IKEv2 IPsec Virtual Private Networks ─ Understanding and Deploying IKEv2, IPsec VPNs, and FlexVPN in Cisco IOS

The Internet Key Exchange v2 (IKEv2) Handbook is the first plain English introduction to IKEv2: both a complete primer on this important new security protocol, and a practical guide to deploying it with Cisco's FlexVPN implementation.

Cisco experts Graham Bartlett and Amjad Inamdar explain how IKEv2 can be used to perform mutual authentication, and to establish and maintaining security associations (SAs). Their insights into IKEv2's goals, theory, and underlying concepts will be invaluable to all network security professionals, whatever technologies or solutions they choose for implementation.

Next, Bartlett and Inamdar thoroughly introduce FlexVPN, Cisco's high-value implementation of the IKEv2 standard. You'll discover FlexVPN's unified paradigm, and learn how its command-line interface can be used to manage IKEv2 in site-to-site, remote access, hub and spoke topology, and partial mesh (spoke to spoke direct) environments.

The authors explain how FlexVPN's simple, modular framework relies on the tunnel interface paradigm while remaining compatible with legacy VPN implementations. They offer detailed guidance on configuring IKEv2 VPNs using FlexVPN in both Cisco IOS and IOS-XE environments, and show how FlexVPN unifies previous Cisco overlay solutions, including crypto maps, EasyVPN, DMVPN, and remote access. Their practical design examples and hands-on troubleshooting steps will help you gain real mastery of FlexVPN configuration and operations in any network environment.

Graham Bartlett (CCIE, CISSP) is a Networking Consulting Engineer for Cisco Security Solutions. He has designed many large scale virtual private networks, and helped customers around the world leverage IKEv2 and next-generation encryption. He has discovered a number of zero-day VPN vulnerabilities, and has intellectual property published as prior art. A member of CLAS, he holds a BSc (Hons) in Computer Systems and Networks.

Amjad Inamdar (CISSP, CCSK, CCNP Security, CCDP, CCNP RandS) is Senior Technical Leader with Cisco IOS Security Engineering. He has 16+ years of experience in networking and security, including 10+ years at Cisco. He specializes in the design, development and deployment of IOS IPsec secure connectivity solutions, including FlexVPN, DMVPN, GetVPN and EzVPN solutions. He has extensive experience with the IKEv2 protocol, wrote an IETF draft on IKEv2-based data communication, and has authored a patent. He holds a B.E. degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering.