Blue Coat Management Center

Basic Information

Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center is a unified management platform designed to simplify the administration, monitoring, and policy enforcement for Broadcom's network security products, primarily ProxySG, Advanced Secure Gateway (ASG), SSL Visibility Appliance, Content Analysis System, and Malware Analysis solutions.

• Model: S400-20 Appliance, Virtual Appliance (VA)
• Version: Documentation references version 3.3.x.
• Release Date: Specific release date for the initial product is not publicly available, but documentation for version 3.3.x is current as of 2025.
• Minimum Requirements:
  • Virtual Appliance (for up to 10 devices): 2 CPU Cores, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB HDD (Disk 2), 4 GB (Disk 1)
  • Virtual Appliance (for up to 500 devices): 16 CPU Cores, 64 GB RAM, 600 GB HDD (Disk 2), 4 GB (Disk 1)
  • Virtual Appliance (for up to 1000 devices): 32 CPU Cores, 128 GB RAM, 1000 GB HDD (Disk 2), 4 GB (Disk 1)
• Supported Operating Systems:
  • Appliance: Blue Coat Common Operating Environment (COE)
  • Virtual Appliance: VMware ESX (5+), KVM, AWS, Hyper-V, Google Cloud, Azure
• Latest Stable Version: Version 3.3.x is the latest documented version.
• End of Support Date: Not explicitly stated for specific versions, but general End-of-Maintenance (EOM) and End-of-Life (EOL) policies apply.
• End of Life Date: Management Center has a general End of Life date of November 21, 2025.
• Auto-update Expiration Date: Not publicly available.
• License Type: Requires a valid license, validated via serial number.
• Deployment Model: Physical Appliance, Virtual Appliance, Cloud Services.

Technical Requirements

Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center offers both physical and virtual deployment options, with hardware requirements scaling based on the number of managed devices.

• RAM:
  • Virtual Appliance: Ranges from 8 GB (for up to 10 devices) to 128 GB (for up to 1000 devices).
  • Physical Appliance (S400-20): Not explicitly detailed, but typically includes sufficient RAM for its capacity.
• Processor:
  • Virtual Appliance: Ranges from 2 CPU Cores (for up to 10 devices) to 32 CPU Cores (for up to 1000 devices).
  • Physical Appliance (S400-20): Not explicitly detailed.
• Storage:
  • Virtual Appliance: Requires a primary disk (Disk 1) of 4 GB and a secondary disk (Disk 2) ranging from 100 GB (for up to 10 devices) to 1000 GB (for up to 1000 devices). Additional disk space may be required for tenant policies.
  • Physical Appliance (S400-20): Equipped with 3 x 1 TB SAS drives, providing an effective storage of 1 TB.
• Display: Not a direct requirement for the appliance itself, but a web-based console is used for management, requiring a standard display for client access.
• Ports:
  • Web UI: TCP 8080 (disabled by default), 8082 (HTTPS).
  • CLI: TCP 22 (SSH).
  • Web API: TCP 8082 (HTTPS).
  • Statistics Collector: TCP 9009 (HTTP, disabled by default), 9010 (HTTPS).
  • Failover: TCP 2025.
• Operating System: Blue Coat Common Operating Environment (COE) for physical appliances; VMware ESX, KVM, AWS, Hyper-V, Google Cloud, Azure for virtual deployments.

Analysis of Technical Requirements: The Management Center's technical requirements are flexible, supporting both dedicated hardware and various virtualized environments. Scalability is a key aspect, with virtual appliance specifications directly correlating to the number of managed devices. This allows organizations to tailor resources to their specific deployment size. The reliance on standard networking protocols and web-based management ensures broad compatibility with existing IT infrastructures. For virtual deployments, enterprise-grade hardware RAID controllers with dedicated write cache are recommended to meet I/O demands.

Support & Compatibility

Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center integrates with and manages a range of Broadcom (formerly Symantec/Blue Coat) network security products.

• Latest Version: Version 3.3.x is the latest documented version.
• OS Support:
  • Appliance: Runs on Blue Coat's Common Operating Environment (COE).
  • Virtual Appliance: Compatible with VMware ESX (5+), KVM, AWS, Hyper-V, Google Cloud, and Azure.
  • Client Access: Web-based console supports modern browsers including Google Chrome (60.0.3112+), Mozilla Firefox (57+), Microsoft Edge (42.17134+), and Safari (10.1.2+).
• End of Support Date: End-of-Maintenance (EOM) and End-of-Life (EOL) dates are product-specific and generally available through Broadcom's support portal. The general EOL for Management Center is November 21, 2025.
• Localization: Not explicitly detailed in public documentation.
• Available Drivers: As an appliance or virtual appliance, specific user-installable drivers are not typically applicable. The system operates with its integrated software and hardware.

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status: Management Center offers broad compatibility with major virtualization platforms and modern web browsers for its management interface. It is designed to centrally manage a wide array of Broadcom network security devices, providing a unified control plane. Broadcom provides lifecycle information for its products, including EOL and EOM dates, which are crucial for planning upgrades and ensuring continued support. The platform leverages a common operating environment (COE) across Blue Coat products, aiming for consistent management.

Security Status

Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center incorporates various security features and follows best practices to protect the management infrastructure.

• Security Features:
  • Object-level role-based access control for granular permissions.
  • Enforcement of TLS 1.2 for browser connections to the UI.
  • Support for strong security ciphers and protocols; discourages SSLv3, TLSv1, TLSv1.1, and CBC ciphers.
  • Strong password policies for administrator accounts (12+ characters, mixed case, special characters).
  • Multiple authentication methods: Local, LDAP, Active Directory (AD), RADIUS, Okta Identity Provider (IdP), SSL Mutual Authentication.
  • HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) support.
  • Encrypted connections to mail servers for alerts.
  • Audit logging to remote syslog for monitoring abnormal behavior.
  • FIPS mode for compliance with federal standards (versions 2.1.x and later).
  • Specification of allowed hosts for Management Center access.
  • UI inactivity timeout (default 30 minutes).
• Known Vulnerabilities:
  • Older versions were susceptible to OpenSSH vulnerabilities (CVE-2016-10009, CVE-2016-10011, CVE-2016-10012), remediated in later releases (e.g., 3.0.1.1 for MC 3.0).
  • Management Center is not vulnerable to CVE-2023-51384/CVE-2023-51385 (SSH-Agent related).
  • For CVE-2023-48795 (Terrapin attack on SSH), mitigation involves removing ChaCha20-Poly1305 and CBC ciphers from the SSH Console via CLI.
• Blacklist Status: Not publicly available.
• Certifications: Broadcom's environmental management system is ISO 14001 aligned. Product-specific security certifications are not explicitly detailed.
• Encryption Support: TLS 1.2 is enforced by default for UI access. Supports SSL contexts for device connection security, allowing configuration of ciphers, protocol versions, and trusted certificates. HTTPS is required for API access.
• Authentication Methods: Supports local user lists, LDAP, Active Directory, RADIUS, Okta IdP, and SSL Mutual Authentication. Recommends external authentication for high-security environments due to local authentication not supporting auto-lockout.
• General Recommendations: Secure physical location, deploy behind firewalls/proxies, use LDAPS/AD over local authentication, set strong passwords, enable remote syslog, regularly review system logs, and do not share admin accounts.

Analysis on the Overall Security Rating: Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center emphasizes robust security practices for its own operation and the management of connected devices. It provides granular access controls, supports strong encryption protocols, and offers diverse authentication options to integrate with enterprise identity management systems. While older versions had known vulnerabilities, Broadcom actively addresses these with patches and provides guidance for mitigation. The platform's security best practices guide highlights a proactive approach to securing the management infrastructure. The recommendation to avoid local authentication for high-security environments due to the lack of auto-lockout is a notable point for administrators to consider.

Performance & Benchmarks

Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center's performance is primarily measured by its capacity to manage a large number of network security devices efficiently.

• Benchmark Scores: Specific industry benchmark scores are not publicly available.
• Real-World Performance Metrics:
  • Manages up to 500 ProxySG appliances.
  • Virtual appliances can support up to 1000 managed devices with appropriate resource allocation.
  • Automates and streamlines operations, reducing time and resources.
  • Provides high availability and improves overall visibility.
• Power Consumption: Specific power consumption metrics for the Management Center appliance or virtual appliance are not publicly available. Broadcom as a corporation focuses on energy efficiency in its products and operations, including data centers.
• Carbon Footprint: Direct carbon footprint data for the Management Center product is not publicly available. Broadcom is committed to reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions and focuses on power-efficient technologies. Data centers generally aim to reduce carbon footprint through energy-efficient hardware, virtualization, and optimizing IT applications.
• Comparison with Similar Assets: Direct comparisons with competing products are not publicly available in the provided data.

Analysis of the Overall Performance Status: The Management Center is designed for scalability, capable of managing hundreds to a thousand devices depending on its configuration (physical vs. virtual and allocated resources). Its primary performance benefit lies in centralizing management tasks, policy deployment, and reporting across a large network security infrastructure, thereby reducing operational overhead and improving efficiency. While specific power consumption and carbon footprint figures for the product are not detailed, Broadcom's broader corporate sustainability initiatives suggest an emphasis on energy efficiency.

User Reviews & Feedback

User feedback regarding Broadcom products, including those in the Blue Coat portfolio, highlights both strengths and areas for improvement.

• Strengths:
  • Centralized visibility and control for network security products.
  • Simplifies web security and governance by enabling consistent policy deployment across devices.
  • Enhances advanced threat defenses by integrating with malware categories and content analysis systems.
  • Automates operational tasks, leading to reduced operating costs and improved efficiency.
  • User-friendly console and strong technical capability (general feedback for related products).
  • Reliability and low management overhead (general feedback for related products).
• Weaknesses:
  • Confusion about maintenance and upkeep for some related products.
  • Perceived non-existent or offshored support for some related products.
  • Issues with Java-based components in older versions or related products.
  • Upgrading can be complex and require significant backend work (general feedback for related products).
• Recommended Use Cases:
  • Organizations with multiple ProxySG, ASG, SSL Visibility, Content Analysis, or Malware Analysis appliances requiring centralized management.
  • Environments needing consistent application of web security and governance policies across various sites and devices.
  • Enterprises focused on enhancing advanced threat defenses and streamlining investigations.
  • Deployments aiming to automate repetitive tasks and improve overall operational efficiency of network security.

Summary of User Reviews & Feedback: Users generally appreciate the Management Center's ability to unify and simplify the management of complex network security deployments. The centralized control, policy enforcement, and automation capabilities are frequently cited as significant advantages. However, some feedback on related Broadcom/Blue Coat products indicates concerns around support, maintenance clarity, and the complexity of upgrades, particularly concerning older technologies like Java. These points suggest that while the core functionality is valued, the user experience around support and upgrades can be an area for improvement.

Summary

Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center serves as a critical unified management platform for Broadcom's suite of network security products, including ProxySG, ASG, SSL Visibility, Content Analysis, and Malware Analysis solutions. It offers both physical appliance and flexible virtual appliance deployment models, scaling from managing a few devices to over a thousand, with corresponding hardware requirements. The platform provides centralized visibility and control, simplifying policy definition, deployment, and monitoring across diverse network environments.

Key strengths include its robust security features, such as granular role-based access control, strong authentication options (LDAP, AD, RADIUS, Okta), and enforcement of modern encryption protocols like TLS 1.2. It also offers audit logging and FIPS compliance for secure operations. The ability to automate tasks and provide a single pane of glass for managing multiple security devices significantly reduces operational costs and improves efficiency.

Areas for consideration include the need for careful planning regarding End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Maintenance (EOM) dates, as well as addressing known vulnerabilities in older software versions through timely upgrades. While the product's core performance in managing devices is strong, specific benchmark data and detailed power consumption/carbon footprint metrics are not readily available. User feedback, though sometimes pertaining to related products, points to the value of centralized management but also highlights occasional concerns about support clarity and upgrade complexity.

Overall, Broadcom Blue Coat Management Center is a powerful tool for organizations seeking to streamline and secure their network security infrastructure. Its strengths in centralized management, policy enforcement, and security features make it a valuable asset for complex deployments. Recommendations include adhering to Broadcom's security best practices, staying current with software versions to mitigate vulnerabilities, and leveraging its automation capabilities to maximize operational efficiency. For optimal performance and security, administrators should ensure that the underlying infrastructure for virtual deployments meets the recommended specifications and that support contracts are maintained.

The information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.