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Manage Templates

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This article describes how to configure and manage device templates, service templates, and Versa endpoint client template. Note that the Versa endpoint client template configuration is common for across an organization and all devices in the organization. You cannot configure it for individual devices.

You can use configuration templates to deploy configurations across an organization or across devices in an organization. Versa Portal supports three types of templates:

  • Device template—A device template lets you configure, store, use, and reuse the configuration on a device, and perform mass publishing. A default template is available and you can clone, rename, and make changes to the default template based on your requirements.
  • Service template—Service templates are service-specific configurations that can be used to configure certain services. They can then be applied to device configurations to enable the services. You can make mass configuration changes using a service template. The changes are not stored in the service template after publishing. Initially, the device list will be empty; devices will appear after you have published. Reload the device list or refresh the page to see the updated device list.
  • Versa Endpoint Client Template—When you use a Versa endpoint client template, you can attach a VRF to terminate an IPsec tunnel. If you have SASE gateway and remote access VPN services in the same organization, when you publish the VRF configuration, it publishes only to the remote access VPN.

Device Templates

An enterprise admin can clone the default template and save the configuration in a new template. You can add and publish the device template configuration to multiple devices that are associated with the template, an operation sometimes referred to as a mass publish. When you do this, the device Miscellaneous tab configuration is replaced with the template Miscellaneous tab configuration. You can perform a mass publish operation only for devices; you cannot use it to publish a configuration to SASE or to a multitenant gateway.

Default Configuration Templates

Versa Portal provides a default configuration. When you create a new site, Versa Portal populates the site's device configuration with the values from the default configuration. You can edit or clone the default template using the organization settings menu in the left menu bar in the Versa Portal dashboard. All sites created after you save the changes use the new values. You can select the new configuration template when you configure a new site.

templates-home.png

You can edit defaults for networking and security. For more information, see Configure Security. Versa Portal uses only the settings that apply to a device. 

Manage Device Templates

To clone a device template, you can use the clone template with devices option, and then you choose the topology. When you select a topology, all the devices associated with that topology are listed.

It is highly recommended that you do not delete or make changes to the WAN and LAN configuration from a device template, to avoid outages. Instead, perform these operations on the individual devices.

To edit or clone the default configuration template:

  1. Click Templates in the left menu bar to open the template settings dashboard, and select Device Template. The Device Templates section displays the following information.

    templates-home.png
     
    Field Description
    Template Name Displays the name of the configuration template.
    # Devices Displays the number of devices using the template.
    Template Type Displays the default template's topology.
    Cross-Connect Port Displays the HA cross-connect port for HA, HA with Hub, and HA with Spoke templates.
    Clone Click the Clone icon to clone the configuration to another template so that you can customize it.
    Delete Click the Delete icon to delete a custom template. You cannot delete a default template or a custom template that is associated with a device.
    Status

    Displays the publishing status of the device using this template:

    • Failed
    • Success
    Retry Action Click the retry-action-icon.png Retry icon to republish the failed devices for this template.
    Device List Click the Device List icon to view the devices that use the template.

  2. Click the Clone icon, and then enter information for the following fields.

    org-settings-templates-clone.jpg
     

    Field Description
    Clone Option

    Select a clone option:

    • Clone Template—Click to clone the configuration to another template without devices.
    • Clone Template with Devices—Click to clone the configuration to another template with devices.
    Template Name Enter a name for the template.
    Template Type Select a template type. A full-mesh template device can be cloned into any topology. If you clone any other topology, such as spoke, it is cloned as a spoke.
    • Full Mesh
    • HA (HA with Full Mesh)
    • HA with Hub
    • HA with Spoke
    • Hub
    • Hub Controller
    • Spoke
    • Cross Connect Port
    		 For HA, HA with Hub, and HA with Spoke topologies, select the HA cross-connect port. You must select the same HA cross-connect port that is used in the HA site configuration.
    Devices

    For Clone Template with Devices option, select the devices to copy with the template, and then click Continue. The devices are listed based on the template type (topology) selected, and a template with the device list selected is created.
     

    clone-template-device-list.png
  3. Click the Device List icon to view the devices that use the template. Use the search option to search by device name. In the device list, the device names shown in black are deployed devices and the device shown in blue are activated devices.

    template-mass-publish-device-list.png

    Click the Show Failed/Republish toggle to display the devices if a publish operation failed for any device. For failed devices, click the device checkbox and then click the Republish button to publish the configuration again.

    template-mass-publish-republish-1.png

Publish Device Template Configuration to Multiple Devices

When you publish a device template configuration to multiple devices, all devices associated with the template are selected by default. If you do not want to publish the template configuration to any specific devices, you have the option to add those devices to a new template, which removes them from the current template. 

To publish a device template configuration to multiple devices:

  1. In the Templates tab, select the device template.

    templates-home1.png
  2. In the Configuration > Network screen, click the down arrow next to Save to display the Publish option, and then click Publish.

    mass-publish1.png
  3. To publish a device template configuration to all devices associated with the template, in the Device List popup window, click Validate.

    template-mass-publish-validate.png
  4. To select any specific devices to be excluded from publishing the template configuration:
    1.  In the Device List popup window, select Specific Devices. The Specific Devices popup window displays, prompting you to create a new template.
    2. In the Template Name field, enter name for the new template, and then click Continue.

      specific-devices.png
    3. In the Device List popup window, select the devices that you want to add to the new template, which removes them from the current template. You can click Select All to select all devices for a license type.

      device-list-specific-devices.png
    4. Click Validate.
  5. In the Configuration Validation popup window, check that all devices are listed, and then click Continue.

    template-mass-publish-config-validation.png
    • Click the csv-icon.png icon to download the CSV file and check the validation message for all devices.
    • Click Preview to view the configuration in each device.
    • If the Validation Status column shows any conflict found message, the publish task is skipped for the device.
       

      Note that mass publishing ignores the configuration validation error in the following scenarios:

      • When a deleted rule in a template does not exist in the published device.
      • When a rule is updated in a template and does not exist in the published device. Mass publish creates the rule in the published device.
      • When a rule is created in a template and already exists in the published device. Mass publish updates the rule in the published device.

  1. Click Yes to save the configuration changes in the template.

    template-mass-publish-confirm.png
  2. Check the blue dot next to the device icon to display the publish status. The blue dot disappears after the task is completed. Use the Refresh icon next to the Device List column to check the publish status. If the publish failed on a devices, the blue dot changes to a red dot. To view the failed devices, click the Device icon, and then click the Show Failed/Republish toggle. For failed devices, click the device checkbox and then click the Republish button to publish the configuration again.

    template-publish-status1.png
  3. Click the tasks-icon.png Tasks icon to track the publish status for each device.

    template-publish-task1.png

Service Templates

Service templates allow you to configure application-steering and NGFW for Versa Portal instances. After you create a service template, you associate the template with a device.

You can use the service template to make mass configuration changes. You can add any configuration to a service template and the changes made in a service template configuration are stored in the service template after publishing. The device list is initially empty, and devices appear once you have published. To see the updated device list, reload the device list or refresh the page.

Customers can configure any number of devices in their environment with a one-time service template configuration and publish the configuration to multiple devices. To track the publish status for each device, click the tasks-icon.png Tasks icon at the top of Versa Portal dashboard.

Create a Service Template

To create a service template:

  1. Click Templates in the left menu bar to open the template settings dashboard, and then select Service Template
  2. Click Add New Service Template.

    templates-service-home.png
  3. In the Add New Service Template window, enter information for the following fields.

    add-new-service-template.png
     
    Field Description
    Template Name Enter a name for the template.
    License Tier

    Select a license tier:

    • Enterprise security
    • Advanced security
    • Secure application optimization
  4. Click Create. The Service Template dashboard displays the new service template.

Manage Service Templates

To view and perform operations on service templates, click Templates in the left menu bar to open the template settings dashboard, and then select Service Template.

The screen displays a table listing the service templates and their publishing status:

  • Failed
  • Success
  • In-progress—Displays while the publish process is in progress.

templates-service-home1.png

From this table, you can also perform the following operations on services templates and their associated devices:

Operation Description
Clone

Click the clone-icon.png Clone icon to clone the configuration to another template so that you can customize it. See Clone a Service Template.
Delete

Click the delete-icon.png Delete icon to delete a service template. You can delete a service template only when all devices associated with the template are detached. Before you delete a template, ensure that all devices are detached. The delete option becomes active when the template has no associated devices.
Retry Action

Click retry-action-icon.png Retry to republish the failed devices for the service template. If a configuration publish attempt fails for any device, the Retry button appears in the Retry Action column. See Republish Failed Devices. 
Attach New Device Click attach-icon.png Attach to attach a new device to the service template. Attaching a new device to the service template automatically applies the template’s existing configuration to the device.
Device List

Click the device-icon.png Device List icon to view all devices associated with a service template. The Red circle with a number in the device list icon shows the number of devices that failed during the publish process. See Republish Failed Devices. 

Clone a Service Template 

  1. Click the clone-icon.png Clone icon, and then enter information for the following fields.

    clone-as-screen.png
     
    Field Description
    Template Name Enter a name for the template.
    License Tier

    Select the license tier based on the license purchased for the device. You can select only the existing license tier or higher.
  2. Click Continue.

Republish Failed Devices 

You can republish failed devices that are associated with the service template using one of the following methods:

  • To republish failed devices using Retry Action:
    1. In the Retry Action column, click retry-action-icon.png Retry. The device list screen displays all devices for which the publish operation failed.
    2. Click the checkbox for each device that you want to republish, or click Select All.
    3. Click Republish to publish the configuration again.

      service-template-retry-home.png
  • To republish failed devices from the Device List:
    1. Click the device-icon.png Device List icon to view the devices that use the template. Use the search option to search by device name. In the device list, the device names shown in black are deployed devices and the device shown in blue are activated devices.

      device-list.png
    2. Click the Show Failed/Republish toggle to display the devices if a publish operation failed for any device. For failed devices, click the device checkbox and then click Republish to publish the configuration again.

      service-template-show-failed.png

Publish the Service Template Configuration to Multiple Devices 

Service templates allow you to update a configuration across multiple licenses. When you publish changes made in a service template, the configuration is pushed to the associated licenses.

When you create a new service template, the license list shows as empty. Licenses are associated with a service template and appear in the license list only after publishing the configuration that matches the selected license tier. If the license list is empty after publishing, reload the page to refresh the license list and view the updated associations.

If you do not want to publish the template configuration to certain licenses, you have the option to detach those licenses from the template, which removes the licenses from the current service template.

To publish a service template configuration to multiple licenses:

  1. Click Templates in the left menu bar to open the templates settings dashboard, and then select the Service Template.
  2. Click the service template name.
  3. In the Configuration > Network screen, make the required changes to the service template configuration.
  4. Click the down arrow next to Save to display the Publish option, and then click Publish.

    service-template-config.png
  5. To publish a service template configuration to all devices associated with the template, click Validate in the Device List window.

    service-template-mass-publish.png
  6. In the Configuration Validation window, confirm that all devices are listed, and then click Continue.

    ser-temp-config-validate.png
    • Click the csv-file-icon.png icon to download the CSV file and check the validation message for all devices.
    • Click Preview to view the configuration on each device. The preview screen displays a green animated circle in the Service Template Configuration screen if the service template configuration is modified for a service template. The changes are applied to the license when you publish the template configuration.

      service-template-preview.png

Remove a Device from the Service Template 

You can remove a device from the service template, if needed. Note that when a device is removed from the template, the service template configuration is also removed from the device and you can attach the device to another service template.

To remove a device from the service template:

  1. Click the device-icon.png Device List icon to view the devices associated with the template.
  2. In the Device List screen, click the Detach toggle.
  3. Click the checkbox for the device or devices that you want to detach, and then click the Detach button.

    service-template-detach-device.png

View Rules Created From a Service Template 

By default, rules created from service templates have an S_ prefix to the rule name to avoid overriding rules with the same name from device templates. If you do not want the S_ prefix added to the rule name, you can deselect the Add "S_" prefix checkbox when you create the rule. Note that the rule may be overridden based on whether you publish the service template or device template if the names are the same.

  1. Click Templates in the left menu bar to open the templates settings dashboard, and then select Service Template.
  2. Click a service template name to open the device configuration associated with the service template.
  3. Navigate to the relevant configuration section.

    For example, the following screen shows the service template name with the S_ prefix for the Security Policy > Firewall Rules.

    rule-with-s-prefix.png

    service-template-rule-s-prefix.png
    To exclude the S_ prefix, deselect the Add "S_" prefix checkbox while creating the rule.

    rule-without-s-prefix.png

Configure WAN Interfaces for Service Templates

Initially, the service template has one WAN interface in the zone list. If you have more than one WAN interface, the WAN interfaces are listed in the Objects: WAN Networks section.

  • To edit a WAN interface, click the edit-icon.png Edit icon to update the WAN interface, and then click update-icon.png Update to save the changes.
  • To delete a WAN interface, click the delete-icon.png icon.

templates-service-wan-networks-home.png

To add a WAN interface:

  1. Click the add-wan-icon.png icon and enter information for the following fields. 

    service-template-add-wan-network.png
     
    Field Description
    WAN Name (Required) Enter a name for the WAN interface. This WAN interface will list in the zone selection for all rules.
    HA Select HA to add the WAN interface to an HA device.
    PPPoE Select PPPoE to add the WAN interface to a PPPoE device.
    Description Enter a text description for the WAN interface.

    When you add a WAN port, if the device is not an HA or a PPPoE device, enter the WAN name and click Add. If you  add a WAN port for HA or for PPPoE, you must select the type of device.
  2. Click Add.

Versa Endpoint Client Templates

For a Versa endpoint client or remote access VPN template, you can view the template name, number of devices, and the devices that use the template. Click the Versa endpoint (SASE) client or remote access VPN template name to configure the Versa endpoint client service for the organization. To configure the Versa endpoint client template, see Configure an Endpoint Client Service (Remote Access VPN) Template.

The Versa endpoint client template screen also provides the link to download the Versa Endpoint (SASE) client application for Windows, MAC, and Linux operating systems and validate the endpoint client connection. To copy the Portal FQDN and enterprise name of the endpoint (SASE) client, click the Copy icon parallel to each field.

This template appears when you enable the NGFW with VPN concentrator.

vsa-templates-home1.png

You can retrieve the following information and perform the following tasks:

  • Template Name—Displays the name of the default configuration template.
  • # Devices—Displays the number of devices using the template.
  • Status—Displays the publishing status of the device using this template:
    • Failed
    • Success
  • Retry Action—Click retry-action-icon.png Retry to republish the failed devices for the Versa endpoint (SASE) client template. If a configuration publish attempt fails for any device, the Retry button appears in the Retry Action column. 
  • Device List—Click the Device List icon to list the devices that use the template. Use the search option to search with the device name. Click Continue.

    device-list-republish1.png

    The red Caution icon indicates that the device has failed to publish any updates. You can click the device checkbox only if the publish has failed for any of the devices. You can click the checkbox and then click the Republish button to publish the configuration again.
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