# Policy-Based Routing

Policy-Based Routing (PBR) provides a flexible mechanism for forwarding data packets based on polices configured by a network administrator. You do not configure a dynamic routing protocol or static routes when using PBR; the PBR policy sends the packets along the path defined in the policy.

With PBR you can implement policies that selectively cause packets to take different paths. PBR provides a routing mechanism for networks that rely on application layer support like antivirus (AV), deep inspection (DI), or anti-spam and/or require a way to route traffic automatically to specific applications.

PBR is the first part of the route lookup process and is transparent to all non-PBR traffic. PBR is configured at the interface level, but you can choose to bind PBR policies to the interface, zone, virtual router (VR) or a combination of interface, zone, or VRs.

To use PBR, you need to configure the following three items:

1. Extended access-lists

2. Match-groups

3. Action-groups

These three items reside within the context of a VR.

You are viewing the Extended Access Control List (ACL) page; from this page you can do any of the following tasks:

- ### Changing the granularity of viewing options

Limiting the display to extended ACLs for a particular virtual router (VR)

To change the number of extended ACLs that you view per page, select the number you desire from the drop-down list. You can choose from these options: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100.

To view extended ACLS for a particular virtual router, select a specific virtual router from the drop-down list.

- ### Removing extended ACL entries

To remove a single ACL sequence number listed under an extended ACL, click the Remove hyperlink next to the entry you want to remove.

To remove an extended ACL, click Remove, which appears across from the Extended ACL ID number. A dialog appears asking you to confirm that you want to delete the extended ACL.

- ### Adding a Sequence Number

To add a sequence number to an extended ACl, click the add Seq No. option. which returns you to the record of the extended ACL.

- ### Creating a new extended ACL

1. Choose the virtual router that you want associate with the extended ACL.

2. Click New.