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Table of Contents

Release Notes for the PIX Firewall Manager Version 4.3(2)f

Release Notes for the PIX Firewall Manager Version 4.3(2)f

September 2000

Contents

This document includes the following sections:

Introduction

The PIX Firewall Manager (PFM) lets you administer one or more PIX Firewall units, view syslog messages, and define customized alarms for each type of syslog message. You can use PFM to view, add, and modify the configuration of each PIX Firewall unit.

This version of PFM supports a subset of the PIX Firewall command set. Features in PIX Firewall version 4.3(2) are supported, but no new features are supported from versions 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, or 5.2. Refer to the respective PIX Firewall release notes for information on the new features in those releases that are not supported by PFM. PIX Firewall documentation is available online at the following site:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/iaabu/pix/index.htm.


Note   If you have a problem with PFM, copy the pfm.log file immediately after a problem occurs so you can send the copy of pfm.log to Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Refer to "New Software Features in Version 4.3(2)f" for information on version 4.3(2)f.


Note   PFM provides support for only four interfaces, not the six supported by versions 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, or the 8 supported by version 5.2.


Note   PFM cannot be installed on a system or in the same network in which the PIX Firewall Syslog Server (PFSS) is installed.

Components

PFM software includes these components:

PFM provides two access levels: user-level with read-only (non-modifying) access and administrator-level with read and write access.

Diskettes for installing PFM are provided in the PIX Firewall accessory kit.

If you are upgrading from a previous version of PFM software, refer to the documentation supplied with the PIX Firewall for configuration information.

PFM can be installed and uninstalled on Workstation and Server versions of Windows NT 4.0.

System Requirements

This section includes the following topics:

Windows NT Requirements

The Windows NT system on which you install the Management Server requires the following:

PIX Firewall Requirements


Note   Each PIX Firewall you manage must have been configured with the PIX Firewall telnet command or the PIX Firewall Setup Wizard to permit the Management Server to access the PIX Firewall. The PIX Firewall Setup Wizard is not available in version 4.4.

All PIX Firewall units managed by PFM must be running PIX Firewall software version 4.3(2), 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, or later. To check the version of the PIX Firewall software, go to the PIX Firewall console and enter the show version command.

If you intend to manage PIX Firewall units on the outside network, each foreign unit must run Private Link and at least one firewall on the local network must also run Private Link. The local PIX Firewall must be configured to communicate with the foreign Private Link firewalls.

You must have console access to each local and foreign PIX Firewall you manage in order to perform the configuration required to run PFM. If you are managing remote firewalls, work with the site administrator to get the PIX Firewall to communicate with PFM.

To configure each PIX Firewall unit from the Setup Wizard, follow the instructions in the Installation Guide for the Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Version 5.2.

Follow these steps to configure each PIX Firewall unit from the command line at the PIX Firewall console:


Step 1   enable—to enter privileged mode. When prompted, enter the privileged mode password. The default is no password and you can press the Enter key at the prompt.

Step 2   configure terminal—to enter configuration mode.

Step 3   nameif—to specify the name or security level of the outside or optional third interface on the PIX Firewall. The inside interface cannot be renamed or given a different security level. Each security level must be a unique number between 0 and 99.

Step 4   interface—to set options for the Ethernet or Token Ring network interfaces.

Step 5   ip address—to assign IP addresses and network masks to each interface.

Step 6   telnet—to let the PIX Firewall communicate with PFM:

: Telnet for PIX Firewall Manager
telnet Windows_NT_IP_Address 255.255.255.255
 

Replace Windows_NT_IP_Address with the IP address of the Windows NT system.

Add the comment before the telnet statement to ensure that the next person configuring the firewall knows the purpose of this telnet statement.

Step 7   link and linkpath—if you are managing remote PIX Firewall units, configure each for Private Link access. This feature is available in version 4.4, but was removed from version 5.0.

Step 8   write memory—save the configuration in Flash memory.


All commands are described in the configuration guide supplied with the PIX Firewall and online at the following site:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/iaabu/pix/index.htm.

Management Server Requirements

The Management Server has the following requirements:

Follow these steps to use another .AU format sound file:


Step 1   Place the sound file on the Windows NT system running the Management Server in the JClient\Netscape subdirectory of the Management Server's target directory.

Step 2   Click the Management Client's Setting tab to modify the audio filename.


Management Client Requirements

The Management Client has the following requirements:

The system running the browser must use Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Windows NT 4.0 Server, or Solaris. On Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, 32 MB RAM is highly recommended.

New and Changed Information

This section includes the following topics:

New Software Features in Version 4.3(2)f

PIX Firewall Manager has been updated to accept the PIX Firewall version 5.2 Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System syslog signature messages. These messages appear under the Alarm and Report tab in the Warning Log Messages section of the Syslog Message Folder. Refer to System Log Messages for the Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Version 5.2 for a description of each Cisco Secure IDS signature message. You can view this document online at the following site:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/iaabu/pix/pix_v52/syslog/index.htm

When PFM is run with PIX Firewall versions 4.4, 5.0, 5.1 or 5.2, the following error messages appear on the network browser:

PIX_ip_address: Unable to Show RADIUS Server [cmdCode = 4003]
PIX_ip_address: Unable to Show TACACS Server [cmdCode = 4103]
PIX_ip_address: Unable to show AAA Authentication [cmdCode = 3203]
PIX_ip_address: Unable to show AAA Authorization [cmdCode = 3903]
PIX_ip_address: Unable to show AAA Accounting [cmdCode = 5803]
 

These messages indicate features added after version 4.3(2) that are not compatible with PIX Firewall Manager.

The following caveats are new in version 4.3(2)f:

    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Delete conduit [cmdCode = 402]
     
    
  As a workaround, you can delete the conduit from the PIX Firewall command line and PFM will update its display to show the conduit deleted.
    PIX_ip_address: Unable to show Failover [cmdCode=2103]
     
    
  Use Table 1 to determine the correct signature number.
  

Table 1: Cisco Secure IDS Syslog Messages
Signature Title
Signature ID 
Signature Type

IP options-Bad Option List

1000

Informational

IP options-Record Packet Route

1001

Informational

IP options-Timestamp

1002

Informational

IP options-Security

1003

Informational

IP options-Loose Source Route

1004

Informational

IP options-SATNET ID

1005

Informational

IP options-Strict Source Route

1006

Informational

IP Fragment Attack

1100

Attack

IP Unknown IP Protocol

1101

Attack

IP Fragments Overlap

1103

Attack

ICMP Echo Reply

2000

Informational

ICMP Host Unreachable

2001

Informational

ICMP Source Quench

2002

Informational

ICMP Redirect

2003

Informational

ICMP Echo Request

2004

Informational

ICMP Time Exceeded for a Datagram

2005

Informational

ICMP Parameter Problem on Datagram

2006

Informational

ICMP Timestamp Request

2007

Informational

ICMP Timestamp Reply

2008

Informational

ICMP Information Request

2009

Informational

ICMP Information Reply

2010

Informational

ICMP Address Mask Request

2011

Informational

ICMP Address Mask Reply

2012

Informational

Fragmented ICMP Traffic

2150

Attack

Large ICMP Traffic

2151

Attack

Ping of Death Attack

2154

Attack

TCP NULL flags

3040

Attack

TCP SYN+FIN flags

3041

Attack

TCP FIN only flags

3042

Attack

FTP Improper Address Specified

3153

Informational

FTP Improper Port Specified

3154

Informational

UDP Bomb attack

4050

Attack

UDP Snork attack

4051

Attack

UDP Chargen DoS attack

4052

Attack

DNS HINFO Request

6050

Attack

DNS Zone Transfer

6051

Attack

DNS Zone Transfer from High Port

6052

Attack

DNS Request for All Records

6053

Attack

RPC Port Registration

6100

Informational

RPC Port Unregistration

6101

Informational

RPC Dump

6102

Informational

Proxied RPC Request

6103

Attack

ypserv (YP server daemon) Portmap Request

6150

Informational

ypbind (YP bind daemon) Portmap Request

6151

Informational

yppasswdd (YP password daemon) Portmap Request

6152

Informational

ypupdated (YP update daemon) Portmap Request

6153

Informational

ypxfrd (YP transfer daemon) Portmap Request

6154

Informational

mountd (mount daemon) Portmap Request

6155

Informational

rexd (remote execution daemon) Portmap Request

6175

Informational

rexd (remote execution daemon) Attempt

6180

Informational

statd Buffer Overflow

6190

Attack

FTP Retrieve Password File

8000

Attack


The following existing caveats affect use of PFM version 4.3(2)f:

    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Show established [cmdCode = 4703]
     
    
    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Add AAA Authentication [cmdCode = 3201]
    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Add AAA Authorization [cmdCode = 3901]
    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Add AAA Accounting [cmdCode = 5801]
     
    
    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Show Global [cmdCode=103]
    

New Software Features in Version 4.3(2)e

The following are new in version 4.3(2)e:

  CSCdp61981: PFM connection timeout causes PIX Firewall crash.
  CSCdr25532: Unable to view global command information when netmask is not specified.

New Software Features in Version 4.3(2)d

The following are new in version 4.3(2)d:

New Software Features in Version 4.3(2)

PFM provides the following features:


Note   The Tasks button generates statements in the PIX Firewall configuration that allow connections to or from hosts on internal (protected) networks. If you have additional configuration requirements, such as access control for outbound connections and user authentication or authorization, other configuration commands apply.

Capture quickly scrolling messages in the SYSLOG Message Window using the Message Snapshot button. The snapshot displays up to 200 lines of messages in a separate window. To display the Syslog Message Window, select the SYSLOG Notification Settings tab and change the Immediate Syslog Message setting to ON.

Installation Notes

This section includes the following topics:


Note   Refer to "Important Notes" for information on using the PIX Firewall Manager.

General Notes

    1. Each PIX Firewall you wish to manage must be running PIX Firewall version 4.3(2), 4.4(1), or later.

    2. Each PIX Firewall you manage must have previously been configured with the PIX Firewall telnet command or PIX Firewall Setup Wizard to permit access to the PIX Firewall from the Management Server for PFM. PIX Firewall Setup Wizard is not available in version 4.4.

    3. A PIX Firewall Syslog Server (PFSS) is available for logging PIX Firewall event information on a Windows NT system. PFSS provides logging features not available with PFM, such as using TCP for highly reliable message delivery and control. PFM has features not available with PFSS, such as generating reports from syslog information.

  The PIX Firewall does not support running both PFM and PFSS applications at the same time. You must use either PFM or PFSS, but not both.

    4. The Windows NT computer running the PIX Firewall Manager Management Client (graphical user interface) must have a network browser that is Java 1.02 compliant. Refer to "Management Client Requirements" for more information.

    5. Selecting a menu item (or screen) is indicated by the following convention:

  Click screen1>screen2>screen3.

    6. The initial PFM password is set to expire after 42 days. Refer to "Changing Passwords" for more information.

    7. PFM encrypts all communication with the PIX Firewall software versions 4.3(2), 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, or 5.2. Earlier software versions are not supported.

    8. After installation and setup, if you change the IP address of the Windows NT system, you need to update the FIREWALL.HTML file installed on the system. The file is in the JClient\Netscape subdirectory on the Management Server's target directory. In the FIREWALL.HTML file, swap the old IP address with the current IP address, which is only visible from the inside network.

  Interface entries can be specified as either IP addresses or domain names; however, you must remember to log on to the management server using the exact entry listed in the FIREWALL.HTML file or an IP address security violation error message can appear. This message indicates the Management Server could not locate the interface specified in the FIREWALL.HTML file, having tried the possible interfaces on the Windows NT computer running the Management Server.

The sections that follow describe other installation topics.

Before Installing

Before installing PFM, you need to know the following:

  ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/iana/assignments/port-numbers
  Follow these steps to view the IP address:

Step 1   Click Start>Settings>Control Panel.

Step 2   Double-click the Network icon.

Step 3   Click the Protocols tab and click TCP/IP Protocols>Properties.

Step 4   When the Microsoft TCP/IP Properties dialog box opens, click the IP Address tab. The IP address appears on the lower part of this tab.

Step 5   If the Obtain an IP address from a DHCP server item is checked, click it to disable it. Then click Specify an IP address and enter an IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway IP address for this system.


Installing PFM


Note   Only users with Windows NT Administrator privileges can run the installer or uninstaller program.

During installation, if a previous version of PFM is found, the installation program replaces the old version with the new. Follow these steps to install PFM:


Step 1   If you used the PIX Firewall Setup Wizard to configure the PIX Firewall with the IP address and network mask of the Windows NT computer running PFM, skip to Step 2. If you have not set up the IP address for the Windows NT computer, verify network connectivity before starting by following these steps:

    enable
    Password: (press Enter)
    ping inside 192.168.42.42
    


    ping 192.168.42.54
    


    enable
    Password: (press Enter)
    configure terminal
    : Created for PIX Firewall Manager
    telnet 192.168.42.54
    write memory
    

Step 2   Exit all Windows programs.

Step 3   Log in to the Windows NT system as Administrator or as any user who is a member of the Administrator group or who has Windows NT Administrator privileges.

Step 4   From the Windows NT system, insert the first PFM diskette in the diskette drive. You can install the software:

Step 5   Once the installation program starts, you are prompted with a series of dialog boxes. You can simply click Next and the installation will proceed without interruption. Alternately, you can designate an installation directory other than the default.

Step 6   During the installation you are prompted for a port number for the built-in web server in PFM; use the default, 8080, unless that port is in use already. Any port between 1025 and 64000 can be entered as an alternative. To pick another port, view ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/iana/assignments/port-numbers to find the ports in use.

The installation program then copies its files and prompts you to insert the second diskette. Insert the diskette and the remaining files are copied.

Step 7   At the last dialog box, click Finish. The Management Server starts automatically.

Step 8   To check whether the Management Server is running, click Start>Settings>Control Panel and double-click the Services icon. Look for the "PIX Firewall Management Server" service name. A server is running if its status appears as Started. If the status field is blank, you may run the server by selecting its name and then clicking Start. If you need to stop the Management Server, refer to the instructions for doing so in "Management Client Requirements."

Step 9   After the software setup completes, change the default passwords of the pixadmin and pixuser users with the Windows NT User Manager program described in the following section, "Changing Passwords."


Limitations and Restrictions

    1. PFM cannot be installed or uninstalled under Windows NT domain administration logins. If you attempt to install PFM on this type of login, the following message appears:

    You are not authorized to run this installer.
    Terminating...
    

    2. When installing PFM on a backup domain controller, be sure that the backup domain controller has connectivity with the primary domain controller. If connectivity is lost between the backup domain controller and the primary domain controller, the following message appears:

    Could not find the domain controller for the domain.
    
  In this case, the installation procedure cannot add the PFM users and groups to the Windows NT Security Account Manager database, and attempts to use PFM will fail.

    3. PFM does not support the following PIX Firewall commands:

  To view, add, or change these configuration features, use the PIX Firewall unit's console port or start a Telnet session to access the PIX Firewall.

    4. The following configuration features can be viewed on the Management Client but must be added or changed at the PIX Firewall's console port or Telnet session:

    5. ICMP protocol services, such as ping, are initially blocked in both directions by the PIX Firewall and require a conduit configuration. To configure a conduit, click Inbound>Static>Conduit.

If a help topic is not available, information on the topic can be found in the documentation supplied with your PIX Firewall or online at the following site:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/iaabu/pix/index.htm

Important Notes

This section includes the following topics:

Changing Passwords

Follow these steps to change passwords for the pixadmin and pixuser default usernames:


Step 1   Click Start>Programs>Administrative Tools (Common)>User Manager. If your Windows NT system is a domain controller, click User Manager for Domains.

Step 2   When the User Manager starts, locate the two users, pixadmin and pixuser in the Username section of the screen.

Step 3   Click the pixadmin username, and click User>Properties.

Step 4   In the User Properties dialog box, enter the new password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.

Step 5   In the User Properties dialog box, select the Password Never Expires check box to prevent the password from expiring. If the box is not cleared, the password expires after the number of days set in the Account Policy Maximum Password Age configured in the Windows NT system. The default value set during Windows NT system installation is 42 days. Click OK to exit.

Step 6   Click the pixuser username and click User>Properties. Enter the new password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.

Step 7   In the User Properties dialog box, select the Password Never Expires check box to prevent the password from expiring.

Step 8   Click OK to exit, and click User>Exit to leave the User Manager.


Limiting Access to the Management Client

You can specify which users can access the Management Client by creating user accounts on the Windows NT system on which PFM is installed and giving the user either PFM administrative or read-only access privileges. When the Management Client starts, users enter their login ID and password and, if accepted, they can then run PFM.


Note   Before limiting access to the Management Client, change the default password to a new value as described in the preceding section, "Changing Passwords."

Follow these steps to limit access to the Management Client:


Step 1   Start the User Manager as described in Step 1 in the preceding section, "Changing Passwords." The User Manager dialog box appears. If you want to authorize access for users who already have accounts on the Windows NT system, proceed to Step 2. To add new users to the Windows NT system, click User>New User. Specify the information for the user including the user's login name, full name, and password.

Step 2   To give a user access to the Management Client, locate the Groups area at the bottom of the User Manager dialog box.

Step 3   From the Groups area, if you want users to be able to change PIX Firewall settings, double-click PIX Admins. If you want users only to have read access and no change privileges, double-click PIX Users. The Local Group Properties dialog box then appears.

Step 4   Click Add to add an existing user to the selected group. The Add Users and Groups dialog box appears.

Step 5   From the Names field, choose the name of the user you wish to add, click Add, and then click OK to complete adding this user. Control returns to the Local Group Properties dialog box where you can continue adding users. To exit back to the User Manager dialog box, click OK. Then exit User Manager by clicking OK.


Note   Do not assign a user to both the PIX Admins and PIX Users groups.


Starting the Management Client

Follow these steps to start the Management Client, restart the network browser, disable proxies, and then access the Management Client:

Windows 95, Windows NT, Solaris Netscape Navigator Version 3.x


Step 1   Click Network Preferences on the Options menu.

Step 2   Click the Proxies tab, select the No Proxies check box, and click OK.

Step 3   Click Open Location on the File menu, enter ^L, or click Open, and enter the following:

http://IP_address:port  
 

where IP_address is the system running PFM Server, and port is the Management Server's web server port that you defined in "Installation Notes."


Windows 95, Windows NT, Solaris Netscape Communicator 4.0, 4.01, 4.02, 4.04, 4.05, Netscape Navigator 4.0, 4.01, 4.02, 4.04, 4.05


Step 1   Click Preferences on the Edit menu. A dialog box appears.

Step 2   In the hierarchy display at the left, double-click the Advanced item. (In Solaris, click the arrow beside Advanced.) The hierarchy expands to display additional choices.

Step 3   Click Proxies from the expanded hierarchy list.

Step 4   Select the Direct connection to the Internet check box, and click OK.

Step 5   Click Open Location on the File menu, enter ^L, or click Open, and enter the following:

http://IP_address:port  
 

where IP_address is the system running PFM Server, and port is the Management Server's web server port that you defined in "Installation Notes."


Windows 95 or Windows NT Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Version 4.72.3110.8; Updated Version: SP1


Step 1   Click Internet Options on the View menu.

Step 2   Click the Connections tab.

Step 3   In the Proxies Server group box, clear Access the Internet using a proxy server.

Step 4   Return to the main menu and enter the following:

http://IP_address:port  
 

where IP_address is the system running PFM Server, and port is the Management Server's web server port that you defined in "Installation Notes."


Using the Management Client

Follow these steps to view the Management Client applet with any network browser described in "Management Client Requirements."


Step 1   After you have disabled browser proxies as described in "Starting the Management Client" and started the Management Client, the home page appears.

Step 2   You can generate reports using Microsoft Excel 97 by following the instructions on the home page.

Step 3   Click Run Management Client.

Step 4   After the Management Client is loaded, you are then prompted for a username and password. For the username, enter pixadmin for read-write access, or pixuser for read-only access. Enter either the default password, cisco, or the new password entered in "Installation Notes."

You can also use any username that is in either the PIX Admins or PIX Users group. When you complete entering a username and password, click OK. The Management Client then opens after it loads into memory.


Note   When the program is loading, do not minimize the web browser.

Step 5   If you need to restart the applet, you can click the browser's Reload button.


Navigating the Management Client

After you enter your login credentials, the Management Client window appears.

Follow these steps to navigate in the Management Client:


Step 1   To view or modify the PIX Firewall configuration, go to the Main Tree window on the left side of the Management Client window and double-click a PIX Firewall folder. If the Main Tree window is empty, click Add A PIX Firewall in the Contents window to add PIX Firewall units to the Main Tree. Click the Reload Configuration button in the Contents window to get the most current configuration.


Note   Any change to the configuration of a PIX Firewall made in the Management Client is sent immediately to the PIX Firewall and automatically saved in the PIX Firewall unit's RAM.


Note   If you have made changes to the configuration, click the Reload Configuration button following the upgrade to get the current configuration information.

The areas of the Management Client window are as follows:

Step 2   Double-click the configuration option you want from the folder in the Main Tree. The folder then opens into a series of subfolders or files for each configuration feature. The Contents area displays information about each configuration feature. Use the button selections to get help information, view current configuration information, or change configuration settings.

Step 3   To ensure that the firewall can reload the new configuration after reboot, save the configuration in the firewall unit's Flash memory by clicking the Save to Flash Mem of PIX button.

To back up the configuration to a diskette, follow these steps:


Stopping the Management Client

To stop the Management Client, stop the network browser on which it runs.

Stopping the Management Server

Follow these steps if you need to stop the Management Server:


Step 1   Click Start>Settings>Control Panel>Services.

Step 2   When the Services dialog box opens, select the PIX Firewall Management Server item from the Service list. You can stop this service by clicking the Stop button.


Generating and Printing Syslog Reports

The PIX Firewall generates syslog messages for system events, such as security alerts and resource depletion. Syslog messages are stored in log files and can be used to create alerts and reports.

PFM provides two ways to view syslog connection information: using the PIX Firewall Management Client graphical user interface, or using a Microsoft Excel macro and data files provided for Microsoft Excel 97. Options for printing reports are available only using Microsoft Excel 97.

This section includes the following topics:

Refer to "Troubleshooting Syslog Reporting Problems" for additional syslog reporting information.

Configuration Requirements

Prior to using the Alarm and Report features, you must configure each PIX Firewall to generate syslog messages and send them to a syslog server host, one of which can be the host running PFM. The syslog server in PFM listens for messages from the PIX Firewall on UDP port 514. Messages are stored in daily log files on the Windows NT computer running PFM. PFM uses the information in the daily log files to generate reports. To configure each PIX Firewall unit from the Management Client, click Admininstrator>SYSLOG to view options for configuring syslog host and message information.

Viewing Reports

To view syslog reports from the PIX Firewall Management Client, follow the instructions for "Navigating the Management Client." From the Management Client, click the Alarm and Report tab to view options for generating reports.

To view and print syslog reports from the macro, follow the instructions for "Starting the Management Client" to display the PFM home page. From the home page, follow the instructions on how to log in and generate reports.

The procedure for generating and printing syslog reports uses the Microsoft Excel macro REPORT.XLS. To use this file, start the Microsoft Excel application and open the file from within the application. If you try to open the file directly by double-clicking it, the following error message appears:

Cannot open the corresponding DBF file

Note   When downloading the files from the web browser, be sure to save all files (report.xls, dns.dbf, monday.dbf, sunday.dbf, and so on) to the same directory on the local drive. After all the files are in the same directory, use Microsoft Excel 97 to open the report.xls file.


Note   The macro does not support viewing or printing detailed reports of FTP and HTTP file transfers as provided in reports generated by the PIX Firewall Management Client.

PFM saves syslog information in daily log files. For example, PIX Firewall syslog information for Monday is saved in the monday.log file. The log files are located in \PIX Firewall Manager\protect\<weekday>.log on the Windows NT computer.

Log files are retained for one week, allowing a separate log file for each day of the week. After one week, daily log files are overwritten, starting with the daily file that was created first. For example, if log files were first started on Monday, the Monday log file will be overwritten in seven days. This also means that you can access a six-day archive of log information for a given day.

Usage Notes

    1. When a Management Client is running, only the following configuration changes to the PIX Firewall units made through the console or Telnet sessions are reflected in the client applet: conduit, static, global, nat, outbound, apply, and alias. To view the updated configuration for any other PIX commands modified via the console or Telnet sessions, click a PIX Firewall folder, then click the Reload Configuration button.

    2. If a client is already connected to a Management Server and a second client on the same machine tries to connect to the same Management Server, then the first client will be disconnected and the second client will be connected.

    3. PFM incorrectly converts any netmask you enter for the PAT IP address to be 255.255.255.255 and sends this value to the PIX Firewall.

    4. All members in the PIX Admins group have read and write access, and all members in the PIX Users group have only read access; do not change the PIX Firewall configurations. Usernames that do not belong to one of these two groups cannot use the Management Client applet.

    5. When accessing the Management Server from the Management Client, do not use the loopback address (127.0.0.1) in the URL. Using the loopback address causes an "I/O Exception" error on all online help and description pages. Refer to "Starting the Management Client" for more information on using the Management Client.

    6. If you change the PIX Firewall enable password in Administrator>Administration>Password, wait for confirmation of password change prior to entering additional commands. If you enter an invalid password, confirmation of the change can take several minutes while the server tries to validate the entry. In the case of an invalid password, additional commands can appear to hang until the server returns confirmation that the change was unsuccessful.

    7. Initially, no syslog setting information displays in the Admininstration>SYSLOG panel. Press the Refresh button to display the current information. Syslog information in the daily syslog file is now saved every 10 minutes by default. You can change the time interval for saving syslog information by setting the value in the SYSLOG Notification Settings tab.

    8. You can specify that syslog messages be marked with the current time. To configure each PIX Firewall unit with the timestamp option, click Admininstrator>SYSLOG, set the logging type to Timestamp and set the status to Enable.

    9. You must set the date and time from the PIX Firewall command line interface using the clock set command before timestamp information will appear in syslog messages. You cannot set the date and time from the PFM Management Client.

Caveats

The sections that follow describe open and resolved caveats.

Open Caveats - Version 4.3(2)e

The following caveat is open:

  If you specify a global pool configuration without a network mask, PFM cannot parse the command information correctly. The workaround is to always enter a netmask when specifying a global pool. If a global is not specified with a mask, the following error message appears when you attempt to view the global information:
    PIX_ip_address: Unable to Show Global [cmdCode=103]
    

Open Caveats - Version 4.3(2)d

  PFM interprets and displays the nat (inside) 0 access-list command, which is used to bind an access list to NAT 0 (NAT disabled) on the PIX Firewall, as follows:
    nat (inside) 0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0 0
     
    
  When a TFTP server's IP address and filename are entered on PFM, PIX Firewall receives the information correctly, but if you click Refresh, the IP address appears in PFM as 0.0.0.0.
  The established command can be added, but not displayed. If you attempt to view the command information, the following error message appears:
     Unable to show established [cmdCode=4703]
     
    
  When trying to specify a maximum number of connections on a static, PFM displays the "Max TCP connections cannot be higher than 2" error message. The maximum value you can specify with PFM is one connection.
  As a workaround, you can set a higher value from the PIX Firewall configuration mode command line. From the PIX Firewall, use the show static command to view the static command statements, use the no static command to remove the static command statement, and then re-enter the static command with the correct value for the maximum number of connections.

Resolved Caveats - Version 4.3(2)e

The following caveat was resolved:

  PFM no longer causes the PIX Firewall to fail when the PFM connection times out.

Resolved Caveats - Version 4.3(2)d

The following caveats were resolved:

  PFM no longer fails when alert mail is requested for the following events:
  PFM no longer stops logging when the SMTP server is unavailable.

Resolved Caveats - Version 4.3(2)c and Version 4.3(2)b

The following caveats were resolved:

  Notification messages now correctly match the content of the syslog messages. Previously, because of a table pointer error, a message sent as a notification would be different than the one PFM received from the PIX Firewall.
  Syslog messages are now handled correctly; however, if multiple messages are received within one minute, notifications (if enabled) are not processed after the first message during the one-minute interval. Formerly a one-minute timer attempted to separate messages from arriving simultaneously, but the timer interfered with normal message processing.
  Notifications for the syslog messages "deny send," "deny use of network," and "cannot ping PAT address" now correctly stay in the PFM configuration, which PFM stores in the syslog.ini file.
  Upgrades from a previous PFM version now work correctly. Previously, if you did not want to overwrite a previous version, the install script would fail and issue the following error message:
  Severe: General file transfer error. Please check your target location and try again.
Error Number:- 37
  PFM now correctly handles nat and static commands for PIX Firewall versions 4.3(2), 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.2.
  Authorization page access no longer displays the following message:
    Port must be a +ve integer
     
    
  ("+ve" means positive.) Authorization page access is not available in versions 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.2 because PFM does not support the AAA changes in these later versions.
  When configuring multiple PIX Firewall units, in the authentication and authorization window under common configurations, the first IP address from the list of available PIX Firewall units is already selected. This is considered a feature so that one unit is always selected. You can unselect it by clicking the selected entry.
  Authorization port and protocols are now handled correctly.
  An extra space is no longer added after a mail recipient's name when PFM sends an email notification. With the extra space, LotusMail rejected the messages from PFM.
  Timestamps now appear correctly in syslog messages.
  Refresh now works correctly on the Administration>SYSLOG Output page.
  Failover information now displays correctly. Formerly, the browser displayed the following message when a user would attempt to display failover information:
    PIXIPADDRESS: Unable to show Failover (cmdCode=2103)
     
    
  You can now delete a conduit after deleting an associated static.

Troubleshooting

This section includes the following topics:

Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions are frequently asked in Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC):

  You may not be logged in locally as "administrator" on the Windows NT system. Users with administrative rights can install the product; however, users in the administrator group generally do not have enough rights to install the product.
  While it may work, Cisco recommends that you not install PFM on a PDC (Primary Domain Controller) or BDC (Backup Domain Controller) for these reasons:
  Continuous beeping indicates a port conflict between applications. Usually a syslog application such as, CiscoWorks, PFSS (PIX Firewall Syslog Server), or a third-party application already has access to UDP port 514 or a web server has access to the default TCP port 8080. Follow these steps to remove the conflict:

Step 1   Completely uninstall PFM and remove the install directory with Windows Explorer.

Step 2   Reboot the Windows system.

Step 3   Log in to the Windows system locally (not the domain) as "administrator" (use this login name, not the login of someone with administrator rights).

Step 4   Do not run setup yet. At a command prompt, run the netstat -a command to verify both TCP 8080 and UDP 514 are not listed.

If they are listed, uninstall the application that is using UDP port 514 or in the case of TCP 8080, choose an alternate TCP port such as 8081.

Step 5   If you uninstalled an application to remove the port conflict, repeat Steps 2 through 4, and reboot the Windows system.

Step 6   Check for any error messages in the event viewer and take the appropriate actions. You can search for the meaning of specific error messages at the following site:

http://support.microsoft.com/support

Step 7   Click Start>Settings>Control Panel>Services to verify that the "server" service is running.

Step 8   Now reinstall PFM.

Step 9   Reboot. You can log in to the domain at this time.


  The following may cause this event:
http://the_nt_ip_address:8080
http://127.0.0.1:8080
If you chose an alternate port for the web server on the Windows system, enter that port instead of 8080. Do not attempt to run index.html because this will not work.
  The following may cause this message:
http://the_nt_ip_address:8080
http://127.0.0.1:8080
If you chose an alternate port for the web server on the Windows system, enter that port instead of 8080. Do not attempt to run index.html because this will not work.
c:\Program Files\Cisco\PIX Firewall Manager\jclient\netscape\firewal.html
You can edit this file with a text editor such as Notepad. In some rare cases, you may need to add the Windows NT NetBios host name of the Windows NT system as one of the IP address entries in this file. Reboot the Windows NT system after you edit this file.
  Yes, it is called pfm.log.
  You need to enter a username and password to use PFM. The default administrator username is pixadmin and the default password is cisco. The administrator has read and write permission to change the configuration. Alternately, you can use the pixuser username to view but not change the configuration.
  The User Manager on the Windows NT system lets you add, change, or delete users in the pixadmin or pixuser groups. See "Changing Passwords" for more information.
  The following can help:
ftp://archive:oldies@archive.netscape.com/archive/index.html HINT:

Installation Troubleshooting

If you have problems installing or using PFM, check the following items:

    A version of the PIX Firewall SYSLOG SERVER is detected on this machine. You must uninstall PIX Firewall SYSLOG SERVER before installing the PIX Firewall Manager. 
    
  If the PFM installation detects the presence of the PIX Firewall Syslog Server application on the same system, it displays a message warning you that both applications exist. The PIX Firewall does not support running both PFM and PFSS applications at the same time. You must use either PFM or PFSS, but not both.
  Verify that the PIX Firewall has been configured for Telnet access from the Windows NT computer where the PIX Firewall Manager Server is installed.
  Verify that the user is a member of the PIX Admins or PIX Users groups on the Windows NT computer. If the user is not a member of a group, add the user.
  This can indicate that the client portion of the application is not communicating with the server portion. To determine where errors might be occurring, use the following procedure to launch PFM to the desktop:

Step 1   Click Start>Settings>Control Panel>Services on the Windows NT computer.

Step 2   Scroll through the services to locate the PIX Firewall Manager Server.

Step 3   Double-click PIX Firewall Manager Server, which displays the Service dialog box.

Step 4   In the Service dialog box, check Allow Service to Interact with Desktop, and click OK.

Step 5   In the Services dialog box, click Stop to halt the PIX Firewall Manager Server; then click Start to restart the service.

Step 6   Start PFM. Errors generated by the application appear in the PIX Management dialog box.

Copy the errors messages in the dialog boxes and use Cisco Connection Online (CCO) for additional support.


  If the Management Client appears to stop working and reports Java applet errors, use the following procedure to launch the Java console from the web browser.
  The error messages appear in the Java console panel. If the error messages report security violations, it can mean that the Management Client is having trouble communicating with the Management Server.
  In such cases, try the following:
    http://local_host_ip_address:8080  
     
    
Do not click File>Open on the browser menu to access the Management Client.
    \Program Files\Cisco\PIX Firewall\jclient\netscape\firewall
    
  If the problems persist, use Cisco Connection Online (CCO) for additional support.

Using Microsoft Excel 97 Offline Reporting Features

  Excel 95, no; the macros are incompatible with PFM. Excel 98 and 2000 are not officially supported but customer support has created reports in both versions without error.
  You cannot generate reports from PFM active files (report.xls, stat.dbf, dns.dbf, monday.dbf, and so on). You must copy these files to a separate directory to run them then with Excel 97.
  You will be unable to copy Monday.dbf to another directory until Tuesday, and Tuesday.dbf until Wednesday, and so on have occurred.
  You most likely have not configured logging properly. Follow these steps:

Step 1   Logging traps output must be set to debugging or these files will not populate.

Step 2   Verify that logging host is pointed at the PFM server.

Step 3   Make sure your configuration shows logging on.

Step 4   Test successful logging by clicking "Immediate syslog notification" to "on" in PFM, generating traffic through the PIX Firewall, then verifying activity in the GUI pop-up window.


  You are most likely using most recently used (MRU) or double-clicking report.xls. Excel 97 tracks MRU files at the bottom of the file menu and Windows also tracks these in the start/documents menu. Do not open report.xls from those locations. If you do, the macros embedded in report.xls will not function properly. You must click the File>Open menu to browse and open report.xls. Excel associates that directory with the application. When you use MRU, Excel keeps the directory association with the "My Documents" folder and the attempt to open report.xls results in no access to the needed .dbf files.
  The report.xls file is password protected to protect the integrity of the embedded macros.

Troubleshooting Syslog Reporting Problems

Problems generating syslog reports can mean that one or both of the configuration settings for the syslog host or Message type is not correct, or that data is not reaching the syslog host. If you have problems displaying syslog report information, or you receive a "Database Empty" error message, check the following items:


Note   Close the SYSLOG Message Window after you have verified that information is being received at the syslog host. These messages can fill up system memory on the host, slowing performance.


Note   The Facility setting in the Edit SYSLOG Output dialog box is not used by PFM Management Client for generating reports. The report wizard provided with the Management Client references hosts by IP address.

  If syslog reports display both host names and IP addresses, verify that the Windows NT system running the Management Server is able to resolve host names. PFM attempts to resolve IP addresses with host names when the Management Server receives syslog messages. If it finds a host name for an IP address, the address and host name pair is stored in a database on the Management Server. This database is used to create syslog reports. If the Management Server is unable to resolve the IP address with a host name within 15 seconds, only the IP address is logged in the database. As a result, syslog reports might include both host names and IP addresses.

Tips

The following tips can help ensure PFM works correctly:

    1. Do not install on a Windows NT system running Microsoft IIS. If you must, do not let PFM occupy any server ports being used by MS IIS. (Carefully following the previous directions will eliminate that.)

    2. If any error messages appear during installation of PFM, capture them and call customer support immediately. Do not attempt to proceed.

  You capture error messages from Windows as follows:

    3. If any errors in the event viewer cannot be resolved, contact Microsoft support for assistance at the following site:

  http://support.microsoft.com/support

    4. Ensure that the most current Service Pack is installed on your Windows NT system before installing PFM. All Windows NT Service Packs through SP5 work on all PFM versions, but the browser that installs with the Service Pack may not be supported.

    5. Verify that your browser is compatible with PFM. Supported browsers are described on the PFM banner page that displays after you start PFM.

    6. Make sure you have properly configured a PIX Firewall to allow Telnet from PFM. To verify, Telnet to the PIX Firewall and start enable mode.

    7. If your Windows NT system is multihomed (more than one NIC) make sure all IP addresses for the system are listed in firewall.html, which you can edit with a text editor. Reboot the Windows NT system after you edit this file.

Related Documentation

Use this document in conjunction with the PIX Firewall documentation available online at the following site:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/iaabu/pix/index.htm

Software Configuration Tips on the Cisco TAC Home Page

Cisco provides PIX Firewall technical tips at the following site:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/110/index.shtml#pix

Obtaining Documentation

World Wide Web

You can access the most current Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at http://www.cisco.com, http://www-china.cisco.com, or http://www-europe.cisco.com.

Documentation CD-ROM

Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package, which ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM is updated monthly. Therefore, it is probably more current than printed documentation. The CD-ROM package is available as a single unit or as an annual subscription.

Ordering Documentation

Registered CCO users can order the Documentation CD-ROM and other Cisco Product documentation through our online Subscription Services at http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/subcat/kaojump.cgi.

Nonregistered CCO users can order documentation through a local account representative by calling Cisco's corporate headquarters (California, USA) at 408 526-4000 or, in North America, call 800 553-NETS (6387).

Obtaining Technical Assistance

Cisco provides Cisco Connection Online (CCO) as a starting point for all technical assistance. Warranty or maintenance contract customers can use the Technical Assistance Center. All customers can submit technical feedback on Cisco documentation using the web, e-mail, a self-addressed stamped response card included in many printed docs, or by sending mail to Cisco.

Cisco Connection Online

Cisco continues to revolutionize how business is done on the Internet. Cisco Connection Online is the foundation of a suite of interactive, networked services that provides immediate, open access to Cisco information and resources at anytime, from anywhere in the world. This highly integrated Internet application is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for doing business with Cisco.

CCO's broad range of features and services helps customers and partners to streamline business processes and improve productivity. Through CCO, you will find information about Cisco and our networking solutions, services, and programs. In addition, you can resolve technical issues with online support services, download and test software packages, and order Cisco learning materials and merchandise. Valuable online skill assessment, training, and certification programs are also available.

Customers and partners can self-register on CCO to obtain additional personalized information and services. Registered users may order products, check on the status of an order and view benefits specific to their relationships with Cisco.

You can access CCO in the following ways:

You can e-mail questions about using CCO to cco-team@cisco.com.

Technical Assistance Center

The Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) is available to warranty or maintenance contract customers who need technical assistance with a Cisco product that is under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract.

To display the TAC web site that includes links to technical support information and software upgrades and for requesting TAC support, use www.cisco.com/techsupport.

To contact by e-mail, use one of the following:

Language
E-mail Address

English

tac@cisco.com

Hanzi (Chinese)

chinese-tac@cisco.com

Kanji (Japanese)

japan-tac@cisco.com

Hangul (Korean)

korea-tac@cisco.com

Spanish

tac@cisco.com

Thai

thai-tac@cisco.com

In North America, TAC can be reached at 800 553-2447 or 408 526-7209. For other telephone numbers and TAC e-mail addresses worldwide, consult the following web site: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml.

Documentation Feedback

If you are reading Cisco product documentation on the World Wide Web, you can submit technical comments electronically. Click Feedback in the toolbar and select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to Cisco.

You can e-mail your comments to bug-doc@cisco.com.

To submit your comments by mail, for your convenience many documents contain a response card behind the front cover. Otherwise, you can mail your comments to the following address:

Cisco Systems, Inc.
Document Resource Connection
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We appreciate and value your comments.

This document is to be used in conjunction with the documents listed in the "Related Documentation" section.

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Posted: Fri Sep 8 13:08:08 PDT 2000
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