Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a firewall installer that receives a set of configuration instructions for configuring a firewall in a declarative format that describes one or more rules to be implemented by the firewall, and that automatically configures the firewall. Providing a firewall installer that is capable of configuring a firewall based upon declarative input rather than procedural process-oriented input facilitates administration of a firewall by allowing an administrator to specify desired firewall configuration at a higher, declarative level and frees the administrator from the need to specify procedures for implementing configuration changes in the firewall. In one embodiment of the invention, the firewall installer can receive and store input for configuring a firewall even when the firewall is not running, such that the firewall executes on those configuration changes when it next comes online.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a firewall installer that receives a set of configuration instructions for configuring a firewall in a declarative format that describes one or more rules to be implemented by the firewall, and that automatically configures the firewall. Providing a firewall installer that is capable of configuring a firewall based upon declarative input rather than procedural process-oriented input facilitates administration of a firewall by allowing an administrator to specify desired firewall configuration at a higher, declarative level and frees the administrator from the need to specify procedures for implementing configuration changes in the firewall. In one embodiment of the invention, the firewall installer can receive and store input for configuring a firewall even when the firewall is not running, such that the firewall executes on those configuration changes when it next comes online.

Abstract: A method and system for creating security policies for firewall and connection policies in an integrated manner is provided. The security system provides a user interface through which a user can define a security rule that specifies both a firewall policy and a connection policy. After the security rule is specified, the security system automatically generates a firewall rule and a connection rule to implement the security rule. The security system provides the firewall rule to a firewall engine that is responsible for enforcing the firewall rules and provides the connection rule to an IPsec engine that is responsible for enforcing the connection rules.