Cisco Security Manager - Slow response?

Erik Ingeberg · ‎10-12-2008

Hi,

I just installed CSM using the 90 day evaluation license. I currently manage a single ASA firewall, but this might change in the future, and I wanted to try out this software.

I think that the software is running extremely slow. I'm having a hard time understanding why. I'm running this on a Dual Core 2.4GHZ 4GB RAM 2003 server, this is the only software installed on it. The server and the ASA are connected through the same switch.

So why is the CSM software so slow? I have to wait almost a full second from click to response. I can't see how I can use this software if it won't run any faster. It feels like such a let down after getting used to ASDM...

Do I need a better server, or is there something I can do to make the CSM run faster?

bwilmoth · ‎10-17-2008

You might have to create an entry for your Security Manager server in the hosts file on your client system. Such an entry can help you to establish connections to your server if it is not registered with the DNS server for your network. To create this helpful entry on your client system, use Notepad or any other plain text editor to open C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\

etc\hosts. (The host file itself contains detailed instructions for how to add an entry.)

Erik Ingeberg · ‎10-18-2008

That can't be the problem. I'm connecting to the server using the IP address. The CSM is actually only slow when changing category from the menu on the left. If I just need to change ACL's it is faster.

I have spoken about this with colleagues who use the CSM and they told me that this slowness is normal. The explanation i got is that you save time when administrating many different security devices, and that the screen you mostly use is the ACL screen.

I'm definitely not convinced. I can't understand why this simple looking piece of software running on a relatively fast server performs so slow.

cisco24x7 · ‎10-18-2008

Cisco is a hardware company, NOT a software

company, what do you expect?

CSM has been like this ever since it came

out. If you think it is slow over LAN, try

to connect to it over VPN, completely

unusable.

I tested version 3.0 beta when it first

came out three years ago and it was

horrible. From what you're telling me,

nothing has changed.

my 2c

Farrukh Haroon · ‎10-19-2008

Yup, I'm facing similar slowness issues on our box. Even tough its just managing one fwsm and four idsm2(s).

Regards

Farrukh

adiwakar · ‎12-09-2008

You might want to try the following;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/security_management/cisco_security_manager/security_manager/3.2.1/deployment/csmgrdeployguide.html#wp41484