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Considerations for operational modes

During the initial firmware configuration, the script prompts you for supported operational modes.

Attention
Use care when selecting operational modes. If you select an incorrect mode for your environment, the only way to change one is to reinitialize the appliance.

The appliance supports disaster recovery mode and Common Criteria compatibility mode.

Disaster recovery mode​

Disaster recovery mode allows you to create a secure backup that you can use to restore all settings for an appliance. A secure backup creates a set of files that you can use to recover the configuration of a lost appliance. A secure backup contains private data on the appliance (certificates, keys, and user data). An administrator cannot see this data in the backup. The appliance encrypts this data with the DataPower key.

The backup-restore process must be used among appliances that are at the same firmware level and have the same compatible configuration (auxiliary storage, iSCSI, and so forth). You can use the disaster recovery process during the end-of-life migration to move configuration details from one appliance to another.

Common Criteria compatibility mode​

Common Criteria compatibility mode (CC mode) puts the appliance in a mode that enforces a set of policies required to pass the Common Criteria security testing criteria (EAL4). If you are unsure about whether to use this mode, then you most likely should not. In general, this mode is only used when a specific authority requires the appliance to be EAL4 certified. If this authority is not a specific requirement for your use of the appliance, use normal mode. You should not use CC mode to be more secure.

CC mode forces several settings to specific values. The appliance enforces these values at reboot, if changed. These values affect audit log policies and include a group of default rules and actions.