How To Enforce Content and Application Detection in PA-5000 Series from Hardware to Software?
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Created On 04/30/19 13:20 PM - Last Modified 09/19/19 22:47 PM
Objective
The article explains how to enforce content and application detection in PA-5000 series from hardware to software.
Environment
PA-5000 series firewall
Procedure
By default, AHO and DFA, which are algorithms used for Threat and DLP (Data Loss Prevention) detection and Application detection respectively, are performed in hardware:
PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga state
DP dp0:
aho offload setup
Use offload
Minimum Threshold for using offload: 32 bytes
Maximum Threshold for using offload: 9900 bytes
Max. outstanding request to offloading: 1024
Current outstanding request to offloading: 0
<SNIP>
dfa offload setup
Use offload
Minimum Threshold for using offload: 48 bytes
Maximum Threshold for using offload: 9900 bytes
Max. outstanding request to offloading: 1024
Current outstanding request to offloading: 0
appsig bitmask in offload 0x0
token bitmask in offload 0x10000 (cur idx 1)
<SNIP>
DP dp1:
aho offload setup
Use offload
Minimum Threshold for using offload: 32 bytes
Maximum Threshold for using offload: 9900 bytes
Max. outstanding request to offloading: 1024
Current outstanding request to offloading: 0
<SNIP>
dfa offload setup
Use offload
Minimum Threshold for using offload: 48 bytes
Maximum Threshold for using offload: 9900 bytes
Max. outstanding request to offloading: 1024
Current outstanding request to offloading: 0
<SNIP>
The behavior of AHO and DFA done by default in hardware (FPGA) reduces the load on the dataplane (software). However, in cases where suspected issues need to be isolated from hardware (FPGA), the processing can be forced to dataplane (software) as follows:
PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga set ? > sw_aho Use only software for aho and dlp > sw_dfa Use only software for dfa PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga set sw_aho yes DP dp0: DP dp1: PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga set sw_dfa yes DP dp0: DP dp1:
PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga state DP dp0: aho offload setup Use software only dfa offload setup Use software only DP dp1: aho offload setup Use software only dfa offload setup Use software only
Enforcing AHO and DFA to software may increase the dataplane CPU. Upon careful observation, this may be retained or reverted:
PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga set sw_aho no PA-5020> debug dataplane fpga set sw_dfa no