User Poll: Experience with VSX machines and R81.20

[Jan_Kleinhans]

Hello everyone,

We are running 2 VSX clusters under R81.20 on Checkpoint Applications (originally 15600/23800, now 19200). One of them with almost all blades on, the other one only FW,IPS,IA,VPN. We actually have new problems with every single JHF. Sometimes VPN no longer works properly, sometimes there are problems with HTTPS inspection, sometimes clustering no longer works correctly, sometimes packets are lost (without log entry) etc.. There have now been around 25 different cases in the last 2 years. Nearly all of them are problems which needed a hotfix.

To the VSX users: What is your experience with VSX under R81.20? Are we the only ones who get almost every bug?

Jan

[Chris_Atkinson]

The evolution of VSX introduced in R82 demonstrates it is a focus / priority.

With VSNext we should start to address these aspects, it should now be simpler than ever to deliver uniformity between operating modes moving forward.

Encourage you to try it in your lab and provide your feedback via your local SE.

[VSX_Bernie]

Hello Chris,

Thank you for your input.
It is true what you say - that VSNext demonstrates VSX as a priority.

I have to say - VSNext sounds really promising.
We will definitely try it in a lab.

Truth be told though, we are hesitant about thinking it into production - no matter what the results of a lab might be.
With the bugs introduced in software versions that are several years old, we are hesitant to deploy a completely new software version.

[Chris_Atkinson]

Understand your approach it is sensible.

The point is VSX is still being developed/improved.

[JozkoMrkvicka]

It is also pitty that private EA for every new version is designed for customers who are willing to put new version into PROD environment.

I am pretty sure many bugs are discovered in PROD, but not every customer is willing to install test version, officially not supported, into PROD environment. Of course, you will get full and direct support by R&D.

Not everything can be checked in LAB and thus might be tricky to replicate in LAB while present in PROD (and vice versa).

Looking forward how many bugs will be present for very first JHF within R82. R82 is alignment of R81.20 JHF Take 89. Recently Take 90 for R81.20 is released with tons of new issues declared as fixed. Most of them might be relevant for R82, while many new just for R82.

Not saying that VSNext can be used only by complete new installation (cannot be activated by upgrade from different version). VSNext can be used only on Check Point appliances. Open Servers are not supported by VSNext. You can also check sk79700 which features are supported by R82 VSNext compared to R82 "legacy" VSX and other VSX versions.

[VSX_Bernie]

Huh - I actually did not know that VSNext is not supported on OpenServer.
Too bad - hopefully it will be fairly quickly.

We dominantly use OpenServer, so this would be an obstacle for us - and I imagine other VSX customers.