Overview: Visual Policy Designer¶
The Visual Policy Designer (VPD) offers a drag-and-drop canvas 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 canvas helps the administrator to create or edit an access policy. The figure illustrates the VPD canvas and identifies the key components.
Item | Description |
---|---|
Side Bar | The Side Bar contains the following icons: Policy, Flows, Rules, and Subroutines (in Per-Request Policies). The Policy icon allows you see / adjust the overall policy settings, whereas the other icons adjust what objects show in the Tool Box. |
Policy Bar | The Policy Bar shows the policy name and has the Exit and Save buttons. |
Tool Box | The Tool Box lists either all the Flows administrator can add to a policy or all the Rules you can add to a Flow, and Subroutines (for Per-Request policies) depending on the selection made in the Side Bar. |
Canvas | Use the Canvas to create the policy structure. First drag in the Flow(s) needed for the desired policy function, then expand and edit the Flow(s) to add Rule(s) to the policy. |
Canvas Controls | Use these controls to change the Canvas layout. Note: you can also use typical mouse / trackpad function to zoom in or out, or drag the Canvas to change what is visible. |
Visual policy designer tools¶
Visual element |
Element type |
Description |
---|---|---|
Initial access policy |
When an Access policy is created ‘From Scratch’, this is the default policy structure. |
|
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 canvas 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. |
|
Flow |
- Click the pencil icon to open a window where the user can specify properties and branches for the Flow. |
|
Hit Box |
- Hit Box is added to use the + button to view the list of available Flows, Rules, and Subroutines, allowing them to be added to the policy without dragging and dropping the Flows, Rules, and Subroutines from the tool box. |
|
Exit Move Mode |
- Click the Exit Move Mode option to return to the Canvas. |
|
|
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. |
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Save |
Click the Save button to save the policy changes you have made to the BIG-IP Next Central Manager. |
|
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. |
|
Toolbox |
Use the Toolbox to add Rules and Flows to the canvas. |
|
Canvas Controls |
Use these controls to change the canvas layout. |