CMPC Testers Needed!

The newest version of CMPC is nearing release. It's functionality has been restored since the Cisco switch to the new login scheme, along with some enhancements. Before I release it I'd like a brave soul or two to test it to make sure the new authentication class is working, along with testing some of the newer functionality. Expect a release soon after. Sorry again for it breaking
previously.

NOTE: Testing completed. Thanks to all. Release coming soon!

-Mike

CS-MARS Generation 1 EOL/EOS Announcement

For all CS-MARS customers with gen 1 appliances, Cisco has formally announced EOL/EOS for the product line. You can find the detail here. I'd recommend talking to your Cisco account rep about replacement of the gen 1 appliance with a gen 2. The 2nd generation of MARS appliances have numerous enhancements to speed and reliability. I had a dialogue with TAC about issues we were having and it seems that the 1st generation of hardware (labeled Protego) had numerous issues due lackluster hardware. This is why Cisco created the 2nd generation of hardware outfitted with components that meet Cisco's hardware requirements. Lean on your account reps to get replacements for you 1st generation appliance if you had issues. TAC and the account teams know of the issues and are willing to help. Keep in mind that TAC cannot upgrade you to a 2nd generation appliance, only your account team can.

-Mike

Cisco NAC Appliance 4.1(3) Released

Cisco had promised version 4.1(3) of their NAC appliance would be out for Christmas. Talk about cutting it close. The latest version was just released (found by luck, I miss my CMPC!) and can be downloaded off of CCO. Release notes can be found here. Some major enhancements are:

• New web agent for client scanning
• Enhanced HA support (fixes the ARP issue of switching IPs it seems)
• Enhanced guest access option (policy acceptance and flexible ID fields)
• OOB enhancement for VoIP environments

Get downloading!

-Mike

CS-MARS Package Checker (CMPC) Broken!

Your comments haven't fallen of deaf ears at all. My beloved CMPC is no longer working. It looks like Cisco changed the authentication schema to their website and now uses forms-based authentication (seen here) rather than the previous method of an authentication pop-up. This has broken my CiscoWebReader class that was used to authenticate to CCO and pull package information. It looks they use SSL for authentication, along with requiring cookies and generating a new viewstate for each session. Well, I'm no developer but I'm re-writing the CiscoWebReader class to get around these hurdles. Expect to see more new on CMPC, along with enhanced features and a new name coming soon. A big sorry to all of those that have used CMPC and lost it's functionality.

-Mike