Configuring ASDM for ASA on GNS3

ASDM is a GUI tool that you can use to configure ASAs. Although I prefer to use CLI, ASDM does come in handy from time to time. In this blogtorial we will see how to configure ASDM so that we can use it to configure ASAs running on GNS3. If you need a primer on how to get ASAs working on GNS3 then see my previous blogtorial.

Overview: 

• Download ASDM image
• Create a Loopback interface
• Connect it to the ASA
• Assign IP addresses
• Download TFTP server
• Copy ASDM image to the ASA
• Install ASA on the computer
• Connect to the ASA using ASDM 

GNS3 - Configuring ASA on GNS3

I generally use GNS3 to emulate routers but recently I have been using it to do some ASA labs. So here is how I emulate ASAs on GNS3.

First thing to take care of is acquiring the ASA images needed to emulate an ASA. Files needed can be downloaded here.

Once you've downloaded the files it is time to configure GNS3 to run the ASA. Follow the screenshots.

Dot1Q Tunnel / q-in-q Tunneling

Dot1Q tunnel or q-in-q tunneling is a technique generally used by service providers to extend customer's VLANs to different locations. It is done by encapsulating the customer VLAN inside another 802.1q encapsulation and because of this we must increase the system mtu on the service provider switches to something greater than 1500. In this blogtorial, we will take a look at a very simple topology with easy to follow configurations.

Here is the topology. 

Our objective: 

VLAN 10 in a Customer Site in California (SW1) needs to be extended to a Customer Site in Illinois (SW4).

BGP - Unicast NLRI to Multicast NLRI - translate-update cisco

I have been extremely busy with work, school and CCIE studies so I have not been able to post as much as I want to. There are numerous drafts ready to be posted so hopefully I'll have sometime to share it on here. Alright, enough with the excuses and let's get started. In this blogtorial we will see how we can take a unicast route received from a unicast BGP neighbor and install it in the multicast routing table and advertise it to MBGP peers using translate-update feature. Usually this is done for in-congruent BGP topology where a MBGP capable router peers with router that is incapable of MBGP.

Here is the topology.

The entire configs can be downloaded here so you can lab it up in GNS3.