To: debian-news@lists.debian.org
Subject: Debian based Telemetry Box Distribution released
From: "Nils Lohner" <lohner@debian.org>
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 17:35:09 +0100


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Debian Project                                    http://www.debian.org/
Debian based Telemetry Box Distribution released        press@debian.org
January 25, 2001
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[ This post was written by Christoph Lameter <christoph@lameter.com> ]

Version 1.0 of the Telemetry Box Distribution has finally been 
released. The Tbox distribution is a Debian GNU/Linux 'potato' based 
custom Linux version for remote monitoring and maintenance of networks.

A telemetry box allows remote management and diagnostics.  It uses a 
customized version of netsaint to gather data.  Netsaint has been 
enhanced so that the configuration is possible via the Tbox 
Webinterface through SQL structures.  Netsaint logs into a SQL table.  
Tools on the Tbox can then display the data in a variety of ways 
(graphs or reports).

Some of the functionality of the Tbox:
- Discovery module (Scan network and write results to SQL database)
- Ticket System (Can be hooked into siteROCKs problem tracking system).
- PathFinder (Network infrastructure analysis and troubleshooting module
  written by me. Tested with monitoring all network paths to all
  educational institutions (edu.zone) for a week (30000 IPs)).
- Apache/PHP/MySQL/PHPMyadmin
- Fully manageable via a webinterface. All major setup can be done
  via the Web.
- SSH/HTTPS support out of the box.
- Easy installation (network card detection, auto-partitioning and
  formatting, no useless questions asked) of Debian usable without
  any Unix know-how.
- NT Diagnostic module (NSServicer)
- Keynote data integration
- Modified CURL tool that works as a URL analyzer for netsaint.
- Report module: Performance data.  Router data and graphical reports.
- Intelligent ticket system (can localize point of network failure and
  asses impact of the failure)


Installation from CD Image
--------------------------

It is highly advisable to install from a CD image. The CD image at 
<http://openrock.net/tb/iso/ccimage_v1.0.iso> fits on a Credit Card 
sized CD (only 50 MB) and contains all functionality.  I will have 
these CDs physically available at the LWE in Europe at the beginning of 
February.

The telemetry software can be installed as an add on to existing Debian 
installations but it requires modifications to apache and/or PHP.  See 
<http://openrock.net> for details.


Opensource contributions
------------------------

Sources are available from <http://openrock.net/tb/local/sources>.  
Patches to existing software have been or will be contributed to the 
respective opensource projects.

openrock.net has been outfitted with a kernel based http server (with 
patches implementing range and virtual hosting).  Downloading should be 
no problem.

Note that we do not consider this version to be of production quality.  
Some features are only working under certain conditions.  Some 
components have a prototype character.  There are various issues that 
are being improved on.  Help would be appreciated.  Ideally we would 
like to have everything part of standard Debian.  The biggest problem 
was the ease of installation and handling which required some changes 
to packages which might not be welcome.

siteROCK <http://www.siterock.com> the specialists for 24x7 monitoring 
made this release possible.

Christoph Lameter, January 23, 2001

-- 
Nils Lohner                             E-Mail: lohner@debian.org
Debian Press Team                       Press:  press@debian.org



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