Get more GUI functionality using Pan(w)achrome!

[kiwi]

Pan(w)achrome is an extension for Google Chrome. This extension lets you connect to your Palo Alto Networks firewalls and keeps track of some very useful stats! In the background, the extension uses API in order to send commands to the device.

To use the extension, you need to first install the plugin to your Chrome browser.  To do this, simply enter the chrome web store and search for 'pan(w)achrome'.  Then hit that "ADD TO CHROME" button :

Voila ... you're done and don't need to do anything else ... seriously, that's it !!!

There's no need to configure a fancy network monitoring tool or configure SNMP or anything complicated like that.

As soon as you've added the extension to your browser, you will see the Pan(w)achrome icon at the top right of your browser as displayed below:

Obviously, the plugin has no idea which devices it should monitor.  

So how do you add your devices? Simply log into your firewalls using your Chrome browser... seriously, it's as simple as that.

When you login to your firewalls (as superuser) using your Chrome browser, the plugin will recognize this request and you will automatically be prompted to add this firewall to the extension.  Click OK to confirm:

Add your firewall to Pan(w)achrome

Congratulations, you have just added your first firewall to Pan(w)achrome!

You can keep on adding new ones and the number of added firewall will be displayed in the plugin icon:

Simply click the icon and a new tab will open on your browser, listing all the firewalls you have added:

Select the firewall you would like to check out and you will be presented with the statistics for that specific firewall.  

The top left menu allows you to select between Traffic, Sessions, Resources and Counter.    

Depending on the selected menu, you will be presented with interface information, current and historical session data,

 MP and DP resource usage and global counter information.

For more information on this awesome tool, check out the following links and video on Pan(w)achrome :

Pan(w)achrome 0.7

How to Use Pan(w)achromes Statistical Analysis

I hope this article was useful for y'all and as always feel free to add your comments/questions below.

Cheers!

*Kiwi flies away*

[Cosmin_Chirtu]

I noticed the firewalls disapear once you restart the browser. Am I doing something wrong?

[kiwi]

Hi @Cosmin_Chirtu,

No, you are not doing anything wrong.

That behaviour is by design.  Closing and reopening the browser will purge all the data from IndexedDB.

You could ask the developer if he intends to change the behaviour on the 'official' Pan(w)achrome page : Pan(w)achrome-0-7

Cheers !

-Kiwi.

[OMatlock]

Hi @kiwi

Would you know if there is a way to collect the traffic statistics for longer than 60 minutes?

I am trying to figure out if can use this to collect some performance data over time for an interface (dedicated to an external partner MPLS coming in) to see if we could support moving it to an IPSec tunnel instead.

Thanks

OMatlock

[STSoc]

@kiwi I have installed extension in chrome but firewalls are unable to add in extension.

FYI.. I do follow the steps and clicked on OK pop up to add, still not showing firewall in extension.

Please help.

Thanks

[adamirinaga]

I cannot create an administration session in the console after adding a device to the extension.

I get stuck in an infinite loop of getting sent back to the login prompt.

[VGiyenko]

How do I distinguish between the interfaces on the graph? How can I unselect interfaces that I am not interested in? Example: I want to see traffic on the internet facing interface only.

Also, what is the difference between the two graphs? 

Thanks.

[SergGur]

@VGiyenko re "what is the difference between the two graphs" Mbps vs Pps (Packets Per Second) 

[SergGur]

@kiwi Great plugin! If it still maintained and developed, can you please add "show system statistics session" application stats?

CLI produces stats like this, it would be nice to be able to see it in the plugin with column sort option

Virtual System: vsys1
application                      sessions   packets      bytes
-------------------------------- ---------- ------------ ------------
webex-base                       9101       3493168      2144630609
amazon-chime-base                65         7148773      2050610692
sip                              395224     13441182     6298349154
ntp                              148277     11361422     1961579021
google-meet                      9360       3183189      1954286467
jamf                             1260       2049216      1889086258
facebook-video                   2065       2039745      1848574751

Palo Alto Networks did great progress with improving Global Protect load monitoring. There are new dashboards in newest OS. Perhaps this plugin can be extended to display simple stats from older version from the commands like show global-protect-gateway statistics

Thanks! 

[SergGur]

@adamirinaga same story - I'm unable to login for normal admin session, until device removed from the plugin. Running most recent 8.1 on the firewall.

I cannot create an administration session in the console after adding a device to the extension.
I get stuck in an infinite loop of getting sent back to the login prompt.

[JC_PANW]

out of interest, does it support 9.1? I am trying to get some stats but the extension doesn't pop up to add the device

[SergGur]

This can be related to Chrome rather than the PAN-OS version. I tried this tool today and it was not working (not trying to save credentials upon PAN-OS login). Great tool, shame it is no longer maintained

[Dan_Avisar]

Hi

I have been using Pan(w)achrome extension for many years now. The only "issue" I had was that it always ask to add device when I open the device page... so I typically kept it disabled and turned it on when needed.
Some time ago, when I needed it, I found out it doesn't ask to add the device to Pan(w)achrome anymore. I assumed it might be some issue with my browser so I unisnstall it restarted the browser reset to defaults and reinstalled it but couldn't make it work.

I now have a new system with a freshly installed Chrome so I tried installing and using Pan(w)achrome again but, no mater what I do, it doesn't work for me.

So now, I wonder if this might be some compatibility issue with the latest PANOS versions.

I am running 10.x versions for some time now and 10.2.3 for the past 2 months

I would love to know if anyone running 10.2.3 has issues using Pan(w)achrome as well and/or if this is a known issue

Thx

Dan

[JonathanFonner]

Does the PANwChrome extension not work for 10.2 anymore? It is one of the only Pan provided tools that provides decent bandwidth monitoring.

[jtravlos]

It be nice if Pan(w)aChrome works with 10.x PAN-OS. This is a nice tool.

[Lachlh01]

Okay a ray of sunshine for you all; the source code for the plugin:

https://github.com/jtschichold/panwachrome

and

https://github.com/jtschichold/stratachrome

If someone can look into it and advise what it would take to get it working again with newer version of panos that would be great.