Great Circle Associates Network-Automation
(June 2005)
 

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Subject: Re: ACL compiler [was: Network Automation: An Architects View]
From: Vadim Kurland <vadim @ vk . crocodile . org>
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 18:44:51 -0700
To: mhalligan @ bitpusher . com
Cc: tedkaz @ optonline . net, DJ Gregor <dj @ gregor . com>,network-automation @ greatcircle . com
In-reply-to: <42BDFFF5.10307@bitpusher.com>
References: <5.1.0.14.0.20050521155048.025ab230@mail.eclipse.co.uk> <17039.36357.794569.744848@perdition.linnaean.org> <c0fc3ae805052217037a1c0971@mail.gmail.com> <20050524115708.E40415@skink.reptiles.org> <66b6f3369bde6fa64632f383d2bc4500@gregor.com> <1119747621.14548.2.camel@inyoureyes.linsolutions.com> <42BDFFF5.10307@bitpusher.com>


On Jun 25, 2005, at 6:08 PM, Michael T. Halligan wrote:

> Ted,
>
> I believe you can create a redhat-style iptables file, after you've  
> created your policy by running iptables-save .. Not the best
> solution, but a workable one.
>
> Otherwise, FWbuilder is nice, but in my experience it's somewhat  
> buggy. I've never been able to get it to work reliably enough
> to create a policy all the way through on any platform it supports.
>

I am the author of Firewall Builder. May I ask what bugs you've  
encountered? I would like to fix them, of course. You can contact me  
off the list.

As far as generating iptables config that can be used with iptables- 
restore directly, the thing is, Firewall Builder does some extra work  
preparing the system besides just generating iptables rules. For  
example, it can configure alias IP addresses on interfaces to make  
sure  NAT rules work even if they use IP address that are not the  
primary ones on the interfaces. You do not have to use this feature,  
it is optional, but many users asked for it. It can also set or clear  
various kernel parameters, such as ip forwarding, various TCP  
parameters etc. Generated script can also read an address of an  
interface at the moment of policy activation and use it in the rules.  
This way we can generate correct anti-spoofing rules even for  
firewalls with dynamic addresses and do other neat things, such as  
use "wild card" interfaces in the policies. The same mechanism is  
used when you  create one policy and then deploy it on multiple  
servers or firewalls that have similar configuration but different  
addresses.

--vk



> Michael
>
> Ted Kaczmarek wrote:
>
>
>> On Tue, 2005-05-24 at 12:25 -0400, DJ Gregor wrote:
>>
>>
>>> In terms of ACL compilers, has anyone looked at Firewall  
>>> Builder?  It  looks to have a general XML format that defines the  
>>> policy (although at  a low-level, in terms of ports and devices),  
>>> along with translators  from the XML format into implementation- 
>>> specific configuration  statements.
>>>
>>>     http://www.fwbuilder.org/
>>>
>>> I've also seen the same thing done in a commercial product where  
>>> not  only the firewall configuration, but the entire device  
>>> configuration  was specified in an XML language that was  
>>> translated to operating  system-specific configurations (for  
>>> multiple OSes, even).  The XML  configurations were per-device,  
>>> not per-network, however.
>>>
>>>
>>>     - djg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> I would like it a lot more if it generated redhat style iptables
>> file :-)
>> It is a most popular tool used by lots of people I know.
>>
>> Ted
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> -------------------
> BitPusher, LLC
> http://www.bitpusher.com/
> 1.888.9PUSHER
> (415) 724.7998 - Mobile
>
>



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From: "Michael T. Halligan" <mhalligan@bitpusher.com>
Next: Re: ACL compiler [was: Network Automation: An Architects View]
From: Ted Kaczmarek <tedkaz@optonline.net>
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From: "Michael T. Halligan" <mhalligan@bitpusher.com>
Next: Re: ACL compiler [was: Network Automation: An Architects View]
From: Ted Kaczmarek <tedkaz@optonline.net>

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