Booting From The System Area - Watchguard Firebox X20E Reference Manual

• Troubleshoot problems where all access to the Firebox is lost

Booting from the system area

From the Control Center:
1 Select LiveSecurity Control Center => Tools => Advanced => Flash Disk
Management.
The Flash Disk Management Tool dialog box appears.
2 Select Serial Line Creation.
3 Select Boot From the System Area. Click Continue.
A verification prompt appears. Verify that the Management Station connects to the Firebox
Trusted interface or through a direct connection (null modem cable).
4 Click Yes.
The read-only system area Setup dialog box appears.
5 Enter the IP address you want to temporarily assign to the Firebox Trusted
interface. Click OK.
The Firebox uses this address for only a brief period of time until the Firebox reboots. However,
the address must be available on the same IP subnet as the Management Station. The COM Port
Setup dialog box appears.
6 Turn the Firebox off and then on.
Check the Firebox front panel indicator lights. The SysB light should be illuminated indicating
that the Firebox is running from its read-only system area configuration. An Operation Complete
dialog box appears.
7 Click OK.
Working with a Firebox booted from the read-only system area
After you successfully boot the Firebox from the read-only system area, you can copy
a new configuration file to the primary area of the Firebox flash disk and reset Firebox
passphrases. The read-only system area configuration file enables you to
Reference Guide
Before starting this procedure, establish a connection between the
Firebox console port and an available serial port on the
Management Station. Use a null modem cable (not a standard
serial cable). A null modem cable is shipped with the Firebox.
Also, make sure the Ethernet cables are plugged into the Trusted
interface.
• Any model Firebox
• Management Station running System 4.1 or later
Initializing a Firebox using a serial cable
41