About ASA Firewall

[Fahad Wasi]

Hello Sir,
I have some questions,

Q.1 Is it true that ASDM(Adaptive Security Device Manager) is no longer used to access the interface of the ASA Firewalls ? Now a days ,an application from Cisco is used to access the interface of an ASA Firewall for doing configuration and working on Cisco ASA Firewall?

Q.2 Does Cisco ASA Firewall, also has the same boot process and memories as Cisco Routers have?

Thanks

[Karsten Iwen]

A1: It depends which system you run on the ASA. For the "traditional" ASA-Firewall, the ASDM is still used to manage the Device. But the ASA-platform can also run a NGFW-software, and in this case the FDM (Firepower Device manager) is used.

A2: That is all very similar and from an admin-perspective you won't note any differences.

[er.shivamdubey31190]

Hi Fahad,

First of all, wishing you a very happy new year.

Yes ASA has a boot sequence routers and it has memory and other stuff as well: -

Here is the Sequence - 

From power off state, the device comes up and it performs POST.

Rommon mode parses the startup-config and attempts to load the image file specified in the "boot system ___" line, using bootloader.

• Cisco ASA Adaptive Security Appliance cycles in the boot loop if no valid system image is found
• Break the boot loop by pressing the Break or ESC key
• Enter ROM Monitor and run the system image from a TFTP Server

Upon reload or a power cycle, the system boots the first valid image that it finds in the Internal Flash Memory. If no valid image is found, no system image is loaded, and the system remains in a boot loop until ROM Monitor (ROMMON) mode is broken into by pressing the Break key or the ESC key. The prompt that appears is rommon #0-. You can use the ROM Monitor mode to perform the Password Recovery procedure or to run the system image from a TFTP Server. The Management 0/0 interface is used for connectivity to the TFTP Server by default.

Here is the document that clarifies about memories ASA uses: -

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/asa-5500-series-next-generation-firewalls/product_bulletin_c25-586414.html

Regarding GUI,   ASA is still accessible via ASDM. 

Cisco has launched a new product sometime back named FTD, it is accessible via GUI named FMC.

Please rate answer as helpful and mark as solution if it resolves your concern.

Br

Shivdube

Ex-Cisco TAC