Overview: Visual Policy Designer

The Visual Policy Designer (VPD) offers a drag-and-drop workspace for administrators to create or modify Access policies through the BIG-IP Next Central Manager. Users can drag flows and rules into place that assembles the policy objects to complete the policy objectives. After the policy objects are arranged in the proper sequence, users specify the policy decisions for each object.

The VPD workspace helps the administrator to create or edit an access policy. The figure illustrates the VPD workspace and identifies the key components.

Item	Description
Side Bar	The Side Bar contains icons that control what displays in the Policy Bar.
Policy Bar	The Policy Bar lists either all the flows administrator can add to a policy or all the rules you can add to a flow, depending on the selection made in the Side Bar.
Toolbox	Click the icons in the Toolbox to manipulate the Workspace.
Work Space	Use the Workspace to create the policy workflow. First drag in the Flows needed for the policy, then expand and edit the Flow to add Rules to the Flow and edit the Flow and Rule properties.
Work Space Controls	Use these controls to change the workspace layout.

Visual policy designer tools

Visual element	Element type	Description
	Initial access policy	When an access profile is created, usually an initial access policy is also created.
	Start	Every access policy contains a start.
	Branch	A branch connects a rule to another rule or flow, or to an ending.
	Add a rule or flow	Drag a rule or flow to this icon to add the element to the policy. When you start to drag a rule or flow onto the workspace the plus signs will turn blue to show valid drop points.
	Rule	- Click the pencil icon to open a window where the user can specify properties and branches for the rule. - Click the trashcan to delete the rule from the Access policy.
	Flow	- Click the pencil icon to open a window where the user can specify properties and branches for the flow. - Click the trashcan to delete the flow from the Access policy. - Click the double arrow to expand the flow so the user can view or edit the rules inside.
	Ending	Each policy has one or more endings.
	Configure Ending	Click the name of an ending to open a popup screen where the user can specify the ending option.
	Save	Click the Save button to save the policy changes you have made to the BIG-IP Next Central Manager.
	Deploy	Click the Deploy button to save the policy changes you have made to the BIG-IP Next Central Manager and deploys the policy to all applications that use this policy.
	Cancel & Exit	Click the Cancel & Exit button to close the Visual Policy Designer without saving policy changes you have made to the BIG-IP Next Central Manager.
	Side Bar	Use the side bar to determine whether rules or flows are listed in the Toolbox. Click the left-facing arrow to minimize the Toolbox. - Click the Flow icon to show all available flows in the Toolbox. - Click the Rules icon to show all available rules in the Toolbox.
	Toolbox	Use the Toolbox to add rules and flows to the workspace. - Use the Search field to search for an existing Rule or Flow.
	Edit Policy	Administrator cannot edit the exisiting policy name.
	Workspace Controls	Use these controls to change the workspace layout. - Click the Plus icon to zoom-in on the workspace. - Click the Minus icon to zoom-out on the workspace. - Click the Frame icon to fit the policy diagram to the screen.