Patent ID: 7739727

Claim:
A method of managing a firewall device, said method comprising setting up, by a management system in response to a command inputted by an administrator, a first network connection from the management system to a firewall device having a first configuration, providing a second configuration to said firewall device by said management system over said first network connection, starting to apply said second configuration temporarily as a new configuration in said firewall device, storing said first configuration as a fallback configuration in said firewall device, starting, by said firewall device, an independent and automatic self-diagnostics procedure which includes (i) measuring, by said firewall device, a time elapsed after said temporarily starting to apply said second configuration as the new configuration, (ii) monitoring, by said firewall device, if a subsequent test network connection is received and successfully set up from said management system to said firewall device before said measured elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time limit in order to test operation of the new configuration, (iii) diagnosing, independently and automatically by said firewall device, that said temporarily applied second configuration operates correctly, setting said second configuration permanently as the new configuration in said firewall device, and ending said independent and automatic self-diagnostics procedure, if said second network connection is received and successfully set up before said measured elapsed time exceeds said predetermine time limit, and (iv) diagnosing, independently and automatically by said firewall device that said temporarily applied second configuration fails to operate correctly, ending application of said second configuration as the new configuration in said firewall device, and returning to use said stored first configuration in said firewall device, if said second network connection from said management system is not received and successfully set up to said firewall device before said measured elapsed time exceeds said predetermined time limit.