: Set Up the Panorama Interconnect Plugin
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Set Up the Panorama Interconnect Plugin

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Set Up the Panorama Interconnect Plugin

How to install the Panorama™ Interconnect plugin on the Panorama Controller and Panorama Nodes.
Centralize the template stack and device group management of large scale firewall deployments using Panorama™ Interconnect to push replicated configurations from a Panorama Controller to Panorama Nodes to ensure consistency of firewall configurations and security policies. Panorama Interconnect allows you to establish a Panorama Controller with which to manage the Panorama Nodes, who manage the firewalls and push configurations. This allows you to manage the configuration of large scale firewall deployments from a single location, reducing the time you need to spend configuring multiple Panorama management servers, and reducing your security vulnerability in the event of a misconfiguration. Before setting up the Panorama Interconnect plugin on your Panorama management servers, review the Panorama Interconnect system and certificate requirements. See Upgrade the Panorama Interconnect Plugin to upgrade the Panorama Interconnect plugin on the Panorama Controller and Panorama Nodes.
If your Panorama Node is in a high availability (HA) configuration, you must set up the Panorama Interconnect plugin on both Panorama HA peers.
To reconfigure a Panorama Controller as a Panorama Node, or vice verse, you must uninstall and reinstall the Panorama Interconnect plugin on Panorama to select the correct the Server Mode.
  1. Configure the device groups and template stacks you want to push the Panorama Node.
    1. Log in to the Panorama web interface of the Panorama Controller.
    2. Add a device group. Repeat this step to create as many device groups as required.
    3. Configure a template stack. Repeat this step to create as many template stacks as required.
  2. Install the Panorama Interconnect plugin.
    You must install the plugin on the Panorama Controller and all Panorama Nodes.
    1. Select
      Panorama
      Plugins
      and search for
      Interconnect
      .
    2. Download
      and
      Install
      the Panorama Interconnect plugin.
    3. Select
      Commit
      Commit to Panorama
      to finish installing the Panorama Interconnect plugin.
  3. Enable authentication between the Panorama Controller and Nodes to secure authentication between the Panorama Controller and Panorama Nodes.
  4. Set up the plugin on the Panorama Controller.
    If the Panorama Controller is in a HA configuration, repeat this step on the Panorama Controller HA peer.
    1. Select
      Panorama
      Interconnect
      Setup
      and edit the
      Interconnect Plugin Setup
      :
    2. In the
      Server Mode
      field, select
      Yes
      .
      Verify that you are configuring the correct Panorama as the Panorama Controller before continuing. You must uninstall and reinstall the Panorama Interconnect plugin on Panorama if you set up the Panorama Interconnect plugin incorrectly.
    3. Select the
      Certificate Profile
      you created in the previous step.
    4. Click
      OK
      to save the settings.
    5. Click
      Commit
      and
      Commit to Panorama
      .
  5. Set up the plugin on the Panorama Node. Repeat this step for all Panorama Nodes.
    If your Panorama Node is in a high availability (HA) configuration, you must select the Panorama Node certificate you imported to each Panorama Node HA peer when setting up the Panorama Interconnect plugin on each peer.
    1. Select
      Panorama
      Interconnect
      Setup
      and edit the
      Interconnect Plugin Setup
      :
      1. In the
        Server Mode
        field, select
        No
        .
        Verify that you are configuring the correct Panorama as the Panorama Node before continuing. You must uninstall and reinstall the Panorama Interconnect plugin on Panorama if you set up the Panorama Interconnect plugin incorrectly.
      2. Manager Panorama IP
        —Enter the management IP address of the Panorama Controller.
      3. HA Manager IP
        —If the Panorama Controller is in a High Availability configuration, enter the management IP address of the HA Panorama Controller peer.
      4. Select the Panorama Node certificate you imported in the previous step.
      5. (
        HA only
        ) Select the peer Panorama Node certificate you imported in the previous step.
      6. Select the Panorama Controller
        Server CA Certificate
        .
    2. Click
      OK
      to save the settings.
    3. Click
      Commit
      and
      Commit to Panorama
      to finish setting up the plugin on the Panorama Node.
  6. Add the Panorama Nodes to the Panorama Controller.
    1. Select
      Panorama
      Interconnect
      Panorama Nodes
      and
      Add
      the Panorama Node.
    2. Enter a
      Name
      for the Panorama Node. This does not need to match Device Name set on the Panorama management server.
      A period (.) in the Panorama Node
      Name
      is not supported.
    3. Enter the
      Serial No
      of the Panorama Node.
    4. Enter the
      IP
      address of the Panorama Node. The IP address must be accessible to the Panorama Controller.
    5. Enter a
      Description
      of the Panorama Node.
    6. Select the
      Device Groups
      and
      Template Stacks
      to push from the Panorama Controller.
      The device groups and template stacks you select contain configurations for firewalls managed by the Panorama Node.
    7. Select the Panorama-specific
      Common Config
      to push from the Panorama Controller to the Panorama Node.
      Push the common Panorama configuration of the Panorama Controller to the Panorama Node to apply any Panorama-specific configurations to the Panorama Nodes.
    8. Click
      OK
      to add the Panorama Node.
    9. Click
      Commit
      and
      Commit to Panorama
      to add the Panorama Node.
  7. Verify that the newly added Panorama Node is
    Connected
    .
    1. Select
      Panorama
      Interconnect
      Panorama Nodes
      .
    2. Find the Panorama Node you added, and verify that the Connection Status column displays
      Connected
      .
      The Config Sync and Common Config Sync status display
      out-of-sync
      on first connection until you synchronize the Panorama Node configuration with the Panorama Controller and push the common Panorama configuration to the Panorama Node.
  8. After the Panorama Interconnect plugin is successfully installed on the Panorama Controller and Panorama Nodes, perform the next steps to complete setting up Panorama Interconnect:
    1. Synchronize Panorama Interconnect to push the Panorama-specific configuration, as well as the template stack and device group configurations, from the Panorama Controller to the Panorama Nodes.
    2. On the Panorama Controller, add one or more firewalls to be managed by a Panorama Node.

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