In a previous blog post, I demonstrated the Fabric Attach capability in my lab. Now, let’s explore the Auto-Sense capability. I previously explained what Auto-Sense is: essentially, it allows a switch port to be configured automatically based on the connected devices. On Fabric Engine, Auto-Sense is enabled by default: The Auto-Sense capability is straightforward and… Read More »Network deployments: Past and Present vol. 5
As mentioned in the previous blog post, let’s explore how automation works in my lab environment. Describing the process in detail is somewhat challenging, so I may record a video later to demonstrate it more effectively. Here is the map of my lab, where I will demonstrate the Fabric Attach capability on the switches L1-D1-1… Read More »Network deployments: Past and Present vol. 4
In a previous blog post, I elaborated on the general rules about fabric, how it works, and the protocols used. We already know that services like VLANs inside the fabric are propagated automatically, with no configuration needed within the fabric. Services should only be created at the edge of the fabric—this can be done manually… Read More »Network deployments: Past and Present vol. 3
This “self-forming” network is based on Extreme Networks gear. The complete solution is called Extreme Automated Campus and consists of several key components: Core Components of the Solution The foundation of this solution is the switches running Fabric Engine/VOSS, which can communicate using standard protocols as well as Fabric protocols. Fabric uses only two protocols:… Read More »Network deployments: Past and Present vol. 2
I have been working in the networking field for more than 13 years. Most of my deployments involve a lot of manual configurations. A lot of things had to be configured manually like VLANs, stacking, LACP, STP, some routing, and more. How does it look right now? What kind of changes have been made, and… Read More »Network deployments: Past and Present – part 1
How do you choose the right firewall model for your environment? The first and obvious factor to consider is performance. We need to account for the features that will be used in our firewall (IPsec tunnels, security features, SSL decryption). Based on the expected throughput and using vendor datasheets, we can estimate which model is… Read More »How to choose the right firewall model?
We all know what happened last Friday (19.07.2023). “Crowdstrikers” had a terrible day. What are my thoughts about that situation? Of course, it is obvious that some team at CRWD missed something, and the testing phase wasn’t good enough. Mistakes happen, and this one had a really big impact. I don’t want to blame the… Read More »CRWD fuck up, how to prevent it
As an engineer, I don’t particularly like paperwork; the best aspects of my world are implementations, integrations, and the like. In short, I enjoy the “real engineer meat” of the work. Unfortunately, without papers and documents, there are many opportunities to make mistakes, especially during complicated implementations in brownfield environments. During my professional career, I… Read More »Methodology and Papers: Why They Are So Important
Generally, Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are quite flexible and granular devices. You can do a lot in terms of security to reduce the attack surface, and more. They lack some advanced networking features, but in my opinion, this is understandable since they were designed as security devices, not networking devices. GlobalProtect is a remote… Read More »Palo Alto Netoworks GlobalProtect capabilities
App-ID is a core technology of Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) that identifies applications traversing the network, regardless of port, protocol. Custom App-ID extends this capability by allowing to create unique signatures for proprietary or obscure applications that are not covered by the default App-ID database. This ensures that all applications, including those specific… Read More »Palo Alto NGFW custom App-ID