new to PIX , what is PDM?

[gman10]

Hi guys-

I guess the subject matter says it all. I do vaguely understand what PDM does but isn't this product pre installed on the PIX when purchased? Is there a need for a specific Smartnet agreement? If it's not installed from the start, how do you install it on the PIX.. Major ignoramus, I know but I gotta learn somewhere.

thanks

gman

 

[netwalker1]

PDM = PIX Device Manager
It's a software to configure the PIX using the HTTP ..





Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[gman10]

thx netwalker,

I appreciate that!

gman

 

[tbissett]

PDM is the PIX Device Manager. It's the GUI interface to managing and configuring the PIX. It is not required to config the PIX, as there is also the command line (the command line is actually preferred by some people, me included).

Usually, PDM comes pre-installed, but not always. If it is not installed, you will need to download it from the Cisco website (SmartNet agreement required), then use TFTP (not FTP) to upload the PDM binary to your PIX. Look in the documentation for the 'copy tftp' command.

SmartNet agreements cover software upgrades and hardware replacement if the PIX dies.

 

[cbike]

some of the problems of PDM is that it does insert extraneous commands into the configuration. Plus the examples on the Cisco website is all CLI and not PDM

 

[netwalker1]

Yes , But I Can make every single thing using PDM ..


Mohamed Farid
Know Me No Pain , No Me Know Pain !!!

 

[chicocouk]

I don't think you can make everything with PDM.

For example, how do you create two seperate access control lists, with different rules in them? Say you have a requirement to let certain traffic through in general, but at certain times allow different traffic through, in command line you can create two ACLs with different names, and then just use a single access-group command to bind the relevant ACL to an interface when required.

That's impossible in PDM. You have to delete and recreate the rules you require. You can't turn any off, or create a seperate ACL and swop between the two.

PDM is good and getting better, but you can't do everything you can do in command line.