With which hardware option must Cisco ASA models below the 5585-X be sold to support FirePOWER services?

Question

Options

• ASSP module
• BFireSIGHT Management Center
• CSSD
• DFirePOWER services bundle

• A
  94% (49)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  4% (2)

Explanation

Option A is correct because Cisco ASA models below the 5585-X lack dedicated hardware resources for running FirePOWER services on their own - they must be bundled with an SSP (Security Services Processor) module, which provides the processing and storage capacity needed to run FirePOWER inline. Without the SSP, the appliance cannot offload the inspection workload that FirePOWER demands.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B (FireSIGHT Management Center): This is a centralized management platform used to administer FirePOWER policies and view events - it's not hardware co-located in the ASA chassis, and it doesn't enable FirePOWER on the device itself.
• C (SSD): An SSD provides storage but is not the standalone hardware requirement for FirePOWER services on these ASA models; it's the SSP module (which may incorporate SSD-like storage) that is the qualifying bundled component.
• D (FirePOWER services bundle): This refers to a software/licensing bundle, not a physical hardware option - hardware and licensing are separate requirements.

Memory tip: Think "SSP = Services Supported by Processor" - below the 5585-X, the ASA needs the SSP module physically present before FirePOWER can run. The 5585-X is modular enough to handle it natively; smaller models are not.

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