Troubleshooting Cisco Security Manager

Introduction

Cisco Security Manager enables you to use Cisco Policy Manager to import and export current configuration information into a flat file (rather than storing it in the Policy Database). These files are useful when troubleshooting your current network topology and security policy definitions, and as a supplemental backup scheme for some types configuration information. For example, these files could be particularly useful should you need assistance from the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC). After you export a copy of your configurations, you can send the copy via e-mail to the TAC. Support personnel at the TAC can then review your configurations, make corrections or adjustments to them as necessary, and send the revised configurations to you via e-mail. Upon receiving the file from the TAC, you can import the new configurations into Cisco Policy Manager.

Caution
This scheme should not be your primary backup scheme. Instead, you should use Backup under Policy Database on the File menu, and you should perform tape or other off-site image backups of the Cisco Security Manager server that is running the Primary Policy Database.

The remainder of this appendix explains how to export and import these flat files.

Exporting Configuration Files

Export to File enables you to export a copy of the current view of Cisco Policy Manager to a location that you specify. The view that is extracted and copied includes your entire network configuration, defined policies, and administrative accounts that you have added. The exported file does not contain a history of traffic that has occurred across your network or of any reports that have been generated regarding the status and use of your network.

You can also export a copy of current Cisco Policy Manager settings for use on a different Cisco Policy Manager. The exported copy can be used to duplicate your configurations on another network, or it can be used as a starting point from which to build a more extensive network policy.

Caution
If, during the current work session, you have renamed the administrative account under which you logged on to Cisco Policy Manager, you will be unable to export a copy of Cisco Policy Manager settings. To do so, you will need to exit Cisco Policy Manager and log on again.

Note The exported file does not contain a history of traffic that has occurred across your network or of any reports that have been generated regarding the status and use of your network. However, the view that is extracted and copied does include your entire network configuration, defined policies, and administrative accounts that you have added.

Step 1 To export a copy of current Cisco Policy Manager settings to a file, click Export to File on the File menu.

Result: The Export To dialog box appears.

Step 2 To specify the folder in which you want to store the exported data, you can either select a pre-existing folder or create a new folder.

To select a pre-existing folder, continue with Step 3; to create a new folder, skip to Step 5.

Step 3 To specify the drive on which the folder resides, select that drive letter in the Save in box.

Step 4 To specify the folder to which you want to export a copy of Cisco Policy Manager settings, select that folder, and then click Open.

Skip to Step 8.

Step 5 To create a new folder, specify the letter of the drive on which you want to create the folder in the Save in box, and click the Create New Folder icon.

Step 6 To specify the name of your new folder, type the name in the selected Name box, and then press Enter.

Step 7 To accept your selection of folder, click Open in the Export To dialog box.

Step 8 To specify the filename of the exported copy, type the name in the File name box in the Export To dialog box.

Step 9 To continue with the Export to File operation, click Save in the Export To dialog box.

Result: A copy of your current settings, as viewed in Cisco Policy Manager, is exported and saved to the drive and file that you specified. The extension *.CPM is automatically added to the filename that you specified.

Importing Configuration Files

The Import from File command on the File menu enables you to import a copy of Cisco Policy Manager settings that were previously exported and saved to a known location. The imported file is a "snapshot" of settings viewed in Cisco Policy Manager at the time they were exported to a file. The view that is imported includes network configurations, defined policies, and administrative accounts. The imported file does not contain a history of traffic that occurred across the network or of any reports that were generated regarding the status and use of the network to which the imported settings were applied.

You can also import a previously exported file into a different Cisco Policy Manager to duplicate the configurations on another network or to use those configurations as a starting point from which to build a more extensive network policy.

Note The imported file does not contain a history of traffic that occurred across the network or of any reports that were generated regarding the status and use of the network to which the imported settings were applied. However, the view that is imported into your Cisco Policy Manager does include network configurations, defined policies, and administrative accounts.

Step 1 To import a copy of Cisco Policy Manager settings from a file, click Import from File on the File menu.

You will be prompted to save updated data if you have not already done so.

Step 2 To save updated data, click Yes in the Cisco Policy Manager dialog box.

Result: The Import From dialog box appears.

Step 3 To specify the letter of the drive on which the copy to be imported resides, select that drive in the Look in box in the Import From dialog box.

Step 4 To specify the file that you want to import, select that file.

Result: The filename of the file you selected appears in the File name box. The filename should end with the extension *.CPM, which is the default file extension associated with Cisco Policy Manager.

Step 5 To import the file that you selected, click Open in the Import From dialog box.

Cisco Policy Manager is refreshed to reflect the settings that were contained in the imported file. If the imported file includes an administrative account with a username that is the same as the one under which you are currently logged on to Cisco Policy Manager, Cisco Policy Manager will retain the original account and rename the imported account as "your username (imported)."

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