Security Context Overview - Cisco ASA 5505 Configuration Manual

Security Context Overview

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The adaptive security appliance invokes various standard protocols to accomplish these functions.
Security Context Overview
You can partition a single adaptive security appliance into multiple virtual devices, known as security
contexts. Each context is an independent device, with its own security policy, interfaces, and
administrators. Multiple contexts are similar to having multiple standalone devices. Many features are
supported in multiple context mode, including routing tables, firewall features, IPS, and management.
Some features are not supported, including VPN and dynamic routing protocols.
In multiple context mode, the adaptive security appliance includes a configuration for each context that
identifies the security policy, interfaces, and almost all the options you can configure on a standalone
device. The system administrator adds and manages contexts by configuring them in the system
configuration, which, like a single mode configuration, is the startup configuration. The system
configuration identifies basic settings for the adaptive security appliance. The system configuration does
not include any network interfaces or network settings for itself; rather, when the system needs to access
network resources (such as downloading the contexts from the server), it uses one of the contexts that is
designated as the admin context.
The admin context is just like any other context, except that when a user logs into the admin context,
then that user has system administrator rights and can access the system and all other contexts.
You can run all your contexts in routed mode or transparent mode; you cannot run some contexts in one
Note
mode and others in another.
Multiple context mode supports static routing only.
Cisco ASA 5500 Series Configuration Guide using ASDM
1-20
Manages data transfer across the tunnel
Manages data transfer inbound and outbound as a tunnel endpoint or router
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliance
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