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

Procedure

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

Procedure

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

Procedure

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.