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Building the Discovery Port Matrix

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What a port matrix is
  • The columns every row needs
  • SNWR’s key rows

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Requesting MID Server Hosts. You learned how to write an exact request for MID Server hosts.

1 The Problem: ‘Open the Firewall’ Isn’t a Request

Ravi can’t act on ‘please open the firewall for Discovery’. He needs to know:

  • From which server, to which targets?
  • Which protocol and port?
  • Why, and for how long?

🎯 The problem: ‘Open the firewall’ isn’t a request anyone can act on.

👉 The fix: Build a port matrix: one row per rule, with every detail.

Table of example port matrix rows.
Figure 1. Part of the Clear View port matrix.

2 The columns

Column Example
Source snwr-mid-mum-01
Target Mumbai DMZ, 172.16.5.0/28
Protocol and port SNMP, 161/UDP
Direction Outbound from the MID Server
Purpose Discover snwr-vpn-gw-01
Owner Ravi
Status Requested, approved, open, tested

3 Tips

  • Start from the protocol table and the MID Server design.
  • Group rules by zone to make approval easier.
  • Keep status per row, up to ‘tested’.

⚠️ Heads up: WMI needs port 135 and a range of dynamic ports. Agree the range with Ravi and Farah, or use WinRM where possible.

4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It

📍 Situation: Ravi needs exact rules to raise firewall changes.

🧭 Decision: Build the port matrix from the design, one row per rule.

🛠️ Steps we took:

  1. Listed every MID Server and the zones it reaches.
  2. Added protocol, port, direction and purpose for each.
  3. Added the one outbound port for Finance agents.
  4. Sent it to Ravi and Oliver, who raised the changes.

✅ What we verified:

  • Ravi accepted every row.
  • Each row now tracks status up to ‘tested’.

📁 Evidence: The Clear View port matrix. Each row is tested later (see Client Prerequisites › Validating Network Connectivity Before Discovery).

5 Quick recap

  • A port matrix has one row per firewall rule.
  • Each row: source, target, protocol, port, direction, purpose, owner, status.
  • Build it from the protocol table and MID design.
  • Track each row up to ‘tested’.

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Name five columns of a port matrix. Show answer

Any five of: source, target, protocol, port, direction, purpose, owner, status.

2 Which port does SNMP use? Show answer

161/UDP.

3 Which way do the Finance agents connect? Show answer

Outbound, from the Finance servers to the Mumbai MID cluster.

Nice work! Ravi has an exact firewall request. 🎉
Next up: Building the Service Account and Privilege Matrix

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