Design Firewall Changes Your Way with FireMon Policy Planner Workbench

Every firewall change starts with a design decision. Which devices need to change? Which rules and objects should be added or modified? And how do you make those changes without introducing unnecessary risk?

Automated rule recommendations can simplify those decisions. But some changes require closer investigation, and others need to be designed manually.

FireMon Policy Planner Workbench brings both approaches into one place. As the new Change Plan interface within Policy Planner, Workbench gives engineers a unified workspace to review recommendations, inspect existing policy, and build or refine change plans across vendors.

It's not a separate product or a replacement for Policy Planner. It's a simpler, more flexible way to design firewall changes within the workflows teams already use.

One Workspace for Firewall Change Design

Firewall environments rarely follow a single standard. Multiple vendors, inherited rules, and complex configurations make designing changes difficult.

Workbench simplifies the design experience with a unified, table-based Change Plan Editor. Engineers can view rules and objects in the context of the full normalized policy, then create or modify changes without switching between vendor-specific editors.

The interface also includes:

• Real-time Change Plan drawer: Track proposed changes by device as you add, edit, or remove them.
• Manual and recommended changes: Build a change plan from scratch or refine automated recommendations in the same workspace.
• Requirements visibility: See which requirements already have change plans using status badges and filters.
• Bulk editing controls: Remove multiple design changes in a single action.

Agentic AI capabilities are also integrated directly into the Workbench design experience, supporting engineers as they work on change plans. Engineers remain responsible for reviewing proposed changes, and existing approval workflows remain in place.

How Workbench Supports Real-World Change Scenarios

Not every firewall change follows the same path. Workbench supports three common approaches to change design.

1. When Rule Recommendations Are Clear

When FireMon Rule Recommendation identifies the appropriate devices and proposed changes, engineers can use Workbench to review the results and build the change plan.

The unified editor provides visibility into the existing policy, helping engineers evaluate recommended rules, objects, and placement before proceeding.

The result: A more efficient design process that combines automated recommendations with engineer review.

2. When More Context Is Needed

Some recommendations require closer inspection.

An engineer might need to understand why a rule is recommended, examine an existing rule's scope, or evaluate how the proposed change fits into the broader policy.

Workbench provides visibility into existing rules and objects within the normalized policy context. Engineers can investigate the affected policy, evaluate the recommendation, and refine the design before saving the change plan.

The result: Better-informed design decisions without leaving the Change Plan workspace.

3. When Recommendations Are Incomplete

Automated recommendations aren't always available or complete. Missing information, device selection, or unsupported configurations can limit the results.

Continue change design when recommendations are incomplete.

Workbench allows engineers to investigate the issue, adjust their approach, or create supported manual changes. They can also combine manual changes with automated recommendations within the same plan.

The design process doesn't have to stop because automation can't provide a complete answer.

The result: Greater flexibility to build change plans while keeping engineers in control of the design.

Why This Matters to Engineers

Workbench is built around how firewall engineers actually work.

Rather than treating automated recommendations and manual design as separate processes, it brings them together in a consistent interface.

Engineers gain:

• One policy editor across vendors for a consistent design experience.
• Fuller policy context when evaluating rules, objects, and proposed changes.
• Flexibility to accept, refine, or manually build change plans.
• Visibility into design progress with a real-time Change Plan drawer.
• Embedded agentic AI within the new design interface.

The goal is straightforward: reduce friction in firewall change design while preserving the expertise and oversight that complex environments demand.

Keep Existing Approval Workflows in Place

Workbench changes how engineers interact with Change Plans, not the underlying Policy Planner workflow.

Existing custom workflows and backend processes remain intact. Engineers can design changes through the new interface while continuing to use established review, risk and compliance assessment, approval, and implementation processes.

Saving a change plan in Workbench does not deploy it to a firewall. The plan must continue through the applicable Policy Planner workflow before implementation.

At general availability, Workbench supports Access Request tickets. Other workflow types require switching back to the previous interface.

Better Change Design Starts Here

Firewall change management depends on more than generating the right recommendation. Engineers need the context to evaluate proposed changes, the flexibility to modify them, and a reliable process for moving approved plans forward.

FireMon Policy Planner Workbench brings those capabilities together in a unified design experience.

Whether you're starting with an automated recommendation or building a change plan manually, Workbench helps you move from request to design with greater clarity and control.

Explore FireMon Policy Planner to see how Workbench fits into the firewall change management lifecycle, or review the Workbench documentation to learn more.