The management interface is used for remote access to the Web UI and CLI, and for other management traffic (such as NTP, SNMP, and syslog). The default management interface is ether1. You can define a different interface (such as ether2) for remote access to the Web UI and CLI. Reasons for doing so include:
A private IP address is defined for ether1, so remote users cannot reach it. You could use ether1 for the connection between a Central Management System appliance and its managed appliances, and define an accessible IP address for the ether2 interface.
You want to use one network for Web UI and CLI traffic, and another network for other management traffic.
By default, listen interface constraints are enabled on the appliance. This means only interfaces that meet the following criteria can accept HTTP/HTTPS requests (for Web UI access) and SSH connections (for CLI access).
The interface must be in the listen interface list. By default, only ether1 is in this list.
The interface must meet the eligibility requirements listed in Prerequisites.
The system prevents remote users from being locked out of the system when the criteria are not met by at least one interface. If no interface meets the criteria, listen interface constraints are not enforced, and all viable interfaces are open and can accept HTTP/HTTPS requests and SSH connections.
Examples
The appliance uses the default configuration (listen interface constraints are enabled and ether1 is in the listen interface list). You configure a static IPv4 or IPv6 address for the ether1 and ether2 interfaces and bring them up. Remote users do not have access to the system over ether2, because it was not added to the listen interface list. You then shut down the ether1 interface, and ether2 (the only viable interface) immediately becomes accessible, because the listen interface constraints are no longer enforced.
You add ether2 to the listen interface list, but both ether1 and ether2 use DHCP to obtain IPv4 addresses or DHCPv6 to obtain IPv6 addresses. Because neither interface meets the IPv4 or IPv6 static IP address requirement listed in Prerequisites, the listen interface constraints are no longer enforced. All viable interfaces, including ether1 and ether2, become accessible.
Prerequisites
Operator or Admin access.
The appropriate management port is connected to the network switch or router.
Eligibility requirements:
The interface exists and is running.
DHCP and zeroconf are disabled on the interface (for IPv4), or IPv6 is enabled on both the interface and the system (for IPv6).
The interface has an IPv4 or IPv6 address:
IPv4: At least one static nonzero IPv4 address is available to be assigned to the interface.
IPv6: A static IPv6 address is available to assign to the interface.