLNodeP name="bLeaf-101">
<l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt tDn="topology/pod-1/node-101" rtrId="190.0.0.11">
<ipRouteP ip="50.50.50.0/24">
<ipNexthopP nhAddr="40.40.40.102/32"/>
</ipRouteP>
</l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt>
<l3extLIfP name="portIf">
<l3extRsPathL3OutAtt tDn="topology/pod-1/paths-101/pathep-[eth1/15]" ifInstT="ext-svi" encap="vlan-3843" addr="40.40.40.100/28" mtu="1500"/>
</l3extLIfP>
</l3extLNodeP>
<l3extInstP name="ExtInstP">
<l3extSubnet ip="50.50.50.0/24" scope="export-rtctrl"/>
</l3extInstP>
<l3extRsEctx tnFvCtxName="tenant1ctx1"/>
</l3extOut>
</fvTenant>
</polUni>

Manually Re-Sync the APIC if You Changed the Version of ASA After It Was Registered with the APIC

Use this workaround for caveat CSCva89163:

Symptom: Some commands don't work. For example, the information for the network and neighbor commands is not displayed (CSCva89163).

Conditions: If you're using a version of the ASA that is different from the version that is registered with the APIC, it doesn't automatically re-register with the APIC. Therefore, if you're using an older version of ASA, some commands may not be supported.

Workaround: Manually re-sync the APIC with the ASA by completing the following procedure:

Procedure


Step 1

On the Tenants tab of the APIC GUI, expand L4-L7 Services in the left pane.

Step 2

Expand L4-L7 Devices.

Step 3

Expand the firewall that is running the APIC.

Step 4

Right-click the device that is running the APIC, and select Re-Query for Device Validation.


ASA Configuration Not Rolled Back on Changing Concrete Interfaces

Use this workaround for caveat CSCvd65130:

Symptom: When cluster interfaces are changed under lif configuration for a deployed graph in bridge mode, the new interface might not get updated correctly on the ASA.

Conditions: When changes are made to the ASA device cluster interface configuration.

Workaround: Detach the graph from the contract before making any device changes and then attach it.

Second Graph Pushes Incorrect Configuration to ASA in Bridged Mode

Use this workaround for caveat CSCvd68860:

Symptom: When a second or subsequent graph is deployed on a new set of cluster interfaces in an ASA in bridged mode, the user might see cluster interfaces not configured under the correct bridge-group. This results in a configuration issue which creates a conflict with existing cluster interfaces using the default names in the ASA.

Conditions: Graph deployment using a new set of cluster interfaces with default interface names in an ASA in bridged mode.

Workaround: Rename the cluster interface name under Interface Related Configuration in graph parameters while configuring the graph.

Restore Out-of-Band Configuration

Use this enhancement feature for caveat CSCvb90258:

Symptom: The ASA Fabic Insertion (FI) Device Package (DP) does not support saving configuration out-of-band.

Conditions: The ASA-FI-DP only supports routing and interface configuration. It does not support the configuration of security policy binding commands, such as access-group and nat, to the service graph. To assign a security policy to a service graph, you must manually configure the setup. In the case of rerendering a service graph after removing it, you must manually reconfigure the bindings.

Solution: This enhancement feature enables you to save the security policy binding commands to a file, which the ASA-FI-DP can apply after the service graph is reattached.

XML: A folder named SecurityPolicyAssignment has been added under vnsMFunc which enables you to enter a name for the configuration that has the security policy to assign to the service graph.

<vnsMFunc name="Firewall">
<vnsMFolder key="ExIntfConfigRelFolder" dispLabel="External Interface Configuration" 
description="A list of additional interface parameters for external connector"...>
<vnsMFolder key="InIntfConfigRelFolder" dispLabel="Internal Interface Configuration" 
description="A list of additional interface parameters for internal connector" ...>
<vnsMConn name="external" ...>
<vnsMConn name="internal" ...>
 <vnsMFolder key="SecurityPolicyAssignment"
   dispLabel="Security Policy Assignment"
   description="Assign the security policy in the named file to the service-graph">
  <vnsMParam key="ConfigFile"
    dispLabel="Configuration File"
    dType="str"
    description="Specify the name of the file that contains the out of band configuration specific to the service-graph"/>
  </vnsMFolder>
 </vnsMFunc>

APIC:

  • If the file is on the ASA, enter the name of the file.

  • If the file is on a TFTP server, enter: tftp://<ip-address>/<filename>

  • If the file is on an FTP server, enter: ftp://<ip-address>/<filename>

The contents of the file should be commands that you must enter out-of-band that reference the interfaces used in the service graph. For example:

access-group <acl-name> [in|out] interface <nameif>
nat (<nameif>, <nameif>) …
service-policy <policy-name> interface <nameif>
crypto map <map-name> interface <nameif>
crypto ike2 enable <nameif>

Here's an example of such a file for a service graph with interfaces externalInt and internalInt:

access-group access-group external_access_acl in interface externalInt
nat (internalInt,externalInt) source static real_obj mapped_obj
nat (internalInt,externalInt) source dynamic any mapped_obj interface

Commands that do not reference an interface should not be part of the file because they're not removed when you remove the service graph. Examples of such commands include:

access-list
object network
object service
object-group network
object-group service