Monitoring ASA's using SNMP in Multi-context mode

sullivan.p · ‎09-19-2012

Hi All,

We are trying to setup monitoring of our ASA 5550's, which are currently running in multiple-context mode in an HA pair Active/Standby.

Firmware version 8.4(1). Our layer 3 management interface is using out-of-band management through the Admin context. All of the physical interfaces are in the System context and user contexts are configured as well.

I would like to know the best way to monitor the devices using SNMP.

It's unclear reading through the Cisco docs on these devices, what the recommended method is although I've been able to find some indications that the normal method is to perform an SNMP Walk from the Admin context, into other contexts and pull info that way.

This is the only info I've able to find from Cisco on the matter, which states that configuring SNMP in the System context is not possible. What I'm trying to avoid is configuring SNMP for every user context if possible.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/docs/DOC-1295#MultiContext_and_SNMP

Can anyone confirm this one way or another and provide supporting documentation if possible?

Thanks,
Patrick.

goobysnack · ‎04-11-2014

Can anyone from Cisco answer this question? Can you poll a user context from the admin context? What is the exact syntax from snmpwalk? The example in #12 here doesn't make sense.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/document/7336/snmp-mibs-and-traps-asa-additional-information

Is the SNMP v3 concept of "context" the same?

Seems like if you have an admin context defined you should be able to reach in to the other ASA contexts running on the device.

TIA,

Robby Morris

Jacob Hoeegh · ‎02-23-2017

My workaround for this i using the https access. Eg. how to show the memory consumption for the entire firewall, hence the system context.

This is how to do it:

https://[ip-address-of-the-asa]/admin/exec//changeto%20context%20system/show%20mem

https://[ip-address-of-the-asa]/admin/exec//changeto context system/show mem

the "%20" equals a space.

(https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobhoegh/)