Orchestrated Infrastructure Security - Change at the speed of Business - Palo Alto NGFW
Introduction
It is assumed that SSL Orchestrator is already deployed, and basic network connectivity is working. If you need help setting up SSL Orchestrator for the first time, refer to the Dev/Central article series on Implementing SSL Orchestrator here or the CloudDocs Deployment Guide here.
This article focuses on using SSL Orchestrator as a tool to assist with simplifying Change Management processes, procedures and shortening the duration of the entire process.
Configuration files of Palo Alto NGFW can be downloaded from here from GitLab.
Please forgive me for using SSL and TLS interchangeably in this article.
This article is divided into the following high level sections:
- Create a new Topology to perform testing
- Monitor Palo Alto statistics – change the weight ratio – check Palo Alto stats again
- Remove a single Palo Alto device from the Service
- Perform maintenance on the Palo Alto device
- Add the Palo Alto device to the new Topology
- Test functionality with a single client
- Add the Palo Alto device back to the original Topology
- Test functionality again
- Repeat to perform maintenance on the other Palo Alto device
Create a new Topology to perform testing
A new Topology will be used to safely test the Service after maintenance is performed. The Topology should be similar to the one used for production traffic. This Topology can be re-used in the future.
From the BIG-IP Configuration Utility select SSL Orchestrator > Configuration. Click Add under Topologies.
Scroll to the bottom of the next screen and click Next.
Give it a name, Topology_Staging in this example.
Select L2 Inbound as the Topology type then click Save & Next.
For the SSL Configurations you can leave the default settings. Click Save & Next at the bottom.
Click Save & Next at the bottom of the Services List.
Click the Add button under Services Chain List. A new Service Chain is needed so we can remove Palo_Alto1 from the Production Service and add it here.
Give the Service Chain a name, Staging_Chain in this example. Click Save at the bottom.
Note: The Service will be added to this Service Chain later.
Click Save & Next.
Click the Add button on the right to add a new rule.
For Conditions select Client IP Subnet Match.
Enter the Client IP and mask, 10.1.11.52/32 in this example. Click New to add the IP/Subnet.
Set the SSL Proxy Action to Intercept.
Set the Service Chain to the one created previously.
Click OK.
Note: This rule is written so that a single client computer (10.1.11.52) will match and can be used for testing.
Select Save & Next at the bottom.
For the Interception Rule set the Source Address to 10.1.11.52/32. Set the Destination Address/Mask to 10.4.11.0/24. Set the port to 443.
Select the VLAN for your Ingress Network and move it to Selected.
Set the L7 Profile to Common/http.
Click Save & Next.
For Log Settings, scroll to the bottom and select Save & Next.
Click Deploy.
Monitor Palo Alto statistics – change the weight ratio – check Palo Alto statistics again
Check the statistics on the Palo Alto NGFW we will be performing maintenance on. It’s “Palo_Alto1” in this example.
From the Palo Alto GUI select ACC (Application Command Center).
Select Network Activity then Sessions. A time filter can be set on the left, in this case it’s set to the Last Hour.
Palo_Alto1 appears to be completely healthy.
Change the Weight Ratio
Back to the SSL Orchestrator Configuration Utility. Click SSL Orchestrator > Configuration > Services > then the Service name, ssloS_PALOALTO in this example.
Click the pencil icon to edit the Service.
Click the pencil icon to edit the Network Configuration for Palo_Alto2.
Set the ratio to 65535 and click Done.
Note: Alternately you could disable the Pool Member from LTM > Pools.
Click Save & Next at the bottom.
Click OK if presented with the following warning.
Click Deploy.
Click OK when presented with the Success message.
Check Palo Alto Statistics Again
Check the ACC statistics on “Palo_Alto1”. It should look like the image below, with the number of sessions tapering off until there is zero.
Remove a single Palo Alto device from the Service
Back to the SSL Orchestrator Configuration Utility. Click SSL Orchestrator > Configuration > Services > then the Service name, ssloS_PALOALTO in this example.
Click the pencil icon to edit the Service.
Under Network Configuration, delete Palo_Alto1.
Click Save & Next at the bottom.
Click OK if presented with the following warning.
Click Deploy.
Click OK when presented with the Success message.
Perform maintenance on the Palo Alto device
At this point Palo_Alto1 has been removed from the Production Topology and is no longer handling production traffic. Palo_Alto2 is now handling all the production traffic.
We can now perform a variety of maintenance tasks on Palo_Alto1 without disrupting production traffic. When done with the task(s) we can then safely test/verify the health of Palo_Alto1 prior to moving it back into production.
Some examples of maintenance tasks:
· Perform a software upgrade to a newer version.
· Make policy changes and verify they work as expected.
· Physically move the device.
· Replace a hard drive, fan, and/or power supply.
Add the Palo Alto device to the new Topology
This will allow us to test its functionality with a single client computer, prior to moving it back to production.
From the SSL Orchestrator Configuration Utility click SSL Orchestrator > Configuration > Topologies > sslo_Topology_Staging.
Click the pencil icon on the right to edit the Service.
Click Add Service.
Select the Palo Alto Networks NGFW Inline Layer 2 Service and click Add.
Give it a name or leave the default. Click Add under Network Configuration.
Set the FROM and TO VLANS to the following and click Done.
Click Save at the bottom.
Click the Service Chain icon.
Click the Staging_Chain.
Move the PALO-test Service from Available to Selected and click Save.
Click OK.
Click Deploy.
Click OK.
Test functionality with a single client
We created a policy with source IP = 10.1.11.52 to use the new Palo Alto Service that we just performed maintenance on.
Go to that client computer and verify that everything is still working as expected.
As you can see this is the test client with IP 10.1.11.52. The page still loads for one of the web servers.
You can view the Certificate and see that it is not the same as the Production Certificate.
To ensure that everything is working as expected you can view the ACC statistics on Palo_Alto1, which was the Palo Alto device removed from the Production network.
From ACC select Network Activity then Sessions. A time filter can be set on the left.
You should see something like the image below, where Sessions and Bytes sent/received are gradually increasing.
Add the Palo Alto device back to the original Topology
From the SSL Orchestrator GUI select SSL Orchestrator > Configuration > Service Chains.
Select the Staging_Chain.
Select ssloS_PALO-test on the right and click the left arrow to remove it from Selected.
Click Deploy when done.
Click OK.
Click OK to the Success message.
From the SSL Orchestrator Guided Configuration select SSL Orchestrator > Configuration > Services.
Select the PALO-test Service and click Delete.
Click OK to the Warning.
When that is done click the ssloS_PALOALTO Service.
Click the Pencil icon to edit the Service.
Under Network Configuration click Add.
Set the Ratio to the same value as PaloAlto2, 65535 in this example. Set the From and To VLAN the following and click Done.
Click Save & Next at the bottom.
Click OK.
Click Deploy.
Click OK.
Test functionality again
To ensure that everything is working as expected you can view the statistics on Palo_Alto1.
From the Palo Alto GUI select ACC (Application Command Center).
Select Network Activity then Sessions. A time filter can be set on the left.
Palo_Alto1 appears to be completely healthy.
Repeat these steps to perform maintenance on the other Palo Alto device (not covered in this guide)
Remove a single Palo Alto device from the Service
Perform maintenance on the Palo Alto device
Add the Palo Alto device to the new Topology
Test functionality with a single client
Add Palo Alto device back to the original Topology
Test functionality again