Configuring ASA Context

This chapter contains the following sections:

About ASA Context

You can partition a single ASA into multiple virtual devices, known as security contexts. Each context acts as an independent device, with its own security policy, interfaces, and administrators. Multiple contexts are similar to having multiple standalone devices.

In Cisco UCS Director, ASA context configuration is supported on the following Cisco network device:

  • Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewall

Creating an ASA Context

    Step 1   Choose Physical > Network.
    Step 2   On the Network page, choose the pod.
    Step 3   Expand the pod and choose the network device to be configured.
    Step 4   Choose the ASA Contexts tab.
    Step 5   Click Create ASA Context.
    Step 6   In the Create ASA Context screen, complete the required fields, including the following:
    Name Description

    Select Context Name field

    The name of the security context.

    This is a mandatory field

    Context Description field

    The description of the security context.

    This is a mandatory field

    File Name field

    The name of the security context configuration.

    Outside Interface drop-down list

    Expand the list to check the checkbox of the outside interface name for the security context.

    Inside Interfaces drop-down list

    Expand the list to check the checkbox of the inside interfaces for the security context.

    Management Interface drop-down list

    Expand the list to check the checkbox of the management interfaces for the security context.

    Mode drop-down list

    Choose one of the following as the firewall mode for context:

    • Routed

    • Transparent

    Copy Running configuration to Startup configuration check box

    Check the check box to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration.

    Step 7   Click Submit.
    What to Do Next

    After you create an ASA context, you can allocate and unallocate interface types to an ASA context, or you can delete the ASA context. For information on allocating interface types, see Allocating Interface Types to an ASA Context. To remove an interface type, see Unallocating Interface Types from an ASA Context. To delete an ASA context, select the ASA context and choose Delete.

    Allocating Interface Types to an ASA Context

      Step 1   Choose Physical > Network.
      Step 2   On the Network page, choose the pod.
      Step 3   Expand the pod and choose the network device to be configured.
      Step 4   Click ASA Contexts.
      Step 5   Choose an ASA context.
      Step 6   Choose Allocate Interface.
      Step 7   In the Allocate Interface screen, complete the following:

      Name

      Description

      Select Interface type drop-down list

      Choose the interface type you want to allocate to the ASA context. It can be one of the following:

      • inside

      • outside

      • mgmt

      Select Interface field

      Click Select to check the check box of an interface.

      Copy Running configuration to Startup configuration check box

      Check this check box to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration.

      Step 8   Click Submit.
      What to Do Next

      At a later point, you can unallocate an interface type from the ASA context.

      Unallocating Interface Types from an ASA Context

        Step 1   Choose Physical > Network.
        Step 2   On the Network page, choose the pod.
        Step 3   Expand the pod and choose the network device to be configured.
        Step 4   Click ASA Contexts.
        Step 5   Choose an ASA context.
        Step 6   Click View Details.
        Step 7   In the Context Interfaces page, select an interface type.
        Step 8   Choose Unallocate Interface.
        Step 9   In the Unallocate Interface screen, review the information that is displayed.

        The only editable field on this screen is the Copy Running configuration to Startup configuration check box.

        Step 10   Click Submit.