TABLE OF CONTENTS Until this chapter, our focus has been on the configuration and management of the PIX firewall using the command-line interface, or CLI. The PIX firewall also supports a graphical user interface (GUI), which used to be called the PIX Device Manager (PDM). PDM has been replaced in version 7.0 with the Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), which allows an administrator to use a Web browser to install, configure, and maintain the PIX firewall.
ASDM is a Java-based GUI used to manage the Cisco PIX firewall. It consists of a software image that runs from flash memory on the PIX firewall, enabling administrative access via a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypted HTTPS session. ASDM completely replaces PDM, which was available for versions before 7.0. ASDM allows firewall administrators to work from a variety of authorized workstations configured with a compatible browser and includes nearly all PIX CLI functionality. For example, using ASDM, administrators can add, modify, and delete firewall rule sets, configure network address translation (NAT), or set up a virtual private network (VPN).
In addition to altering PIX configurations, ASDM facilitates administrative monitoring of the PIX firewall through powerful graph and table displays for near-real-time insight into PIX performance. This chapter introduces ASDM, and provides detailed information for using it to configure and monitor the PIX firewall.
| Note | ASDM is used for administration of a single firewall. CiscoWorks VPN/Security Management Solution (VMS) is a Cisco product that supports centralized management of multiple Cisco security devices, including firewalls, VPNs, and... |
