Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

The Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall feature provides the Cisco IOS XE firewall the functionality to configure multiple traffic classes (which are also called nested class maps or hierarchical class maps) as a single traffic class. When packets meet more than one match criterion, you can configure multiple class maps that can be associated with a single traffic policy. The Cisco IOS XE firewall supports up to three levels of class map hierarchy.

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Prerequisites for Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Before configuring nested class maps, you should be familiar with the modular Quality of Service (QoS) CLI (MQC).

Information About Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Nested Class Maps

In Cisco IOS XE Release 3.5S and later releases, you can configure multiple traffic classes (which are also called nested class maps or hierarchical class maps) as a single traffic class. When packets meet more than one match criterion, you can configure multiple class maps that can be associated with a single traffic policy. The nesting of class maps can be achieved by configuring the match class-map command. The only method of combining the match-any and match-all characteristics within a single traffic class is by using the class-map command.

match-all and match-any Keywords of the class-map Command

To create a traffic class, you must configure the class-map command with the match-all and match-any keywords. You need to specify the match-all and match-any keywords only if more than one match criterion is configured in the traffic class. The following rules apply to the match-all and match-any keywords:

  • Use the match-all keyword when all match criteria in the traffic class must be met to place a packet in the specified traffic class.

  • Use the match-any keyword when only one of the match criterion in the traffic class must be met to place a packet in the specified traffic class.

  • If you do not specify the match-all keyword or the match-any keyword, the traffic class behaves in a manner that is consistent with the match-all keyword.

Your zone-based policy firewall configuration supports nested class maps if the following criteria are met:

  • Individual class maps in a hierarchy include multiple match class-map command references.

  • Individual class maps in a hierarchy include match rules other than the match class-map command.

How to Configure Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Configuring a Two-Layer Nested Class Map

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. class-map match-any class-map-name
  4. match protocol protocol-name
  5. exit
  6. class-map match-any class-map-name
  7. match protocol protocol-name
  8. exit
  9. class-map match-any class-map-name
  10. match class-map class-map-name
  11. match class-map class-map-name
  12. end

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:

Router> enable
Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3

class-map match-any class-map-name

Example:

Router(config)# class-map match-any child1

Creates a Layer 3 or Layer 4 class map and enters class map configuration mode.

Step 4

match protocol protocol-name

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# match protocol tcp

Configures the match criteria for a class map on the basis of a specified protocol.

Step 5

exit

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# exit

Exits class map configuration mode and enters global configuration mode.

Step 6

class-map match-any class-map-name

Example:

Router(config)# class-map match-any child2

Creates a Layer 3 or Layer 4 class map and enters class map configuration mode.

Step 7

match protocol protocol-name

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# match protocol udp

Configures the match criteria for a class map on the basis of a specified protocol.

Step 8

exit

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# exit

Exits class map configuration mode and enters global configuration mode.

Step 9

class-map match-any class-map-name

Example:

Router(config)# class-map match-any parent

Creates a Layer 3 or Layer 4 class map and enters class map configuration mode.

Step 10

match class-map class-map-name

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# match class-map child1

Configures a traffic class as a classification policy.

Step 11

match class-map class-map-name

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# match class-map child2

Configures a traffic class as a classification policy.

Step 12

end

Example:

Router(config-cmap)# end

Exits class map configuration mode and enters privileged EXEC mode.

Configuring a Policy Map for a Nested Class Map

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. policy-map type inspect policy-map-name
  4. class-type inspect class-map-name
  5. inspect
  6. end

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:

Router> enable
Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3

policy-map type inspect policy-map-name

Example:

Router(config)# policy-map type inspect pmap

Creates a Layer 3 or Layer 4 inspect type policy map and enters policy map configuration mode.

Step 4

class-type inspect class-map-name

Example:

Router(config-pmap)# class-type inspect parent

Specifies the traffic (class) on which an action is to be performed and enters policy-map class configuration mode.

Step 5

inspect

Example:

Router(config-pmap-c)# inspect

Enables Cisco IOS XE stateful packet inspection.

Step 6

end

Example:

Router(config-pmap-c)# end

Exits policy-map class configuration mode and enters privileged EXEC mode.

Attaching a Policy Map to a Zone Pair

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. zone security zone-name
  4. exit
  5. zone security zone-name
  6. exit
  7. zone-pair security zone-pair-name [source zone-name destination [zone-name]]
  8. service-policy type inspect policy-map-name
  9. exit
  10. interface type number
  11. zone-member security zone-name
  12. end

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:

Router> enable
Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3

zone security zone-name

Example:

Router(config)# zone security source-zone

Creates a security zone to which interfaces can be assigned and enters security zone configuration mode.

Step 4

exit

Example:

Router(config-sec-zone)# exit

Exits security zone configuration mode and enters global configuration mode.

Step 5

zone security zone-name

Example:

Router(config)# zone security destination-zone

Creates a security zone to which interfaces can be assigned and enters security zone configuration mode.

Step 6

exit

Example:

Router(config-sec-zone)# exit

Exits security zone configuration mode and enters global configuration mode.

Step 7

zone-pair security zone-pair-name [source zone-name destination [zone-name]]

Example:

Router(config)# zone-pair security secure-zone source source-zone destination destination-zone

Creates a zone pair and enters security zone pair configuration mode.

  • To apply a policy, you must configure a zone pair.

Step 8

service-policy type inspect policy-map-name

Example:

Router(config-sec-zone-pair)# service-policy type inspect pmap
Attaches a firewall policy map to the destination zone pair.
Note 

If a policy is not configured between a pair of zones, traffic is dropped by default.

Step 9

exit

Example:

Router(config-sec-zone-pair)# exit

Exits security zone pair configuration mode and enters global configuration mode.

Step 10

interface type number

Example:

Router(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0/1

Configures an interface and enters interface configuration mode.

Step 11

zone-member security zone-name

Example:

Router(config-if)# zone-member security source-zone
Assigns an interface to a specified security zone.

  • When you make an interface a member of a security zone, all traffic into and out of that interface (except traffic bound for the router or initiated by the router) is dropped by default. To let traffic through the interface, you must make the zone part of a zone pair to which you apply a policy. If the policy permits traffic, traffic can flow through that interface.

Step 12

end

Example:

Router(config-if)# end

Exits interface configuration mode and enters privileged EXEC mode.

Configuration Examples for Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Example: Configuring a Two-Layer Nested Class Map

Router# configure terminal
Router(config)# class-map match-any child1
Router(config-cmap)# match protocol tcp 
Router(config-cmap)# exit
Router(config)# class-map match-any child2
Router(config-cmap)# match protocol udp
Router(config-cmap)# exit 
Router(config)# class-map match-any parent
Router(config-cmap)# match class-map child1
Router(config-cmap)# match class-map child2
Router(config-cmap)# end

Example: Configuring a Policy Map for a Nested Class Map

Router# configure terminal
Router(config)# policy-map type inspect pmap
Router(config-pmap)# class-type inspect parent 
Router(config-pmap-c)# inspect
Router(config-pmap-c)# end

Example: Attaching a Policy Map to a Zone Pair

Router# configure terminal
Router(config)# zone security source-zone
Router(config-sec-zone)# exit
Router(config)# zone security destination-zone
Router(config-sec-zone)# exit
Router(config)# zone-pair security secure-zone source source-zone destination destination-zone
Router(config-sec-zone-pair)# service-policy type inspect pmap
Router(config-sec-zone-pair)# exit
Router(config)# interface gigabitethernet 0/0/1
Router(config-if)# zone-member security source-zone
Router(config-if)# end

Additional References for Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Related Documents

Related Topic

Document Title

Cisco IOS commands

Cisco IOS Master Command List, All Releases

Security commands

Zone-based policy firewall

Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Technical Assistance

Description

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http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/support/index.html

Feature Information for Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Table 1. Feature Information for Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Feature Name

Releases

Feature Information

Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall

Cisco IOS XE Release 3.5S

The Nested Class Map Support for Zone-Based Policy Firewall feature provides the Cisco IOS XE firewall the functionality to configure multiple traffic classes (which are also called nested class maps or hierarchical class maps) as a single traffic class. When packets meet more than one match criterion, you can configure multiple class maps that can be associated with a single traffic policy.