Firewall Services Module Operation
Using PDM with the FWSM

PDM v. 4.0 can be used to configure and monitor FWSM v. 2.2. Figure shows the steps needed to prepare the FWSM to use PDM. Be sure to initialize the FWSM before attempting to install PDM.

  • Use the copy tftp flash command to copy the PDM image into FWSM flash

    copy tftp://10.1.1.1/pdm-XXX.bin flash:pdm

    (where XXX = pdm image version number)

  • Enable the http server on the FWSM. Without it, PDM will not start.

    http server enable

  • Identify the specific hosts/networks that can access the FWSM using HTTP.

    http 1.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 inside

    Hosts from network 10.1.1.0 (on the inside interface) are permitted http access.

  • Launch the browser and enter the following address:

    https://10.1.1.1 (FWSM inside interface)

Resetting and Rebooting the FWSM
If the module cannot be reached through the CLI or an external Telnet session, enter the hwmod module module_number reset command to reset and reboot the module. The reset process requires several minutes. The syntax for the command is shown in Figure .

The example in Figure shows how to reset the module, installed in slot 4, from the CLI.

When the FWSM initially boots, by default it runs a partial memory test. To perform a full memory test, use the hw-module module module_number mem-test-full command. The syntax of the command is shown in Figure .

A full memory test takes more time to complete than a partial memory test depending on the memory size. The table in Figure lists the memory and approximate boot time for a long memory test.