What Role Does Cisco FMC Assume in ISE pxGrid Integration?
Describe Secure Firewall Management Center integration using pxGrid
Answer
Correct answer: D — Cisco FMC registers as the pxGrid client when integrated with Cisco ISE, allowing it to subscribe to ISE context topics.
An engineer integrates Cisco FMC and Cisco ISE using pxGrid. Which role is assigned for Cisco FMC?
Community Insight
Tests the pxGrid role assignment in FMC–ISE integration; the trap is confusing the controller role (ISE) or a publisher/subscriber capability with FMC's overall client registration.
When Cisco FMC integrates with ISE over pxGrid, ISE acts as the pxGrid controller and FMC registers as a pxGrid client. This page confirms FMC is the client (D), approved in ISE under pxGrid Services > Client Management, and explains why publisher is only a capability.
Many learners choose 'publisher' because a pxGrid client can publish topics, but ISE lists FMC as a client; publisher is only a capability of that client registration.
Community Discussion (10 comments)
sasco263
👍 1
Selected: D
Context-sensitive information is shared from Cisco ISE to Cisco FMC in a server-client architecture.
donciga
👍 1
Selected: D
D. clientpxGrid uses a controller plus publishers and subscribers. Cisco ISE is the pxGrid controller. FMC registers as a pxGrid client, is approved in ISE under Administration → pxGrid Services → Clients, and then subscribes to topics such as Session Directory and SXP so it can use ISE user/SGT context in access-control rules.
squirrelzzz
👍 2
Selected: D
FMC registers as a client when integrated with ISE
gwb
👍 6
I will go "D" Validation on ISE. When the FMC pxGrid client has been successfully integrated on ISE, you then see )in the menu Administration > pxGrid Services > Client Management > Clients) clients with the name fmc are included and enabled. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/identity-services-engine-32/220856-configure-and-troubleshoot-ise-3-2-with.html
LTLnetworker
👍 3
On ISE GUI pxGrid peers are listed as clients. FMC is a client and has Capabilities (0 Pub, 6 Sub) so it is a subscriber.
LTLnetworker
👍 4
Selected: D
PxGrid controller (ISE) : Must trust each of the participants that use pxGrid. Client: Can be subscriber and publisher of different topics. Publisher: Client that shares information with the controller. Subscriber: Client that consumes the information of a topic. FMC is client or subscriber.
Dash_888
👍 1
Selected: C
Given the below information I believe the answer is Publisher https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/identity-services-engine-32/220856-configure-and-troubleshoot-ise-3-2-with.html Components of pxGrid as platform. PxGrid controller (ISE) : Must trust each of the participants that use pxGrid. Client: Can be subscriber and publisher of different topics. Publisher: Client that shares information with the controller. Subscriber: Client that consumes the information of a topic
KISRUVEM
👍 1
Selected: D
ChatGPT 4: In the context of integrating Cisco Firepower Management Center (FMC) with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) using pxGrid, the Cisco FMC is assigned the role of a client. Answer: D. client My confidence in this answer is approximately 95%. The reason for this high confidence is based on the typical architecture of pxGrid integrations, where Cisco FMC acts as a client to Cisco ISE's pxGrid server. As for the other options: A. Server - 5% confidence. FMC is typically not the server in this integration. B. Controller - 5% confidence. While FMC does control aspects of network security, in the pxGrid context, it is not referred to as a controller. C. Publisher - 5% confidence. This term is not typically used in the context of pxGrid roles for FMC. In the pxGrid framework, Cisco ISE serves as the central server (or controller) that facilitates information exchange, and other integrated services like FMC act as clients that subscribe to or publish contextual information through this grid.
z6st2a1jv
👍 1
Selected: C
https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/article/introduction-to-cisco-pxgrid-37956 ISE act as Controller for the pxGrid. Each pxGrid client registers themself in ISE and obtains pxGrid Certificate from it. pxGrid clients (participants) can register as a Publisher (aka pub) , to make information available to others, as a Subscriber (aka sub), to request information from others, or both.
TheSebastian
👍 2
Selected: C
pxGrid stands for Platform Exchange Grid, and it is a technology that allows integrating multiple vendors security products together and grouping them in an ecosystem domain. The main purpose of using pxGrid is to share contextual data between the integrated partners. pxGrid uses a built-in API in ISE and it is comprised of three main components which are the controller, publisher and the subscriber. The controller is the core component to make everything working and as said is going to be ISE. The publisher instead is the partner that has some contextual data to be shared with the other partners. And finally the subscriber is the partner that is interested in parsing some contextual data from the other partners. Reference: https://bluenetsec.com/fmc-pxgrid-integration-with-ise/ Therefore the controller is ISE, there is no “subscriber” option so the best answer should be “publisher”.
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Cisco ISE is the pxGrid controller in any pxGrid ecosystem, and integrated products register with it as clients. Cisco FMC obtains a pxGrid certificate from ISE and appears under Administration > pxGrid Services > Client Management > Clients, where it is enabled as a client named "fmc". In that client role, FMC subscribes to topics such as Session Directory and SXP so it can consume ISE user identity and Security Group Tag (SGT) context for access-control policies. This matches the community consensus: gwb pointed out that ISE shows "clients with the name fmc are included and enabled," and LTLnetworker summarized "FMC is client or subscriber". No option such as server, controller, or publisher describes FMC's assigned role in ISE's client list; D is correct.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A ("server") is wrong because pxGrid is not a simple server–client protocol in which FMC acts as a server; ISE is the controller and trust anchor. B ("controller") is wrong because Cisco ISE, not FMC, is the pxGrid controller that trusts and manages all participants. C ("publisher") is the most tempting distractor: while a pxGrid client can be a publisher, subscriber, or both, FMC is registered as a client and normally subscribes to ISE topics (one learner observed 0 Pub, 6 Sub capabilities). Cisco's documentation and the ISE GUI list FMC as a client, so "publisher" conflates a capability with the assigned role. TheSebastian and Dash_888 argued for publisher by quoting generic controller/publisher/subscriber definitions, but those definitions describe pxGrid client capabilities, not FMC's integration role.Community Comment Notes
The strongest comments favor D: gwb linked Cisco's ISE 3.2 troubleshooting guide and noted that under "Administration > pxGrid Services > Client Management > Clients" the client named fmc is "included and enabled." LTLnetworker explained that ISE is the "pxGrid controller" while "FMC is client or subscriber," and squirrelzzz, donciga, sasco263, and KISRUVEM all independently chose D. Dash_888 and TheSebastian selected C because pxGrid defines a publisher role, but as z6st2a1jv clarified, "Each pxGrid client registers themself in ISE and obtains pxGrid Certificate from it," and clients can be publishers, subscribers, or both. The vote split reflects the capability-versus-role trap, not genuine ambiguity in Cisco's documentation.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
In pxGrid exam questions, identify ISE as the controller and treat any integrated product (including FMC) as a client. If an option says 'publisher' or 'subscriber,' ask whether the question asks for the client's capability or its registered role — the registered role is client.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'publisher' considered wrong for Cisco FMC in pxGrid?
Although a pxGrid client can publish topics, ISE lists FMC as a client (typically a subscriber) in Client Management; publisher is a capability, not FMC's assigned role.
Who is the pxGrid controller in an FMC-ISE integration?
Cisco ISE is always the pxGrid controller; it trusts participants and issues certificates. FMC is one of those participants, registering as a client.