From: Aaron Turner <synfinatic@...>
Date: 2008-05-25T00:46:39+09:00
Subject: Re: Need your recommendations for TCP Server/Client design

On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 2:07 PM, Victor Reyes <victor.reyes@gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
> Reading a new book I just acquired I came across a package called *GServer*.
> I was wondering if this will be suitable for what I need.
> Also, what type of encryption should I use?
>
> They were talking something like:
>
> Client sends connection request
> Server replies with client's *hostname* and *time*
> Client sends back the *time *received from server together with the command
> which the client wants to execute at the remote server.
> Server executes command if it is "happy" with the reply from the client.
>
> Of course all communication must be ciphered.
>
> Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

GServer is great.   I'd use SSL for encryption.  Require the client
app to authenticate to each server via a password.  Probably easiest
to check against the root password.

The easiest way to add SSL to any application is to  run stunnel on
each of your servers and have it proxy to your server listing on a
port on the loopback interface.  That way your server doesn't even
have to know SSL and it's easy to debug.    Whatever you do DO NOT
design your own crypto solution- notice the Debian guys couldn't even
make a small "fix" without breaking ssh horribly.

On a side note, there are already free solutions for this sort of
thing... just search freshmeat.net.


-- 
Aaron Turner
http://synfin.net/
http://tcpreplay.synfin.net/ - Pcap editing & replay tools for Unix
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin