Firewall Wizards: Re: Firewall Rule Migration Utilities?

["Volker Tanger" <volker.tanger () discon de>]

Gretings!

For the ease of understanding: oversimplifying Gauntlet, TIS and Raptor 
are proxies, whereas Checkpoint (and Pix and other appliances) are 
packet filters. For this very reason it is harder to convert across 
these two classes than within (w.g. Gauntlet to Raptor). Just be careful 
with it - you're in the middle of "best-fit vs. first-match" 
battleground with Gauntlet->FW1.
Unfortunately I only know of one "migration" tool, which is usable for 
migration from Raptor to Checkpoint 
(http://www.wyae.de/software/fwtools.html).
This was just a quick hack which only converts the network entities - 
which helps a lot when migrating a big rulebase and takes off a lot of 
typo work (and possible typo errors). It does not help with the rules 
itself though.
As for Checkpoint Firewall-1: the upcoming FW1rules script (same URL) 
will be able to dump objects and rules into separate tables for further 
conversion (okay, it already does this, but the usual main output isn't 
implemented yet). If I get the proper support (e.g. patches) this tool 
can be used as base for conversions from Checkpoint rulebases.
I have to agree with Chad that any migration is an excellent opportunity 
to refine, strip down and document the ruleset. I especially recommend 
to have a manager's signature for each and every rule where they take 
over responsibility (and accountability) for each and every rule they 
demand - and be it only to scare off the "utterly important" stuff.
;-)

From my experience (converting Raptor - Checkpoint - Linux IPtables - 
SonicWall) it is much easier to start with an empty rulebase and a 
(signed!) list of business needs - than to erase single "superfluous" 
rules from a given ruleset. I nearly can guarantee you won't find these 
obscure interdependencies hidden in the grown^H^H^H^H^Hsprawled ruleset 
- which can break your neck...
As for a list of converted network objects: they save a lot of typing 
and (typo) trouble - and are much easier to clean up (just delete the 
unused) than a(ny) rulebase.
Good luck!
        Volker

--

Volker Tanger  <volker.tanger () discon de>
 Wrangelstr. 100, 10997 Berlin, Germany
    DiSCON GmbH - Internet Solutions
         http://www.discon.de/

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