Managing Device Groups in Panorama

Panorama uses Device Groups to manage firewall configurations and policies centrally. Understanding how to create, organize, and utilize device groups is fundamental for efficient network security management.

Key aspects include:

Device groups are a core component of Panorama management. For the PCNSE exam, be sure to understand inheritance, object scope (shared vs. device group), policy evaluation order, and how overrides work.

Create a Device Group Hierarchy

A well-planned device group hierarchy is crucial for scalable and manageable firewall configurations.

graph TD Shared["Shared (Top Level)"] --> DG_HQ["Device Group HQ (Parent)"] Shared --> DG_Branch["Device Group Branch (Parent)"] DG_HQ --> DG_HQ_Finance["DG HQ Finance (Child)"] DG_HQ --> DG_HQ_IT["DG HQ IT (Child)"] DG_Branch --> DG_Branch_East["DG Branch East (Child)"] DG_Branch --> DG_Branch_West["DG Branch West (Child)"] DG_HQ_Finance --> FW_Finance["Firewall Finance"] DG_Branch_East --> FW_Branch_East["Firewall Branch East"] classDef shared fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px; classDef dg fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px; classDef fw fill:#dfd,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px; class Shared shared; class DG_HQ,DG_Branch,DG_HQ_Finance,DG_HQ_IT,DG_Branch_East,DG_Branch_West dg; class FW_Finance,FW_Branch_East fw;

Example Device Group Hierarchy.

Steps to Create a Hierarchy:

  1. Plan the Hierarchy:

    • Determine device group levels and assign firewalls/virtual systems. A firewall/vsys can only belong to one device group.
    • Remove existing assignments if they don't fit the new plan.
    • Add new firewalls to Panorama if needed.
    • Device groups with firewalls using different hypervisor plugins (for endpoint monitoring) cannot be parent/child of each other.
  2. Add Top-Level Device Groups:

    • In Panorama > Device Groups, click Add.
    • Enter a Name. Assign firewalls/virtual systems.
    • Leave Parent Device Group as "Shared" (default).
  3. Add Lower-Level Device Groups:

    • Repeat the process, but set the Parent Device Group to an appropriate higher-level device group.
    • For existing device groups, edit them to assign a Parent Device Group.

    Moving a device group to a different parent moves all its descendants, firewalls, policies, and objects. Access domain membership might change.

  4. Configure Objects and Policy Rules: Account for inheritance. Create or edit objects and policies at their appropriate location.

  5. Override Inherited Object Values (Optional):

    • Applicable if object values in a device group must differ from inherited values.
    • Shared or predefined objects cannot be overridden.
    • In the Objects tab, select the device group, select the inherited object (green icon), and click Override. Edit values (Name and Shared settings are locked). The icon changes to yellow-overlapping-green.
  6. Save and Commit: Commit to Panorama and push to device groups after any hierarchy change. Push changes to templates if they reference objects in a modified device group.

Understand that a firewall or VSYS can only be a member of ONE device group. Hierarchies allow for granular policy and object application through inheritance.

Create Objects for Use in Shared or Device Group Policy

Objects (like addresses, services, security profiles) can be created at the Shared level or within a specific device group.

Changing the name of a Shared device group object in one device group changes its name everywhere. This can cause configuration push failures if managed firewalls expect the old name.

Be aware of the scope of objects. Using Dynamic Address Groups (DAGs) requires checking supported registered IP addresses on Panorama.

Creating a Shared Object (Example: URL Filtering Profile for Alerts):

  1. Navigate to Objects > Security Profiles > URL Filtering.
  2. Click Add. Enter Name and Description.
  3. Select Shared .
  4. The Disable Override option (cleared by default) allows descendant device groups to override this object. Select it to prevent overrides.
  5. Configure categories and set their Action to Alert.
  6. Click OK, then Commit to Panorama.

Creating a Device Group Object (Example: Address Object for Web Servers):

  1. Navigate to Objects > Addresses. Select the target Device Group.
  2. Click Add. Enter a Name.
  3. Ensure Shared option is cleared.
  4. Configure Disable Override as needed for descendant device groups.
  5. Select Type (e.g., IP Range) and enter the value.
  6. Click OK, then Commit and Push to Panorama and the device group.

The Objects tab only appears after at least one device group is added. The Location column indicates if an object is Shared or specific to a device group.

Revert to Inherited Object Values

If you've overridden an object's values in a device group, you can revert it to inherit values from its ancestor device group. Overridden objects display a yellow-overlapping-green icon in the Name column.

This is different from managing precedence for all objects (covered later).

Steps to Revert a Specific Overridden Object:

  1. In the Objects tab, select the object type (e.g., Addresses) and the Device Group containing the overridden object.
  2. Select the overridden object.
  3. Click Revert and confirm. The icon will change back to green (indicating it's inherited).
  4. Commit and Push changes to Panorama and the affected device group.
Knowing how to identify overridden objects (yellow-overlapping-green icon) and revert them is important for troubleshooting and maintaining consistent configurations.

Manage Unused Shared Objects

By default, Panorama pushes all shared objects to firewalls in a device group, regardless of whether they are referenced in policy rules. You can change this behavior.

The Share Unused Address and Service Objects with Devices option (Panorama > Setup > Management > Panorama Settings) controls this:

When "Share Unused Address and Service Objects with Devices" is disabled, Panorama ignores the Target firewalls when pushing a policy rule to a subset of firewalls. All objects referenced by any rules are pushed to all firewalls in that device group.

Considerations:

Steps to Configure:

  1. Select Panorama > Setup > Management, and edit Panorama Settings.
  2. Clear or select the "Share Unused Address and Service Objects with Devices" option.
  3. Click OK.
  4. Commit to Panorama.
This setting is crucial for optimizing performance on Panorama and resource-constrained firewalls. Understand its impact on commit times and object distribution.

Manage Precedence of Inherited Objects

By default, if device groups at different hierarchy levels have an object with the same name but different values (due to overrides), a descendant device group uses its own (or closest ancestor's overridden) object values.

You can reverse this: make object values from the highest ancestor containing the object take precedence over any overridden values in descendant device groups.

Object Precedence Diagram
Demonstrates the precedence of inherited objects.
If a firewall has locally defined objects with the same name as shared or device group objects pushed by Panorama, a commit failure will occur.

Steps to Configure Precedence:

  1. Select Panorama > Setup > Management and edit Panorama Settings.
  2. To give ancestor objects higher precedence:
    • Select Objects defined in ancestors will take higher precedence .
    • A "Find Overridden Objects" link appears, showing how many objects will be affected.
  3. To revert to default (descendant/local override takes precedence):
    • Clear "Objects defined in ancestors will take higher precedence".
  4. Click OK.
  5. Commit to Panorama.
  6. (Optional but Important) If you enabled ancestor precedence, you must Push to Devices for the change to take effect on the firewalls. Panorama does not automatically push these ancestor objects until this explicit push.

"Find Overridden Objects" only detects a Shared device group object that shares a name with another object in the device group.

Object precedence is a key concept. Understand the default behavior and how to change it, especially the "Push to Devices" step required after enabling ancestor precedence.

Move or Clone a Policy Rule or Object to a Different Device Group

When moving or cloning policy rules or objects between device groups (or to/from Shared), ensure that any referenced objects are available in the destination. This might involve moving/cloning referenced objects in the same operation.

In a Device Group Hierarchy, referenced objects might be available through inheritance (e.g., Shared objects). Use Global Find to check references.

Key Considerations:

General Steps:

  1. Log in to Panorama and select the rulebase (e.g., Policy > Security > Pre Rules) or object type (e.g., Objects > Addresses).
  2. Select the source Device Group and the rule(s)/object(s).
  3. Choose Move or Clone.
  4. Select the Destination device group (or Shared).
  5. (Rules only) Select the Rule order in the destination (top, bottom, before/after rule).
  6. The "Error out on first detected error in validation" option (selected by default) stops checking on the first error (e.g., missing referenced object). Clearing it finds all errors before displaying. Panorama won't move/clone until all errors are fixed.
  7. Click OK. Fix errors if any and retry.
  8. Commit and Push: Edit Selections in Push Scope, select Device Groups (both original and destination), then Commit and Push.
Ensure you push to both original and destination device groups. If either device group has no devices, selective push is not supported; push all changes.
The most common issue when moving/cloning is missing referenced objects in the destination. Always verify dependencies.

Push a Policy Rule to a Subset of Firewalls

A policy target allows you to specify which firewalls within a device group should receive a particular policy rule. You can include or exclude firewalls/virtual systems. This centralizes policy management on Panorama.

Best Practice: Enforce Audit Comments

  1. Go to Panorama > Setup > Management, edit Policy Rulebase Settings.
  2. Enable "Require audit comment on policies."
  3. (Optional) Configure Audit Comment Regular Expression for specific formats (e.g., Reason-[0-9]{6} ).
  4. Click OK and Commit to Panorama.
Policy Rulebase Settings for Audit Comments
Enforcing Audit Comments in Policy Rulebase Settings.

Targeting a Rule:

  1. When creating or editing a policy rule (e.g., Security Pre-Rule):
  2. Go to the Target tab in the Policy Rule dialog.
  3. To apply to selected firewalls: Select the specific firewalls/vsys.
    Select either target tags OR target devices. Selecting both may cause push failure.
  4. To exclude firewalls: Select "Install on all but specified devices" and then select the firewalls/vsys to exclude.
  5. If no firewalls are selected in the Target tab, the rule applies to all firewalls in the device group.
  6. If "Install on all but specified devices" is checked and no firewalls are selected, the rule is not pushed to any firewall in the device group.
  7. Click OK to save the rule.

Commit and Push:

  1. Select Commit > Commit and Push.
  2. Edit Selections in Push Scope, select Device Groups, choose the relevant device group, and click OK.
  3. (Optional) Disable "Merge with Device Candidate Config" if local firewall changes are managed independently. By default, it's enabled and merges pending local configs.
  4. Commit and Push.
Targeting rules is essential for applying specific policies to subsets of firewalls within a common device group. Understanding the "Merge with Device Candidate Config" option is also important.

Device Group Push to a Multi-VSYS Firewall

When Panorama pushes device group configuration changes to a multi-VSYS firewall (PAN-OS 10.1+), it automatically bundles commit jobs for all affected VSYS on that firewall into a single job.

Key Points:

This bundling behavior is default for PAN-OS 10.1 and later. Be aware of the "all-or-nothing" nature of pushes involving multi-VSYS firewalls in this context.

Manage the Rule Hierarchy

Policy rule order is critical. The firewall evaluates rules from top to bottom within each rulebase layer (Shared, Device Group, Local). The first matching rule is applied. More specific rules should generally be placed above more generic rules.

graph TD A[Packet Arrives] --> B{Pre-Rules Evaluation}; B -- Order --> SharedPre["Shared Pre-Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; SharedPre --> ParentDGPre["Parent DG Pre-Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; ParentDGPre --> CurrentDGPre["Current DG Pre-Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; CurrentDGPre --> C{Firewall Local Rules Evaluation}; C -- Order --> LocalRules["Local Device Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; LocalRules --> D{Post-Rules Evaluation}; D -- Order --> CurrentDGPost["Current DG Post-Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; CurrentDGPost --> ParentDGPost["Parent DG Post-Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; ParentDGPost --> SharedPost["Shared Post-Rules (Top to Bottom)"]; SharedPost --> E{Default Rules}; E --> F[Action Taken]; classDef shared fill:#f9d,stroke:#333; classDef dg fill:#9cf,stroke:#333; classDef localfw fill:#9fd,stroke:#333; class SharedPre,SharedPost shared; class ParentDGPre,CurrentDGPre,CurrentDGPost,ParentDGPost dg; class LocalRules localfw;

Simplified Policy Evaluation Order in Panorama.

Steps to Manage Rule Hierarchy:

  1. View Rule Hierarchy:

    • Select Policies tab > Preview Rules.
    • Filter by Rulebase (e.g., Security), Device Group (must have firewalls assigned), and specific Device (for local rules).
    • Apply filters to see the combined rule view.
  2. Delete or Disable Rules:

    • To find unused rules: On Panorama, select firewall context, rulebase, and check "Highlight Unused Rules" (dotted orange background).
    • Select rulebase, Device Group, select rule(s), then Delete or Disable. Disabled rules appear italicized.
  3. Reposition Rules:

    • For local firewall rules, access its web interface first (via Panorama context switch or direct IP).
    • Select rulebase, Device Group, select rule.
    • Use Move options: Move Top, Move Up, Move Down, Move Bottom (within its current DG context, not above inherited rules from Shared/ancestors).
    • "Move to other device group" for cross-DG moves.
  4. Commit and Push: If rules were modified, Commit and Push to the Panorama configuration and affected device groups.

The "Preview Rules" feature is invaluable for understanding the final rule order on a firewall. Rule evaluation order (Shared Pre -> DG Pre -> Local -> DG Post -> Shared Post -> Default) is a critical PCNSE topic.

Introduction to Templates and Template Stacks

Templates and Template Stacks in Panorama are used to define common base configurations for network and device settings, enabling consistent setup across multiple firewalls.

Every managed firewall must belong to a template stack. Panorama supports up to 1,024 templates and 1,024 template stacks. Each stack can have up to 8 templates.

Key planning considerations:

To delete a template, you must first locally disable/remove template settings on any firewall using it (requires superuser).
Templates handle Network and Device settings, while Device Groups handle Policies and Objects. Understand this fundamental separation.

Template Capabilities and Exceptions

Templates and Template Stacks can define a wide array of settings. However, some tasks can only be performed locally on each managed firewall:

To manage licenses and updates (software, content) for firewalls, use the Panorama > Device Management tab, not templates.

Know what can and cannot be configured via Panorama templates. HA IP addresses are a common point of confusion – they are set locally.

Add a Template

At least one template must be added before Panorama displays the Device and Network tabs used for defining these settings.

Steps to Add a Template:

  1. Select Panorama > Templates.
  2. Click Add. Enter a unique Name and optional Description. Click OK.
  3. (Optional) If the template has a VSYS with configurations (e.g., interfaces) to push to firewalls without VSYS, select the template, choose the VSYS from the Default VSYS drop-down, and click OK.
  4. Commit and Push changes to Panorama and the template.

After adding the first template, the Device and Network tabs will appear with a Template drop-down.

Using the Template (Example: Define Primary DNS):

  1. In the Device tab, select your Template from the drop-down.
  2. Navigate to Device > Setup > Services > Global, and edit the Services section.
  3. Enter an IP address for the Primary DNS Server.
    Configuring DNS in Template
    Setting Primary DNS Server in a template.
  4. Commit and Push changes to Panorama and the template.
  5. Verify on a managed firewall (switch context in Panorama or log in directly): Device > Setup > Services > Global. The pushed DNS IP should appear, and the section header will show a template icon.
    DNS setting pushed to firewall
    Firewall showing DNS setting inherited from a template (template icon visible).
Renaming a VSYS is only allowed on the local firewall, not on Panorama via a template. Doing so on Panorama can result in a new VSYS or misconfigurations.
Templates are the building blocks. The "Default VSYS" setting is important for non-VSYS firewalls that need to inherit settings typically configured within a VSYS context in the template.

Configure a Template Stack

A template stack combines multiple templates (up to 8) to push a full configuration to managed firewalls. The order of templates in a stack determines precedence for overlapping settings.

sequenceDiagram participant Admin participant Panorama participant Stack as Template Stack participant Tpl_Base as Base Template (Low Priority) participant Tpl_Region as Regional Template (Mid Priority) participant Tpl_Site as Site-Specific Template (High Priority) participant Firewall Admin->>Panorama: Create Base Template (e.g., Global DNS) Admin->>Panorama: Create Regional Template (e.g., Regional NTP) Admin->>Panorama: Create Site Template (e.g., Site Banner) Admin->>Panorama: Create Template Stack Admin->>Stack: Add Tpl_Site (1st - Highest Prio) Admin->>Stack: Add Tpl_Region (2nd - Mid Prio) Admin->>Stack: Add Tpl_Base (3rd - Lowest Prio) Panorama-->>Stack: Merges settings based on priority Admin->>Panorama: Assign Firewall to Stack Admin->>Panorama: Commit & Push Panorama->>Firewall: Pushes merged configuration from Stack

Template Stack Creation and Priority.

Steps to Configure a Template Stack:

  1. Plan Templates and Order: Add necessary templates first. Carefully check template order for overlapping settings to prevent misconfigurations (e.g., interface type conflicts).
    A template configuration cannot reference a configuration in another template, even if both are in the same stack (e.g., a zone in Template_A cannot reference a zone protection profile in Template_B).
  2. Create Template Stack:
    • Select Panorama > Templates and click Add Stack. (Cloning stacks is not supported).
    • Enter a unique Name.
    • Add templates. The list shows them in priority order (top is highest). Use Move Up/Move Down to reorder.
      Adding Templates to a Stack
      Configuring templates within a stack and their order.
    • In the Devices section, assign firewalls to the stack. (For multi-VSYS firewalls, assign the entire firewall, not individual VSYS). A firewall belongs to only one stack.
    • (Optional) Select Group HA Peers to simplify selection for HA pairs.
    • Click OK.
  3. (Optional) Configure Template Stack Variables.
  4. Edit Network and Device settings within the stack context if needed.
    • Use the Mode drop-down (Multi VSYS, Operational Mode, VPN Mode) in Network/Device tabs to filter settings and avoid push errors for firewalls in specific modes (e.g., FIPS).
  5. Commit and Push: Select Templates in Push Scope, select firewalls assigned to the stack, then Commit and Push.
  6. Verify: On a managed firewall, settings pushed from a stack show a template icon. Hover to see the source stack.
    Verifying stack settings on firewall
    Firewall showing settings inherited from a template stack.
Template stack order is critical for determining which settings apply in case of conflicts. A firewall can only be in one template stack. Interfaces, VLANs, Virtual Wires, IPSec Tunnels, DNS Proxy, and Virtual Systems must primarily be configured and pushed from a template, though most (except VSYS) can be overridden in the stack.

Configure Template or Template Stack Variables

Variables (starting with $ ) allow you to replace values like IP addresses, IP ranges, FQDNs, interfaces, and Group IDs in template or stack configurations. This reduces the need for many similar templates/stacks by allowing device-specific values.

If multiple templates in a stack use different variables for the same object, the value inherited by the stack is based on template order. Variables can also be used in a stack to override template values.

Steps to Configure Variables:

  1. Ensure you have a template and a template stack created.
  2. Select Panorama > Templates. In the Variables column, click Manage for the desired template or stack.
  3. Click Add.
    • Name: Must start with $ (e.g., $DNS-primary ).
    • Type: Select type (IP Netmask, FQDN, etc.) and enter the value.
    • (Optional) Description.
    • Click OK.
      Creating Template Variables
      Defining variables within a template or stack.
  4. From the Template drop-down in Network/Device tabs, select the template/stack where the variable was defined.
  5. Enter the variable in the appropriate configuration field (e.g., $DNS-primary for Primary DNS Server).
    Using Variables in Configuration
    Applying variables to configuration fields.
  6. Commit and Push.
    When pushing a device group configuration that references template/stack variables, you must Edit Selections and Include Device and Network Templates.
  7. Verify on managed device: The pushed value (not the variable name) will appear. A template icon indicates inheritance; hover to see source.
    Verifying Variable Pushed to Firewall
    Firewall showing the resolved value of a template variable.
Variables are powerful for customization. Remember the '$' prefix. PCNSE questions often test variable usage and the need to "Include Device and Network Templates" during commit/push when device groups reference template variables.

Import and Overwrite Existing Template Stack Variables

You can import a CSV file to overwrite the values of multiple existing template stack variables for different firewalls. This does not create new variables; it only updates existing ones.

Steps:

  1. Export Existing Variables:
    • Select Panorama > Templates. Select the template stack.
    • Click Variable CSV > Export. A CSV file is downloaded.
  2. Edit the CSV File:
    • Values shown as #inherited# are defined in the template stack itself (not per device).
    • Correct Serial Numbers: Format cells containing serial numbers as Text. If leading zeros are missing, add them.
      Editing CSV for Variable Import - Serial Number
      Ensure firewall serial numbers are correctly formatted as text in the CSV.
    • Enter new values for the desired template variables for specific firewalls.
    • Save the file as CSV UTF-8.
      Editing CSV for Variable Import - Values
      Updating variable values in the CSV for import.
  3. Import the CSV File:
    • Select Panorama > Templates. Select the same template stack.
    • Click Variable CSV > Import. Browse for your edited CSV file.
    • Click OK.
  4. Commit to Panorama.
  5. Enter/confirm variables are used in the appropriate locations in the template stack configuration.
  6. Commit and Push (remember to "Include Device and Network Templates" if device groups are affected).
Importing variables is for bulk updates of existing per-device variable values within a stack. Pay attention to CSV formatting, especially serial numbers and UTF-8 encoding.

Override a Template Setting

Overrides allow for exceptions or modifications to settings pushed from templates or template stacks to meet specific configuration needs for individual firewalls or for the stack itself.

Methods to Override:

Understanding the different levels of overrides (local firewall, template stack config, template stack variable, firewall-specific variable) and their precedence is key for PCNSE. Local firewall overrides are "strongest" for that specific device.

Disable/Remove Template Settings

If you want to stop using a template or template stack for managing a firewall's configuration, you can disable it. This action requires Superuser administrative role on the firewall.

Steps to Disable Template/Stack on a Firewall:

  1. Access the web interface of the managed firewall (direct IP or via Panorama context switch) as a Superuser.
  2. Select Device > Setup > Management and edit Panorama Settings.
  3. Click Disable Device and Network Template .
  4. (Optional but CRITICAL choice):
    • Select Import Device and Network Template before disabling : This copies the Panorama-pushed settings into the local configuration of the firewall.
    • If NOT selected: All Panorama-pushed template/stack settings will be deleted from the firewall's configuration.
  5. Click OK twice, then Commit the changes on the firewall.
The choice to "Import Device and Network Template before disabling" is crucial. Failing to select it when intending to keep the settings will result in those configurations being wiped from the firewall.
This procedure is for completely detaching a firewall from template/stack management for its network/device settings. Overrides are for individual setting changes while still being managed.

PCNSE Exam Essentials: Device Groups

Device Groups are fundamental to Panorama's centralized management capabilities. Here are key points for the PCNSE exam:

PCNSE Exam Essentials: Templates & Template Stacks

Templates and Template Stacks manage Network and Device configurations.

PCNSE Exam Essentials: Common Gotchas

Be mindful of these common pitfalls related to Panorama Device Groups and Templates:

Panorama Device Groups & Templates Quiz

1. What is the maximum number of templates that can be included in a single Template Stack in Panorama?

2. Which of the following settings is typically configured locally on a firewall and NOT through Panorama templates?

3. In a Device Group hierarchy, if an object exists in 'Shared' and also in a child Device Group (as an override), which object definition is used by default by firewalls in that child Device Group?

4. What is the primary consequence of disabling the "Share Unused Address and Service Objects with Devices" option in Panorama settings?

5. When moving a policy rule from one Device Group to another, what happens to its audit comments?

6. A firewall can be a member of how many Device Groups and Template Stacks simultaneously?

7. If "Objects defined in ancestors will take higher precedence" is enabled in Panorama, what additional step is required for this change to fully apply to managed firewalls?

8. What is the correct prefix for a template variable name in Panorama?

9. When pushing a Device Group configuration that references template variables (e.g., a policy using a zone whose interface is defined by a template variable), what must be selected in the push scope?

10. What is the purpose of the "Target" tab when configuring a policy rule in Panorama?

11. If a push to a multi-VSYS firewall (PAN-OS 10.1+) fails for one VSYS, what is the outcome?

12. Which Panorama feature helps you visualize the final, effective rulebase on a managed firewall, considering all inherited and local rules?

13. In a Template Stack, if Template A (higher priority) defines an NTP server as 1.1.1.1 and Template B (lower priority) defines it as 2.2.2.2, which NTP server will be configured on a firewall assigned to this stack (assuming no other overrides)?

14. What administrative role is typically required on a firewall to "Disable Device and Network Template" settings pushed from Panorama?

15. If you rename a Shared Address Object in Panorama, what is the potential impact?

16. Which of these is NOT a valid method to override a template setting for a specific firewall?

17. A template configuration in Template_A (part of a stack) needs to reference a Zone Protection Profile defined in Template_B (also in the same stack). Is this directly possible?

18. What is the default behavior of the "Merge with Device Candidate Config" option during a Panorama push?

19. You want to push a specific URL Filtering profile (a Shared object) only to PA-220 firewalls within a larger Device Group that also contains PA-3220s. How can you achieve this using policy?

20. When importing template stack variables from a CSV, what happens if a firewall serial number in the CSV is missing a leading zero and treated as a number by spreadsheet software?