Cisco Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv) Quick Start Guide, 9.2

Access the vSphere Web Client and Install the Client Integration Plug-In

This section describes how to access the vSphere Web Client. This section also describes how to install the Client Integration Plug-In, which is required for ASAv console access. Some Web Client features (including the plug-in) are not supported on the Macintosh. See the VMware website for complete client support information.

You can also choose to use the standalone vSphere Client, but this guide only describes the Web Client.

Procedure

1. Launch the VMware vSphere Web Client from your browser:

https:// vCenter_server : port /vsphere-client/

By default, the port is 9443.

2. (One time only) Install the Client Integration Plug-in so that you can access the ASAv console.

a. In the login screen, download the plug-in by clicking Download the Client Integration Plug-in.

b. Close your browser and then install the plug-in using the installer.

c. After the plug-in installs, reconnect to the vSphere Web Client.

3. Enter your username and password, and click Login, or check the Use Windows session authentication check box (Windows only).

Deploy the ASAv Using the VMware vSphere Web Client

To deploy the ASAv, use the VMware vSphere Web Client (or the vSphere Client) and a template file in the open virtualization format (OVF); note that for the ASAv, the OVF package is provided as a single open virtual appliance (OVA) file. You use the Deploy OVF Template wizard in the vSphere Web Client to deploy the Cisco package for the ASAv. The wizard parses the ASAv OVA file, creates the virtual machine on which you will run the ASAv, and installs the package.

Most of the wizard steps are standard for VMware. For additional information about the Deploy OVF Template, see the VMware vSphere Web Client online help.

Before You Begin

You must have at least one network configured in vSphere (for management) before you deploy the ASAv.

Procedure

1. Download the ASAv OVA file from Cisco.com, and save it to your PC:

http://www.cisco.com/go/asa-software

Note: A Cisco.com login and Cisco service contract are required.

2. In the vSphere Web Client Navigator pane, click vCenter.

3. Click Hosts and Clusters.

4. Right-click the data center, cluster, or host where you want to deploy the ASAv, and choose Deploy OVF Template.

The Deploy OVF Template wizard appears.

5. In the Select Source screen, enter a URL or browse to the ASAv OVA package that you downloaded, then click Next.

6. In the Review Details screen, review the information for the ASAv package, then click Next.

7. In the Accept EULAs screen, review and accept the End User License Agreement, then click Next.

8. In the Select name and folder screen, enter a name for the ASAv virtual machine (VM) instance, select the inventory location for the VM, and then click Next.

9. In the Select Configuration screen, choose one of the following options:

–Standalone—Choose 1 (or 2, 3, 4) vCPU Standalone for the ASAv deployment configuration, then click Next.

–Failover—Choose 1 (or 2, 3, 4) vCPU HA Primary for the ASAv deployment configuration, then click Next.

10. In the Select Storage screen:

a. Choose the virtual disk format. The available formats for provisioning are Thick Provision, Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed, and Thin Provision. For more information about thick and thin provisioning, see the VMware vSphere Web Client online help. To conserve disk space, choose the Thin Provision option.

b. Select the datastore on which you want to run the ASAv.

c. Click Next.

11. In the Setup networks screen, map a network to each ASAv interface that you want to use, then click Next.

The networks may not be in alphabetical order. If it is too difficult to find your networks, you can change the networks later from the Edit Settings dialog box. After you deploy, right-click the ASAv instance, and choose Edit Settings to access the Edit Settings dialog box. However that screen does not show the ASAv interface IDs (only Network Adapter IDs). See the following concordance of Network Adapter IDs and ASAv interface IDs:

You do not need to use all ASAv interfaces; however, the vSphere Web Client requires you to assign a network to all interfaces. For interfaces you do not intend to use, you can simply leave the interface disabled within the ASAv configuration. After you deploy the ASAv, you can optionally return to the vSphere Web Client to delete the extra interfaces from the Edit Settings dialog box. For more information, see the vSphere Web Client online help.

Note: For failover deployments, GigabitEthernet 0/8 is pre-configured as the failover interface.

12. In the Customize template screen:

a. Configure the management interface IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. You should also set the client IP address allowed for ASDM access, and if a different gateway is required to reach the client, enter that gateway IP address. For failover deployments, specify the IP address as a static address; you cannot use DHCP.

b. For failover deployments, specify the management IP standby address. When you configure your interfaces, you must specify an active IP address and a standby IP address on the same network.

–When the primary unit fails over, the secondary unit assumes the IP addresses and MAC addresses of the primary unit and begins passing traffic.

–The unit that is now in a standby state takes over the standby IP addresses and MAC addresses.

Because network devices see no change in the MAC to IP address pairing, no ARP entries change or time out anywhere on the network.

You must also configure the failover link settings in the HA Settings area. The two units in a failover pair constantly communicate over a failover link to determine the operating status of each unit. GigabitEthernet 0/8 is pre-configured as the failover link. Enter the active and standby IP addresses for the link on the same network.

c. Click Next.

13. In the Ready to complete screen, review the summary of the ASAv configuration, optionally check the Power on after deployment check box, and click Finish to start the deployment.

The vSphere Web Client processes the VM; you can see the “Initialize OVF deployment” status in the Global Information area Recent Tasks pane.

When it is finished, you see the Deploy OVF Template completion status.

The ASAv VM instance then appears under the specified data center in the Inventory.

14. If the ASAv VM is not yet running, click Power on the virtual machine.

Wait for the ASAv to boot up before you try to connect with ASDM or to the console. When the ASAv starts up for the first time, it reads parameters provided through the OVA file and adds them to the ASAv system configuration. It then automatically restarts the boot process until it is up and running. This double boot process only occurs when you first deploy the ASAv. To view bootup messages, access the ASAv console by clicking the Console tab.

15. For failover deployments, repeat this procedure to add the secondary unit. See the following guidelines:

a. On the Select Configuration screen, choose 1 (or 2, 3, 4) vCPU HA Secondary for the ASAv deployment configuration. Choose the same number of vCPUs as for the primary unit.

b. On the Customize template screen, enter the exact same IP address settings as for the primary unit (see 12.b.) The bootstrap configurations on both units are identical except for the parameter identifying a unit as primary or secondary.

Use the VMware vSphere Console

For initial configuration or troubleshooting, access the CLI from the virtual console provided through the VMware vSphere Web Client. You can later configure CLI remote access for Telnet or SSH.

Before You Begin

For the vSphere Web Client, install the Client Integration Plug-In, which is required for ASAv console access.

Procedure

1. In the VMware vSphere Web Client, right-click the ASAv instance in the Inventory, and choose Open Console. Or you can click Launch Console on the Summary tab.

2. Click in the console and press Enter. Note: Press Ctrl + Alt to release the cursor.

If the ASAv is still starting up, you see bootup messages.

When the ASAv starts up for the first time, it reads parameters provided through the OVA file and adds them to the ASAv system configuration. It then automatically restarts the boot process until it is up and running. This double boot process only occurs when you first deploy the ASAv.

Note: Until you install a license, throughput is limited to 100 Kbps so that you can perform preliminary connectivity tests. A license is required for regular operation. You also see the following messages repeated on the console until you install a license:

You see the following prompt:

This prompt indicates that you are in user EXEC mode. Only basic commands are available from user EXEC mode.

3. Access privileged EXEC mode:

The following prompt appears:

4. Press the Enter key to continue. By default, the password is blank. If you previously set an enable password, enter it instead of pressing Enter.

The prompt changes to:

All non-configuration commands are available in privileged EXEC mode. You can also enter configuration mode from privileged EXEC mode.

To exit privileged mode, enter the disable, exit, or quit command.

5. Access global configuration mode:

The prompt changes to the following:

You can begin to configure the ASAv from global configuration mode. To exit global configuration mode, enter the exit, quit, or end command.

Configure a Network Serial Console Port

For a better console experience, you can configure a network serial port singly or attached to a virtual serial port concentrator (vSPC) for console access. See the VMware vSphere documentation for details about each method. On the ASAv, you must send the console output to a serial port instead of to the virtual console. This section describes how to enable the serial port console.

Procedure

1. Configure a network serial port in VMware vSphere. See the VMware vSphere documentation.

2. On the ASAv, create a file called “use_ttyS0” in the root directory of disk0. This file does not need to have any contents; it just needs to exist at this location:

disk0:/use_ttyS0

–From ASDM, you can upload an empty text file by that name using the Tools > File Management dialog box.

–At the vSphere console, you can copy an existing file (any file) in the file system to the new name. For example:

3. Reload the ASAv.

–From ASDM, choose Tools > System Reload.

–At the vSphere console, enter reload.

The ASAv stops sending to the vSphere console, and instead sends to the serial console.

4. Telnet to the vSphere host IP address and the port number you specified when you added the serial port; or Telnet to the vSPC IP address and port.