About This Guide

About This Guide

This preface introduces Cisco ASA 5500 Series Configuration Guide using the CLI and includes the following sections:

Document Objectives

The purpose of this guide is to help you configure the ASA using the command-line interface. This guide does not cover every feature, but describes only the most common configuration scenarios.

You can also configure and monitor the ASA by using ASDM, a web-based GUI application. ASDM includes configuration wizards to guide you through some common configuration scenarios, and online help for less common scenarios.

This guide applies to the Cisco ASA 5500 series. Throughout this guide, the term “ASA” applies generically to supported models, unless specified otherwise.

Audience

This guide is for network managers who perform any of the following tasks:

  • Manage network security
  • Install and configure firewalls/ASAs
  • Configure VPNs
  • Configure intrusion detection software

Related Documentation

For more information, see Navigating the Cisco ASA 5500 Series Documentation at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/asa/roadmap/asaroadmap.html.

Conventions

This document uses the following conventions:

 

Convention
Indication

bold font

Commands and keywords and user-entered text appear in bold font.

italic font

Document titles, new or emphasized terms, and arguments for which you supply values are in italic font.

[ ]

Elements in square brackets are optional.

{x | y | z }

Required alternative keywords are grouped in braces and separated by vertical bars.

[ x | y | z ]

Optional alternative keywords are grouped in brackets and separated by vertical bars.

string

A nonquoted set of characters. Do not use quotation marks around the string or the string will include the quotation marks.

courier font

Terminal sessions and information the system displays appear in courier font.

< >

Nonprinting characters such as passwords are in angle brackets.

[ ]

Default responses to system prompts are in square brackets.

!, #

An exclamation point (!) or a pound sign (#) at the beginning of a line of code indicates a comment line.
note.gif

Noteblank.gif Means reader take note.

tip.gif

Tipblank.gif Means the following information will help you solve a problem.

caut.gif
Caution blank.gif Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might perform an action that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.
timesave.gif

Timesaver Means the described action saves time. You can save time by performing the action described in the paragraph.

warn.gif

Warningblank.gif Means reader be warned. In this situation, you might perform an action that could result in bodily injury.

Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

For information on obtaining documentation, submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see the monthly What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation, which also lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, at:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/general/whatsnew/whatsnew.html

Subscribe to the What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation as an RSS feed and set content to be delivered directly to your desktop using a reader application. The RSS feeds are a free service. Cisco currently supports RSS Version 2.0.