Monitoring Check Point R8x SmartCenter Server Devices

Overview

Configure monitoring of Check Point servers in this order:

  1. Provider-1 MDS

  2. SmartCenter servers and Provider-1 CMAs

  3. Log Servers and CLMs

After you upgrade a monitored Check Point device to R80.x, you must upgrade the device in TOS Aurora to use Check Point R8x support.

Recommendations

  • Object usage analysis requires plenty of free disk space (depending on the number of gateways and the amount of traffic logs generated). If disk space is limited, you can configure TOS Aurora to limit the number of days that data is kept.

  • Enable TOS Aurora administrative alerts, which notify you if there is low disk space on the server. When disk utilization exceeds 90% in the partition that has the database, TOS Aurora sends an alert.

Add Check Point R8x SmartCenter Server Devices

Prerequisites

Enable a SmartCenter (SMC) Device

  1. Configure the Check Point server for OPSEC communication with TOS Aurora.

  2. Configure the Check Point device to use your TOS Aurora server as a GUI client.

    The TOS Aurora server is displayed in a revision in the GUI client column.

  3. For SMC devices, enable the API software blade.

  4. Create a Check Point user with Rest API Access to retrieve revisions:

    1. TOS Aurora uses Check Point APIs to connect to (and monitor) Check Point R80.x devices. A user with the SmartCenter Manager or Domain Manager profile who has the Read Only All Permission Profile configured for All Global Domains with the required collection access via the Check Point APIs can retrieve revisions for the device. On an SMC or a CMA:

    2. To maintain the password you defined for the Check Point user with REST API access, in Set Password, uncheck User must change password on next login.

Configuring TOS Aurora to Monitor the Policy Revisions of a Check Point Device

  1. Select Check Point > SmartCenter.

    Add SmartCenter

  2. Configure the device settings:

    Depending on the Check Point server type, some or all of the following options will appear:

    • Device Type: Check Point SmartCenter

    • Name for Display

    • Domain: Available only if you have configured your system for managing multi-domains and All Domains is currently selected. Select the domain to which to add the device. The Domain can only be entered when adding a device; to change the Domain, you must migrate the device.

    • Get revisions from: One of the following:

      • IP Address: Revisions are retrieved automatically
      • Offline File: N/A

    • ST server: In a distributed deployment, select which TOS Aurora cluster monitors this device (not shown in image)

    • Usage Analysis: Select the relevant options:

      • Collect traffic logs for rule usage analysis: Necessary for Rule Usage reports.
      • Collect traffic logs for object usage analysis : Necessary for reporting on unused objects and services in Rule Usage Reports.

    • Enable Topology: Collects routing information for building the network Interactive Map.
      Topology options for Advanced management mode are configured when you import managed devices.

  3. Click Next.

  4. In the OPSEC Secure Internal Communication (SIC):

    1. Configure:

      • SecureTrack's OPSEC Application Name: As you defined it for this Check Point server (case sensitive).
      • Activation Key: As defined when the OPSEC object was created.

    2. Click Click Retrieve Certificate to set up encrypted communication between TOS Aurora and the Check Point device.

      The following message appears:

      retrieved

  5. Click Next.

  6. In the Syslog and OPSEC Settings:

    1. Choose Authentication Type

      For Syslog Authentication:

      • Log ID:Log ID must correspond to the entry in Check Point Log Export

      • Protocol: Choose TCP or UDP

      • Authentication Mode: Some options require you to enter an SL or FWN1 Secret Key in the Authentication Keys: section and Establish Authentication Key.
      • Port

    2. Configure the CPMI Authentication fields:

      • Authentication Mode
      • Port
  7. Click Next.
  8. For SmartCenter devices with R8x, in the Management API settings:
    1. Enter the credentials for an administrator on the Check Point device. To use a vault server that contains access credentials, select Use Vault and select the server. For more information, see Configuring a Vault Server.
    2. Enter the port that the Check Point device uses for REST API connections.

    3. Click Establish Connection to setup encrypted communication between SecureTrack and the Check Point device. The certificate appears, and the following message appears:

      retrieved

  9. Click Next.

  10. In the Monitoring Settings, do one of the following:

    • To use timing settings from the Timing configuration for this device, select Default.

    • To define specific timing settings for this device, select Custom, then select Custom settings, and configure:

      • 'Save policy' interval: When a Save Policy event is followed within this time interval by an Install Policy event for the same policy, TOS Aurora tries to combine the two events into a single revision. The default value is 60 seconds. 
      • 'Install policy' interval: When two or more Install Policy events for the same policy occur within this time interval, TOS Aurora combines the events into a single Install Policy revision (Default: 60 seconds)
      • Automatic fetch frequency: Frequency (in minutes) for automatic fetch 
  11. Click Next.

  12. You can test the communication with the Check Point server by clicking Test Connectivity:

    New CP CMA stage 5

  13. Click Save.

    The Check Point device is shown in the Device Configuration list.

    If you use non-standard LEA authentication, see Non-Standard LEA Authentication.

  14. If you have a secondary Check Point management server, configure TOS Aurora to communicate with the secondary server in the event of a failover.

To customize the device object that represents the Internet, see Define Internet Object.

Configure a Monitored Device

After you add a device, further configuration options are available.

Options vary depending on your environment.

  • Edit configuration: Use the wizard to modify selected device settings. See Add a Device in this topic.

  • Delete this device: Type yes to confirm that you want to delete the device.

  • Test Connectivity: Confirms connectivity between SecureTrack and the device.

  • Define Internet object

  • Migrate (ST servers): Available in distributed deployments. Select the server where the device will be monitored and click Migrate.

  • Migrate (Domains): Available in multi-domain deployments. Select the domain where the device will be monitored and click Migrate.

How Do I Get Here?

SecureTrack > Monitoring > Manage Devices