Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Supported deployments
3. Downloads
4. Blink image
5. Blink image updates
6. How to use the Blink mechanism
7. How to configure the Blink mechanism
   1. The answers.xml file
8. Limitations
9. Revision History

(1) Introduction

Gaia Fast Deployment mechanism called "Blink" allows users fast (within ~5-7 minutes) and easy deployment of cleanly installed Check Point Security Gateways.
Upon completion of the deployment process, user gets a cleanly installed Security Gateway (with completed First Time Configuration Wizard), desired Hotfixes, and updated signatures for Software Blade installed.

For deployment procedure, refer to sections "(6) How to use the Blink mechanism" and "(7) How to configure the Blink mechanism".

Blink mechanism allows:

• Deployment within ~5 minutes of a cleanly installed Security Gateway (Blink Image), including desired hotfix packages, and updated Software Blades signatures (optional)
• Basic configuration that allows the initial connection to the Management Server:
  
  • IP address configuration on the appliance's Management interface
  • SIC configuration
  • Gaia OS admin password
  • Approval to upload data to / download data from Check Point cloud
• Installation of Blink Image updates (for details, refer to section "(5) Blink image updates")

Important Note: Blink mechanism is intended only for cleanly installed Security Gateways - Check Point appliance, on which Check Point software has been installed (new Check Point appliance, or after restoring to factory defaults), but the First Time Configuration Wizard has not been run yet.
In any other case the --reimage flag need to be used (see Section (6) How to use the Blink mechanism )

(2) Supported deployments

(3) Downloads

This section provides the links to all the relevant downloads.

Software Subscription or Active Support plan is required to download these packages.

Version and included Take of Jumbo Hotfix Accumulator	Date	Link to Blink utility	Link to Blink Image	Link to Blink Image updates
R80.10 (GA Take 462) with R80.10 Jumbo Hotfix Take 70	19 Mar 2018	(TGZ)	(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R80.10 (GA Take 462)	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R80.10 (GA Take 421)	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R80.10 (GA Take 421) with R80.10 Jumbo Hotfix Take 56	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R77.30 GA (with SHA-2 support) (Based on Check_Point_R77.30_Install_and_Upgrade.Gaia.iso)	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R77.30 GA with SHA-2 support and R77.30 Jumbo Hotfix Take 292 (Based on Check_Point_R77.30_Install_and_Upgrade.Gaia.iso)	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R77.30 GA (Based on Check_Point_R77.30_3000_5000_15000_23000_Sandblast_Appliances.iso)	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)
R77.30 GA with R77.30 Jumbo Hotfix Take 292 (Based on Check_Point_R77.30_3000_5000_15000_23000_Sandblast_Appliances.iso)	24 Jan 2018		(TGZ)	(TGZ)

Notes:

• Additional Blink Images will be added when they become available.

• To check if a custom Blink image that includes specific ad-hoc hotfixes can be created, you can contact Check Point Support.

• Explanation about the downloads:

  • Blink utility - The main utility that extracts the Blink Image and other packages, and installs them.

  • Blink Image - The Gaia OS image. For details, refer to section "(4) Blink image".

  • Blink Image updates - Optional package with updated binary files for various Agents and
    updated signatures for Software Blades. For details, refer to section "(5) Blink image updates".

(4) Blink image

(5) Blink image updates

Blink image updates is a separate package called blink_updates_<OSVERSION>.tgz.

This optional package contains:

• Updated binary files for various Agents:
  
  • CPUSE (sk92449)
• Updated signatures for Software Blades:
  
  • Application Control + URL Filtering
  • Protocol Detection (in R80.10 and above)
  • HTTPS Inspection

(6) How to use the Blink mechanism

Important Note: Blink mechanism is intended only for cleanly installed Check Point appliances, on which Check Point software has been installed (new Check Point appliance, or after restoring to factory defaults), but the First Time Configuration Wizard has not been run yet.

Action plan (basic mode only):

1. Download all the required (and optional) files from the "(3) Downloads" section.
2. Transfer all the files to the appliance (to a newly created directory).
3. Execute the Blink utility (reboot will be performed automatically).
4. Connect with your web browser to the Check Point appliance to complete the First Time Configuration Wizard.

Detailed instructions:

1. Download all the required (and optional) files from the "(3) Downloads" section to your computer:

   1. Download the Blink utility
   2. Download the Blink image
   3. (Optional) Download the Blink Image updates package

2. Connect to the command line on the Check Point appliance.

3. Log in to the Expert mode.

4. Create some directory on the /var/log/ partition (largest partition):

   [Expert@HostName:0]# mkdir -v /var/log/MyDIR

5. Transfer all the files from your computer to the newly created directory on the appliance.

   • Either transfer the files over SCP (recommended).

     Note: This requires changing the default shell of the admin user from /etc/cli.sh to /bin/bash
     (by running the "set user admin shell /bin/bash" command in Gaia Clish - refer to Gaia Administration Guide (R77.X, R80.10))

   • Or transfer the files to a USB storage device and mount it on Gaia OS.

     Note: This requires working in the Expert mode. In addition, refer to sk31657.

6. Go to the newly created directory:

   [Expert@HostName:0]# cd /var/log/MyDIR

7. Assign the execute permission to the Blink utility:

   [Expert@HostName:0]# chmod -v +x blink

8. Execute the Blink utility by running the desired basic flow:

   [Expert@HostName:0]# ./blink [-i <path to Blink Image>] [-b <path to Blink Image updates package>] [-u <path to user TGZ file>] [-a <path to answer.xml file>] [-d <output directory>] [-x]

   where:

   Argument	Description
   -i <path to Blink Image>	Specifies the path to the Blink image. If this path is not specified explicitly, then Blink will search in the current working directory for a file with prefix blink_image.
   -b <path to Blink Image updates package>	Specifies the path to the Blink Image updates package (blink_updates_<OSVERSION>.tgz). If this path is not specified explicitly, then Blink will search in the current working directory for a file blades_updates_<OSVERSION>.tgz.
   -u <path to user TGZ file>	Specifies the path to the user TGZ file that contains user shell scripts and binary files that should be executed and installed during the main installation process. If this path is not specified explicitly, then Blink will search in the current working directory for a file blink_custom_content.tgz. Note: The package blink_custom_content.tgz must contain the main shell script as specified in the answers.xml configuration file (by default, Blink will search for the script install_content.sh - refer to section "(7-A) How to configure the Blink mechanism - The answers.xml file").
   -a <path to answer.xml file>	Specifies the path to the user's configuration file for unattended installation (if needed). Refer to section "(7-A) How to configure the Blink mechanism - The answers.xml file".
   -d <output directory>	Specifies the output directory, into which the Blink image and all the other packages should be extracted. If this path is not specified explicitly, then the Blink image and all the other packages will be extracted into the /var/log/blink/launcher/files directory.
   -x	Specifies that Blink image should be only extracted, skipping the installation. This option is for advanced users that wish to configure an unattended installation - refer to Step 9 below.
   --reimage	Using this flag will allow installation on machines that are already configured (performed First Time Wizard). By default, a snapshot of the old partition is saved, unless --delete-old-partition flag is supplied.
   --delete-old-partition	Removes the old partition. Does not override the --keep-old-partition flag.
   --keep-old-partition	A snapshot of the old partition is saved if this flag is on,

   Example commands and their results:

   1. Extract the Blink image and Blink Image updates package into a temporary directory and start the main installation process, keeping the old partition as a snapshot:

      [Expert@HostName:0]# ./blink [-i <path to Blink Image>] [-b <path to Blink Image updates package>] [-u <path to user TGZ file>] [-a <path to answer.xml file>] --keep-old-partition

      1. A temporary directory /var/log/blink/launcher/files will be created.
      2. The Blink Image will be extracted
         to the /var/log/blink/launcher/files/ directory.
      3. The Blink Image updates package blink_updates_<OSVERSION>.tgz will be copied
         to the /var/log/blink/launcher/files/blades_updates/ directory.
      4. The user update shell script and binary files will be copied
         to the /var/log/blink/launcher/files/user_updates/ directory.
      5. The main installation process will be started.
      6. A snapshot of the old partition will be saved.

   2. Extract the Blink image and Blink Image updates package into a specified directory and start the main installation process, on an already configured machine, and NOT saving the old partition as snapshot:

      [Expert@HostName:0]# ./blink [-i <path to Blink Image>] [-b <path to Blink Image updates package>] [-u <path to user TGZ file>] [-a <path to answer.xml file>] -d <output directory> --reimage --delete-old-partition

      1. The Blink Image will be extracted in the specified output directory.
      2. The Blink Image updates package blink_updates_<OSVERSION>.tgz will be copied to the specified output directory.
      3. The user update shell script and binary files will be copied to the specified output directory.
      4. The main installation process will be started.
      5. Validation for a configured machine will be skipped.
      6. A snapshot of the old partition will NOT be created.

   3. Extract the Blink image into a a specified directory and do NOT start the main installation process:

      [Expert@HostName:0]# ./blink [-i <path to Blink Image>] -x -d <output directory>

      1. The Blink Image will be extracted to the specified output directory.
         If the output directory is not specified, then it will be extracted to the temporary directory /var/log/blink/launcher/files/.
      2. The main installation process will NOT be started.

9. For advanced users that wish to configure custom settings:

   1. Extract and configure the Blink image:

      1. Extract all the files from the Blink image (to get access to the internal configuration files) -
         either to the temporary directory /var/log/blink/launcher/files/, or to the specified directory:

         [Expert@HostName:0]# ./blink [-i <path to Blink Image>] -x [-d <output directory>]

      2. Configure the desired settings in the installation_logic/answers.xml file -
         refer to the "(7) How to configure the Blink mechanism" section.

   2. Add the Blink Image updates package:

      1. Add the package blades_updates/blink_updates_<OSVERSION>.tgz

   3. Extract the desired user packages:

      1. Extract the desired user packages to the user_updates directory.

         Note: If the main user shell script is not called install_content.sh, then make sure it matches the script defined
         in the installation_logic/answers.xml file (refer to section "(7-A) How to configure the Blink mechanism - The answers.xml file").

   4. Start the main installation process:

      [Expert@HostName:0]# cd /path_to_extracted_Blink_Image/

      [Expert@HostName:0]# ./BlinkInstaller

10. You can monitor the Blink installation process in two ways (until the appliance is rebooted automatically):

    • Query the current state by running one of these commands:

      [Expert@HostName:0]# ./BlinkInstaller -status <json | full | id>

      where:

      Option	Description
      ./BlinkInstaller -status json	Returns the last recorded status in JSON format. Example: [Expert@HostName:0]# ./BlinkInstaller -status json { "isCompleted" : "true", "stageEndTime" : "5:0:4", "stageID" : "finish_message", "stageName" : "BlinkInstaller Installation", "stageStartTime" : "4:56:39", "state" : "Success", "statusDescription" : "The installation has finished successfully and is pending reboot!" }
      ./BlinkInstaller -status full	Returns the last recorded status in a single-string representation. Example: [Expert@HostName:0]# ./BlinkInstaller -status full BlinkInstaller Installation - The installation has finished successfully and is pending reboot! - Success [Started at: 4:56:39] [Ended at:5:0:4]
      ./BlinkInstaller -status id	Returns the last status recorded identifier as a string. Example: [Expert@HostName:0]# ./BlinkInstaller -status id finish_message

    • Check the output files:

      File	>Path
      Log file	/var/log/blink/logs_<DATE>/Main_log.elg
      Status file	/var/log/blink/status.txt

11. Reboot will be performed automatically.

12. Connect with your web browser to the Check Point appliance to complete the First Time Configuration Wizard (basic mode only).

    Example of First Time Configuration Wizard after attended installation:
    
    

(7) How to configure the Blink mechanism

(8) Limitations

(9) Revision History