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VM-Series Deployment Guide

Customize Dataplane Cores

Table of Contents

Customize Dataplane Cores

Use the CLI to customize the core division between the dataplane and the management plane from the VM-Series Firewall version 10.2 or later.

As mentioned in Software NGFW Credits, when a firewall is deployed using Software NGFW credits, the memory profile and the total number of vCPUs determine how many cores are automatically assigned to the management plane and the dataplane. The default configurations perform well in most cases.

The maximum number of total cores (management plane and dataplane) is 64, regardless of memory profile.

Customize dataplane cores is an optional feature that allows you to customize the number of dataplane cores in two ways:

During the initial deployment, use the init-cfg.txt file bootstrap parameter plugin-op-commands=set-dp-cores:<#-cores>. See init-cfg.txt File Components.
From a deployed firewall, using the VM-Series CLI command request plugins vm_series dp-cores <#-cores>. This procedure is outlined below.

Typically you increase the number of dataplane cores (which decreases the number of management plane cores) to improve performance. Dataplane core customization does not require a change to the deployment profile or additional credits because the total number of vCPUs remains the same.

Dataplane core customization is supported on firewalls running PAN-OS 10.1 or later licensed with a Software NGFW credit pool for 10.0.4 and above.
Dataplane core customization is not supported for:
- NSX-T
- Intelligent Traffic Offload

Follow theses steps to customize the dataplane cores on the VM-Series firewall.

admin@PA-VM(active)>show plugins vm_series dp-cores
Device current DP cores: 13 (Total cores: 18)

Change the number of dataplane cores.
Note that you must have at least one management plane core, and having too few cores affects performance.

In this example we increase the dataplanes to 14.
```
admin@PA-VM(active)>request plugins vm_series dp-cores 14
Device current DP cores: 14 (Total cores: 18)
```
Reboot the VM-Series firewall.
Select DeviceSetupOperations and click Reboot Device.
Use show plugins vm_series dp-cores to verify that the number of DP cores has changed.

Set the Number of Licensed vCPUs

Migrate a Firewall to a Flexible VM-Series License