NGFW with Panorama to Strata Cloud Manager Migration Technical Guide

cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Community Blogs
10 min read
L2 Linker

Introduction

 

This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for IT and security teams to seamlessly transition their NGFW management infrastructure from Panorama to Strata Cloud Manager, ensuring minimal disruption and maintaining robust security posture throughout the migration process. 

 

In the first phase of this feature, the Migration Tool will help you migrate the configuration from a single panorama to Strata Cloud Manager per run. In this migration process, the Panorama Configuration will be fetched to SCM Folder and Snippet Structure, where Device Group will be migrated to Folders and Templates and Template stacks will be migrated to Snippets. 

 

Detailed concept of Mapping:

Panorama

SCM

Device Groups (DG)

Folders

Templates / Template Stack

Snippets 

Shared DG Rules and Objects

Snippet in All Firewall Folder

Shared Objects

Snippet in Global Folder

Policies in DG

Policies under mapped Folder(s)

Objects (addresses, EDLs, etc.)

Objects under mapped Folder(s)



A Single migration process doesn't necessarily migrate all the Configurations from Panorama to Strata Cloud Manager. During the migration, users can choose which Device Group and template to migrate where it can be per site/DG based. This feature is designed to perform phase migrations

 

This Migration does not need the Panorama to lively connect to Strata Cloud Manager. The only requirement for this configuration migration is the running configuration from the Panorama. 

 

Pre-Migration Activities

 

  • Software Updates:

 

  • Ensure NGFWs and Panorama are running supported software versions for Strata Cloud Manager integration, the bare minimum prerequisite is the Pan OS software release later than 10.2.3

 

  • Network Configuration:

 

 

  • ARE Migration (Important):Strata Cloud Manager by default is only managing the configuration with ARE (Advanced Routing Engine). If your Panorama Configuration is using Legacy Routing Stack (Virtual Routers), we have two options to migrate your current routing configurations:
  •  
    • Option 1: We can manually change the tenant to manage Legacy Routing Stack instead of the ARE. A request needs to be sent to enable this capability on your tenants (Note: if proceed with Option 1, there is no current path to migrate the routing stack within SCM)(Once it is enabled, the SCM can only manage Legacy Routing Stack.  If you already have firewall with advanced routing stack onboarded to SCM, or having plans to migrate with ARE proceed with Option 2)
    • Option 2 (Recommended): Migrate the current routing stack on Panorama from Legacy routing to Advanced routing prior using this feature. For more information on the routing migration please refer to : https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/pan-os/u-v/routing-engine-migration-reference/get-started-with-rou...
  • CIE Integration

AD needs to integrate with CIE for the user/group fetching with SCM. 

User-id Redistribution needs to be configured on SCM with the CIE Segment manually if used.  (not covered in the migration)

 

Links to setup CIE: https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cloud-identity/cloud-identity-engine-getting-started/get-started-w...

 

  • Backup Existing Configuration:
    • Perform configuration and device state backups of all NGFWs that would want to migrate in this process

 

Migration Execution

 

When Exporting, make sure your FW is in sync with panorama and export the running config from panorama without specifying any DGs. Export the entire panorama config, you can choose which DG to migrate in the workflow

 

  • Start the Workflow

Go to Configuration -> Onboarding -> NGFW Panorama and Click on Start Migration

 

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 2.41.05 PM.png

 

  • Overview

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.18.30 PM.png

Click on “Next: Upload Panorama Configuration

 

  • Upload Panorama Configuration

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 2.48.42 PM.png

 

In this step, Upload the Panorama Running configuration xml file. If the Panorama is configured with a custom master key, change the option to “Input your Master key” and enter the master Key. Then Click on “Next: Review Configuration Compatibility

 

  • Review Configuration Compatibility

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.05.08 PM.png

 

After SCM loads the Panorama configuration, SCM will analyze the unsupported/partially Supported Features that present on your panorama configuration. And user has the option to export the Compatibility Summary report in JSON format

 

Unsupported Features: 

These Features are not supported/compatible in this migration and these Feature configurations will be trimmed during the migration process. 



Partially Supported Features:

These Features are Partially Supported in this migration, the unsupported part will be trimmed during the migration process. 

 

The Parity output can be exported as a JSON Format for in depth analysis. For example finding the Xpath of an unsupported feature 

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.08.47 PM.png

 

Note: There are features that will be implemented differently in SCM and will not be supported. Please check the list down below for more details 



Name

Description

Group By Tag 

(Authentication)

Authentication Policies (Alternate Feature Available - Use Tags or snippets to group rules)

Group Mapping

Group Mapping Settings in User Identification (Cloud Identity Engine is used to get the group mapping information)

Autofocus

Autofocus (Autofocus is end of sale)

Group by Tag

Policies (Alternate Feature Available - Use Tags or snippets to group rules)

Schedule Config Export

Schedule Config Export (Strata Cloud Manager is a SaaS based service with redundancy and resiliency built in)

Custom Reports

Custom Reports (This configuration is not relevant to Strata Cloud Manager)

Access Domains

Access Domains (Alternate Feature Available - Use Scope Management)

User ID Master Device

User ID Master Device option (Alternate Feature Available - Use Cloud Identity Engine)

Cloud Identity Engine

Cloud Identity Engine option(Strata Cloud Manager automatically generates configuration for all the directories configured in Cloud Identity engine)

PDF Summary Report

PDF Summary Report (This configuration is not relevant to Strata Cloud Manager)

 

Click on check box “Acknowledge unsupported features. The unsupported configuration will be trimmed” and click on “Next: Select Device Groups to Migrate”

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.19.00 PM.png

 

  • Select the Device Group to Migrate

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.54.43 PM.png

 

In this step, we can choose the scope of the migration. Choose the Device group that you would like to migrate in the process, the Device Group will show up on the right hand side which presents how the device group will be placed post migration. (when you click on a DG, the sub DGs and devices in the DGs will be migrated) In this example, the San Jose Branch DG in NAM DG will be migrated.

 

Note: Config Drifts - currently this migration feature will not handle config drifts. If there are different configurations in the folder that has already been migrated. Those config drifts will be ignored. These config need to be manually configured in SCM

 

Note: Conflict on Folder Name - if there is a DG in the panorama config with the same name in SCM folder structure, the migration tool will treat the folder with the same name as a migrated folder. Make sure the DG names do not appear in the folder structure in your first migration.

  • Map Templates to Folders

 

Manual Template Mapping: Manually attach each template and template Stacks 

 

If this step is chosen, here is how you can perform a manual template association. 

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.56.43 PM.png

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.57.18 PM.png

 

The detailed explanation of the column header as below:

 

  • Shared: Means the number show below reflecting in the shared scope of Panorama
  • Scoped: Means the number show below reflecting in the scope you selected 
  • Referenced Template Stack / Total (in Shared): how many template stacks has been referring to this template from a Shared Level in Panorama
  • Referenced NGFW / Total (in Shared): How many NGFWs has been referring to this template from a Shared Level in Panorama
  • Referenced Template Stack / Total (in Scoped): how many template stacks has been referring to this template from the scope that has is chosen
  • Referenced NGFW / Total (in Scoped): How many NGFWs has been referring to this template from the scope that has is chosen


Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.58.30 PM.png

 

On the left hand side hierarchy we can click and change the scope, the right hand side red box will show how the templates and template stacks are used in this scope. 

 

Association Logic Examples

 

  1. SanJose-Stack

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 3.59.24 PM.png

 

We can see that in this panorama, we have 5 FWs in total, only 1 FW is using this Template / Stack. And in the selected San Jose scope, we have 1 FW in total, and 1 FW is using the Template / Stack. This means the only FW using this template resides in this folder. So we can safely assign this template in this folder

 

  1. NAM Network Stack (example of moving the snippet to an upper level)

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.00.24 PM.png

 

We can see that in this panorama, we have 5 FWs in total, 3 FW is using this Template / Stack. And in the selected San Jose scope, we have 1 FW in total, and 1 FW is using the Template / Stack. It means that also other FWs are using this template. In this case, we can go to a level above to see if we can associate this template to an upper level to optimize the configuration

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.01.22 PM.png

 

We can see that in the NAM Hierarchy, All 3 FWs use this Template / Stack. So in order to optimize the configuration, we should attach the Template / Stack in this Level.

 

Note : if we see not all the firewalls using the template in the selected scope, we should not attach the snippet to the level we selected. The Template / Stack should attach back to the sub level. 

 

Associate the Template/Stack to the Folder

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.02.36 PM.png

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.03.16 PM.png

 

To attach the snippet to the selected level, Click on the pencil button, choose the preferred level and click on save. Re-do this for all the templates and template stack in the list.

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.04.00 PM.png

 

We can also change the order of the snippet.  

Template Mapping Preview

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.04.36 PM.png

 

Tenant mapping preview will show you in one page how the snippet will be associated with the Folder hierarchy. 

Note: Make sure your template Stacks is over your template in the scope so the respective config can be overwritten. (if there are objects have configured in different values in the same name, the snippet on the top will keep the source of truth)

 

  •  Prepare Migration

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.05.43 PM.png

 

Click on “Load Configuration to Strata Cloud Manager” 

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.06.13 PM.png

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.06.41 PM.png

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.07.10 PM.png

 

Click on the Load Result and Validation Result. Fix the error and make sure both results are successful before moving on to the next step.

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.13.44 PM.png

 

If there is no errors, click on “Review Config Diff”

 

  • Review Config Diff / Confirm and Finish

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.14.29 PM.png

 

This is the final check before we finish the config migration. Click on the Firewall in the left hand side hierarchy, upload the TSF file for the device and click on next.

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.15.07 PM.png

 

SCM will mock push the config to the firewall using the TSF file and provide you the configuration diff comparison.

 

Note: if you seeing the Mock Push failed, please go to Configurations -> Operations -> Job Status. the Mock Push will trigger a job and you can go to job status to check the reason of the mock push failure. 

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.15.44 PM.png

 

All the config/object changes will show up in the list. Click to view the xml format on the bottom. The configuration diff can also be exported as a JSON format. 

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.16.17 PM.png

 

Screenshot 2026-03-24 at 4.16.40 PM.png

 

Click on Next and Finish and Confirm the migration to finish and exit the migration process.

 

Cutover the FW to Strata Cloud Manager

Please follow this link below from Step 7.3 to Step 12 to associate the Device to Strata Cloud Manager:

 

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/strata-cloud-manager/activation-and-onboarding/onboard-to-strata-c...

 

Once the onboarding process has been completed, perform a push to the device. For more detail on how to push to the device please follow the link below (for Prod FWs it is recommended to cutover in a maintenance window): 

 

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/strata-cloud-manager/getting-started/configuration-scm/operations/...

  • 3891 Views
  • 0 comments
  • 2 Likes
Register or Sign-in
Labels
Contributors