[POC] Juniper SRX IPSec tunnel (Aggressive mode) SOP configuration

In order to prepare the future migration from Juniper SSG to SRX, so I tried to use SRX GUI interface to see how its easy for operation team to sustain this.

This is the first time I tried to use GUI to manage a router, and if you are not familiar with Juniper SRX features and functions, I have to say its a quick start to have a glance overview of Juniper SRX by web interface.

For many junior engineers, if they can have what-you-see-what-you-get interface, they will accept new technology as fast as they can or they might refuse to try or to learn new technology if there's no time pressure or instructions from high-level managers directly .

We are still using CLI to control most routing and switching network device today, but I believe someday the condition may change if the network virtualization come true.(I think no one would like to control firewall by CLI, isn't it ?)

In Juniper SRX, it provide some wizards for those common and lousy configuration needed features like PPPoE, FW, VPN and NAT. It's important for those new Juniper customers to do these jobs quickly without the JUNOS knowledge, and that's what I am trying to know the possibility to manage SRX as VPN device by GUI only.

The other benefits of GUI is the QoS visibility, if you are a JUNOS user, you would find out that Juniper QoS is a little difficult to understand and know how to use command line to see the class of service.

If you want to see whether your JUNOS CoS is running correctly on your SRX, please try to login your SRX by web then you might surprise the functions of Class of Service dash board in GUI. (I spent lots time to find out the interface CoS MIB of each class...now here it is, you can check the class of service in each interface, CoS value, RED profile...), its great!

Another advantage is that many juniper users would like to have similar function of Cisco IP SLA. Juniper has similar features which is called RPM(Real-time Performance Monitoring). But many people did not apply the features because there's no good network management tool to collect the information and provide a graphic statistics. But now you can leverage the embedded J-web to see the long-term status monitoring as below. You can configure the RPM functions directly without any JUNOS knowledge and then you will see the result later!

Today, I will use the Site-to-site IPSec VPN wizard to see the steps and each mandatory field of related configuration.

1. As below is the first screen shot of VPN Wizard, its very clear and simple. Just select which vpn type you would like to setup.

2. In this step, just fill the VPN name, zone, tunnel interface(st0.X) and the outbound physical interface selection.(in my case, I will trust all tunnel interface but untrust the internet facing interface)

3. In this step, you have to fill the remote side VPN internet public IP(in my case, its in the lab, so I still use private IP for SRX inter-connection).

For the Local/Remote Network, the wizard will try to use static route to ensure your VPN sites can communicate to each other after this wizard. So if you have your own dynamic routing protocol, I will suggest you should clear the static route manually after you finished the wizard.

4. In IPSec VPN configuration, you need to keep the same security level & policy for IKE and IPSec negotiation phase. In this wizard, you can just select the pre-defined policy to choose if you don't have special concern. Of course, if you want select desired DH group, encryption, integrity check method, you can modify these parameters after this wizard was finished and commit.

5. In my case, I will allow all service between VPN sites across this vpn tunnel, so I keep the default setting to permit all.

6. This is the final step, it will list all previously configuration steps you have, if it is okay, just press the commit button and it will upload the config and commit immediately.

As you see, there's only 6 steps to setup your site-to-site IPSec VPN! Its quite easy, isn't it ?

Don't forget that you need to login the other SRX to do the same procedure with correct parameters to finish this site-to-site vpn.

Finally, I reviewed the wizard configuration and clean up what configuration I don't need in our routine job, then I generate a simple CLI version of SOP to setup a site-to-site IPSec VPN in SRX as below.
You can re-use my sample config and convert them to become your network operators SOP.

PS1: I choosed aggressive mode to match the frequently network change in branch office.
PS2: I removed all static routing and source/destination prefix security policy.

SJDC Site:

Set system host-name SJDC-VPN

set interfaces st0.0 family inet address X.X.X.X/30 => SJDC side tunnel IP

set security zones security-zone trust interfaces st0.0

set security ike policy ike_pol_SJDC-ADC mode aggressive

set security ike policy ike_pol_SJDC-ADC proposal-set compatible

set security ike policy ike_pol_SJDC-ADC pre-shared-key ascii-text trend

set security ike gateway gw_SJDC-ADC ike-policy ike_pol_SJDC-ADC

set security ike gateway gw_SJDC-ADC dynamic hostname ADC-VPN => ADC VPN hostname

set security ike gateway gw_SJDC-ADC dead-peer-detection

set security ike gateway gw_SJDC-ADC external-interface fe-0/0/0.0 => Internet facing

set security ipsec policy ipsec_pol_SJDC-ADC perfect-forward-secrecy keys group2

set security ipsec policy ipsec_pol_SJDC-ADC proposal-set compatible

set security ipsec vpn SJDC-ADC bind-interface st0.0

set security ipsec vpn SJDC-ADC vpn-monitor

set security ipsec vpn SJDC-ADC ike gateway gw_SJDC-ADC

set security ipsec vpn SJDC-ADC ike ipsec-policy ipsec_pol_SJDC-ADC

set security ipsec vpn SJDC-ADC establish-tunnels immediately

set security policies from-zone trust to-zone trust policy trust-to-trust match source-address any

set security policies from-zone trust to-zone trust policy trust-to-trust match destination-address any

set security policies from-zone trust to-zone trust policy trust-to-trust match application any

set security policies from-zone trust to-zone trust policy trust-to-trust then permit

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services dhcp

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services tftp

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services ike

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services https

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services snmp

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services ssh

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services ping

set security zones security-zone untrust interfaces fe-0/0/0.0 host-inbound-traffic system-services traceroute

ADC Site:

Set system host-name ADC-VPN

set interfaces st0.0 family inet address X.X.X.X/30 => ADC side tunnel IP

set security zones security-zone trust interfaces st0.0

set security ike policy ike_pol_ADC-SJDC mode aggressive

set security ike policy ike_pol_ADC-SJDC proposal-set compatible

set security ike policy ike_pol_ADC-SJDC pre-shared-key ascii-text trend

set security ike gateway gw_ADC-SJDC ike-policy ike_pol_ADC-SJDC

set security ike gateway gw_ADC-SJDC address X.X.X.X => SJDC side IP

set security ike gateway gw_ADC-SJDC local-identity hostname ADC-VPN => ADC VPN hostname

set security ike gateway gw_ADC-SJDC dead-peer-detection

set security ike gateway gw_ADC-SJDC external-interface fe-0/0/0.0 => Internet facing interface

set security ipsec policy ipsec_pol_ADC-SJDC perfect-forward-secrecy keys group2

set security ipsec policy ipsec_pol_ADC-SJDC proposal-set compatible

set security ipsec vpn ADC-SJDC bind-interface st0.0

set security ipsec vpn ADC-SJDC vpn-monitor

set security ipsec vpn ADC-SJDC ike gateway gw_ADC-SJDC

set security ipsec vpn ADC-SJDC ike ipsec-policy ipsec_pol_ADC-SJDC

set security ipsec vpn ADC-SJDC establish-tunnels immediately