156-836 Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Questions and Answers

A Dual Site setup can have either two or four orchestrators, depending on the scenario. However, the maximum number of orchestrators per Security Group is four, regardless of the number of sites. This is because each Security Group can have up to two orchestrators on each site, and each site can have up to two orchestrators. Therefore, the maximum number of orchestrators in a Dual Site setup is four per Security Group.

References =

•Maestro Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

•Maestro Dual Site configuration with a direct connection through L2 switches

•Dual Site Single Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Cluster (Dual Site Single MHO Redundancy)

The "asg monitor" command generally would show real-time cluster status of appliances in a security group, focusing on health and operational status.

In a Check Point Maestro environment, a splitter is used to divide a single high-speed port (e.g., QSFP or QSFP28) into multiple lower-speed ports (e.g., SFP or SFP+). However, a splitter cannot be used to connect a single port on an Orchestrator to the same Appliance, as this would not align with the purpose of a splitter, which is to expand connectivity to multiple devices or ports, not to loop back to a single device.

Exact Extract:

“A splitter is used to divide a single high-speed port on the Orchestrator (e.g., QSFP or QSFP28) into multiple lower-speed ports (e.g., SFP or SFP+). Splitters are typically used to connect a single Orchestrator port to multiple ports on an external switch or to multiple Appliances. However, a splitter cannot be used to connect a single Orchestrator port to the same Appliance, as this does not align with the splitter’s purpose of expanding connectivity.”

—Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 3: Dual Orchestrator Environment, Lesson 3.2: Connectivity Options, page 3-10

—Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 3: Working with Security Group Modules, Section: Connectivity, page 3-10

Explanation of Options:

A. To connect a single port on an Orchestrator to the same Appliance: Correct, as a splitter is not designed for this purpose and cannot be used to connect an Orchestrator port to a single Appliance.

B. To connect a single port on an Orchestrator to multiple ports on an external switch: Incorrect, as this is a valid use case for a splitter.

C. To connect a single port on an Appliance to multiple ports on the Orchestrator: Incorrect, as splitters can be used in configurations where an Appliance connects to multipleOrchestrator ports.

D. To connect a single port on an Orchestrator to multiple Appliances: Incorrect, as this is another valid use case for a splitter.

Security groups are used to simplify management and policy enforcement across multiple devices or network segments, often offering redundancy and load balancing features

A Security Group can be compared to a Load Sharing Active / Active cluster because it consists of multiple Security Group Members that share the traffic load and provide high availability and scalability. Each Security Group Member is an active firewall that processes traffic according to the Security Group policy and synchronizes its state with other members. The Maestro Orchestrator acts as a load balancer that distributes the traffic among the Security Group Members based on their capacity and availability.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 2: Maestro Security Groups, Lesson 2.1: Introduction to Security Groups, page 2-4

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 2: Maestro Security Groups, Section: Security Group Overview, page 2-3

The asg perf -v command is used to find bottlenecks in the system that are affecting performance, even functionality in some cases. The asg perf -v command displays the performance statistics of the Security Group Modules (SGMs) in the Security Group, such as throughput, packet rate, CPU utilization, memory usage, and more. The asg perf -v command also shows the distribution mode and the correction rate of each SGM, which can indicate potential issues with asymmetric routing or load balancing. The asg perf -v command can help identify which SGMs are overloaded, underutilized, or misconfigured, and provide insights for troubleshooting and optimization.

References =

•Check Point Maestro R81.X Administration Guide, page 67, section “asg perf” 1

•Check Point Maestro R81.X Getting Started Guide, page 29, section “asg perf” 2

•Check Point Maestro Under the Hood presentation by Lari Luoma, slide 26

1: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2031661/Check-Point-Maestro-R80-20sp.html 2: https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R81/WebAdminGuides/EN/CP_R81_Maestro_GettingStarted/html_frameset.htm : https://community.checkpoint.com/fyrhh23835/attachments/fyrhh23835/maestro/1191/1/Check%20Mates%20Maestro%20under%20the%20hood%202022.pptx

The SMO Master is the SGM that is responsible for synchronizing the configuration and policy with the other SGMs in the security group. The SMO Master is automatically designated as the SGM with the lowest member ID, which is usually the first one added to the security group. The SMO Master can be changed manually if needed.

This command is used to set the number of sites in a Maestro environment, which can be either one or two. The number of sites determines the site-sync configuration and the failover policies for the Security Groups and the Security Group Members. The default value is one, and it can be changed only before the first Security Group is created.

References =

•Maestro basic setup documentation - Page 2 - Check Point CheckMates

•Check Point R81.10 for Scalable Platforms - Check Point Software

•CHECK POINT MAESTRO EXPERT

A downlink interface is a physical or virtual interface that connects a security gateway to an orchestrator. It allows the security gateway to send and receive configuration updates, policy changes, and other data from the orchestrator.

References = [Check Point R81.10 for Scalable Platforms - Check Point Software], [Scalable Platforms (Maestro and Chassis) comparison between versions - Check Point Software], [Check Point R81.10 AI & ML Driven Threat Prevention and Security Management - Check Point Blog].

Auto-topology is the default distribution mode for Maestro Security Groups. In this mode, the Orchestrator assigns packets to a Security Group Member based on the topology of the port defined in the gateway object. Each port is either in user mode or network mode depending on the topology. User mode means that the port is connected to the internal network and network mode means that the port is connected to the external network. The Orchestrator uses a hash function to map each source IP or destination IP to a specific SGM, depending on the mode of the port. This mode ensures that all packets with the same source IP or destination IP are processed by the same SGM, regardless of the port or protocol.

References

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 2: Maestro Security Groups, Lesson 2.4: Traffic Flow, page 2-18

•Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 2: Maestro Security Groups, Section: Traffic Distribution, page 2-7

•Lari Luoma | Lead Consultant | Maestro SME | Check Point Evangelist1, slide 16

The maximum number of appliances within the same security group is 31. This is because a security group can have up to 31 Security Group Modules (SGMs) of the same or different models, and each SGM is an appliance that runs the Check Point software. A security group can span across multiple chassis, and each chassis can have up to 16 SGMs. However, the total number of SGMs in a security group cannot exceed 31.

The Orchestratoris a device that connects multiple security gateways into a unified system, called a security group. It manages the configuration, policy, software, and routing of the security group, and distributes the network traffic among the security gateways using a load-balancing algorithm. It also acts as a network switch for the internal and external networks.

References = Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet - Check Point Software, Check Point Maestro Hyperscale Network Security, 7 Reasons to Use Check Point Maestro and … - Check Point Software

The cpinfo command is a tool that collects diagnostic information about the orchestrator, such as hardware, software, network, configuration, and logs. The cpinfo command generates a file that can be sent to Check Point Support for analysis and troubleshooting. The cpinfo command can be run on the orchestrator’s CLI or WebUI.

References =

•Check Point Maestro R81.X Administration Guide, page 68, section “cpinfo” 1

•Check Point Maestro R81.X Getting Started Guide, page 30, section “cpinfo” 2

•Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet - Check Point Software 3

1: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/2031661/Check-Point-Maestro-R80-20sp.html 2: https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R81/WebAdminGuides/EN/CP_R81_Maestro_GettingStarted/html_frameset.htm 3: https://www.checkpoint.com/downloads/products/maestro-hyperscale-orchestrator-datasheet.pdf

The correct way to connect MHO1 and MHO2 to the SGM line cards in a dual MHO environment is to use the even-numbered ports for MHO1 and the odd-numbered ports for MHO2. This is to ensure that each SGM has two downlinks to each MHO, and that the downlinks are balanced across the different NICs and links. This provides redundancy and high availability for the traffic flow between the SGMs and the MHOs.

References

•R81.20 Maestro Cheat Sheet version 7 - Check Point CheckMates, page 2

•Maestro Expert (CCME) Course - Check Point Software, page 18

•Maestro Technical Training, Module 2: Maestro Security Groups and the Single Management Object, slide 16

The asg_perf_hogs command is a script that displays the processes that are consuming excessive system resources, such as CPU, memory, disk, and network, on the orchestrator and the appliances. It can help identify performance issues and bottlenecks in the Maestro environment.

References

•Software Provision and Performance hogs failed - Check Point CheckMates1

•CHECK POINT MAESTRO EXPERT, page 33

The Orchestrator MHO-170 supports QSFP and QSFP28 transceivers on its 32x 100 GbE ports. QSFP stands for Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable and QSFP28 is an enhanced version of QSFP that supports up to 28 Gbps per lane. These transceivers can provide high-speed and high-density connectivity for the Maestro environment.

References

•Maestro Hyperscale Orchestrator Datasheet - Check Point Software1, page 2

•Maestro Transceiver & DAC Inventory - Check Point CheckMates

A Security Group (SG) in Check Point Maestro is comparable to a Load Sharing Active/Active cluster. This is because a Security Group consists of multiple Security Group Members (SGMs) that actively share the traffic load, provide high availability, and ensure scalability. Each SGM processes traffic according to the Security Group policy and synchronizes its state with other members, similar to how a Load Sharing Active/Active cluster distributes traffic across multiple nodes.

Exact Extract:

“A Security Group can be compared to a Load Sharing Active/Active cluster because it consists of multiple Security Group Members that share the traffic load and provide high availability and scalability. Each Security Group Member is an active firewall that processes traffic according to the Security Group policy and synchronizes its state with other members. The Maestro Orchestrator acts as a load balancer that distributes the traffic among the Security Group Members based on their capacity and availability.”

—Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X Courseware, Module 2: Maestro Security Groups, Lesson 2.1: Introduction to Security Groups, page 2-4

—Check Point R81 Maestro Administration Guide, Chapter 2: Maestro Security Groups, Section: Security Group Overview, page 2-3

Explanation of Options:

A. Load Sharing Active / Active: Correct, as the Security Group operates like a Load Sharing Active/Active cluster, with all SGMs actively processing traffic and sharing the load, as described in the documentation.

B. VSLS: Incorrect, as Virtual System Load Sharing (VSLS) is a specific Check Point clustering mode for Virtual Systems, not directly comparable to a Security Group’s architecture.

C. Active / Backup: Incorrect, as this implies only one node is active while others are passive, which does not align with the active load-sharing nature of Security Groups.

D. Active / Standby: Incorrect, as this also implies a single active node with standby nodes, whereas all SGMs in a Security Group are active.

The sx_api_ports_dump.py command should be run on the Orchestrator, which is the device that manages the communication and the configuration of the Security Groups and the SGMs. The command shows the port mapping and the traffic distribution for each Security Group, as well as the backplane bonds and the Orchestrator ports. The command does not work on the Management server, the Security Group, or the SMO Appliance, as they do not have the same role and functionality as the Orchestrator.

References

•R81.20 Maestro Cheat Sheet version 7 - Check Point CheckMates, page 2

•Maestro Expert (CCME) Course - Check Point Software, page 31

•Check Point Certified Maestro Expert (CCME) R81.X - Global Knowledge, page 3

References

•Maestro R80.30SP Jumbo Hotfix Accumulator, Section: Important Notes

•Check Point Maestro R80.30SP with Gaia 3.10, Section: Known Limitations

•Check Point SNMP MIB files, Section: Revision History