Custom Administration Package Kevin Foote CS470 Project 20.November.2002

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

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

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

System Architecture

Methodology Jabber :: component Perl :: Script - 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

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

Package Future I plan on working on this project further. I’d 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

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

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

Quick Overview - JABBER