Virtual systems are multiple, logical firewall instances within a single Palo Alto Networks physical firewall. Each virtual system is an independent, separately managed logical firewall with its traffic kept separate from that of others. Virtual systems are supported for PA-3000 series, PA-5000 series and PA-7000 series firewalls, the number varying by product and dependent upon licensing.
A use case requirement that can drive the use of virtual systems is multitenancy. A typical, corresponding deployment scenario is two physical firewalls for high availability, configured as virtual systems for use by tenants. Advantages of using virtual systems include efficiency, based on physical consolidation, and agility, since virtual systems can be created quickly.
