Custom Administration Package

1
Custom Administration Package

• Kevin Foote
• CS470 Project
• 20.November.2002

2
Project Overview

• Goal
• - Create a unified administration package for a
  web server
• - Enable two access points to this package
• 1. Through standard UNIX console
• 2. Through the Jabber (Instant Messaging)
  protocol
• - Client Nicholas Kirsch myself
• Why?
• - Client desired a highly customized way to
  administer system
• - Wanted this to be available through an IM
  interface
• - Current administration had become cumbersome

3
Administration

• Past
• - All website additions were manually performed
• - All user additions were manually performed
• - Absence of documentation about actions and
  method
• Present
• - Administration is achieved through one focal
  point
• - Actions are logged
• - Complete package documentation available

4
Custom Administration System

• Console scripts
• - Four customized perl scripts
• - All scripts are accessed through one driver
  script
• - These scripts perform all the system
  modifications
• Jabber component
• - Component connects to local jabberd server and
  listens
• - Messages to component are converted to script
  commands

5
System Architecture
6
Methodology

• Jabber component
• - connect to local host with SHA-1 digest
• - created a simple message handler
• - performed simple parsing of XML
• - performed simple creation of XML
• - authentication via from attribute of message
• Perl Script
• - made use of UNIX tools ex useradd, deluser

7
Waterfall Development

• Waterfall development method was used. I felt
  that such a building process would work well for
  this project
• Original proposition of 2 distinct stages did not
  work well
• Simultaneous development proved easier to
  visualize
• Generalization in the requirements for this
  project lead to some development issues
• Minor requirement change
• Removed the system interface to the script
  system.
• Problems Encountered
• - Configuring jabberd server
• - XML parsing utilities
• - reinvented the wheel

8
Package Future

• I plan on working on this project further. Id
  like to see this be released as a robust
  administration tool.
• Mechanism for site personalized scripts.
• Future Directions (room for improvement)
• - Multi threaded application
• - XML library
• - Xerces-C/C
• - Expat C

9
Schedule

• Some timeline adjustments
• Research large amount of time
• Hitches in using libraries cause development to
  exceed time allotment

10
Conclusion

• Delivery of a working customized administration
  package for our web-server
• This project proved to be both fun and very
  interesting
• Educational Experience
• Working with the jabber protocol, particularly
  within the development of the client server
  architecture
• Working with and through the entire development
  process
• Developing a UNIX software package using
  real-world attributes
• Makefile, external libraries
• Better understanding of how strict requirements
  lend them selves to fewer problems throughout
  development

11
Quick Overview - JABBER