Etechnopedia

Level: Advanced

eBox Platform is an open source software free to to download for Linux available independently, but also integrated for three years in Ubuntu. Allows you to manage and administer multiple eBox Platforms, remote backups or make low cost calls to any phone in the world using VoIP and eBox Control Center and PBX.

Installing eBox Platform can be performed using the installer available at http://ebox-platform.com (recommended), which facilitates the download and setup on a single CD and has all the necessary files. There is also the option install the process from an Ubuntu Server Edition with the official repositories of the eBox Platform, you can download for free from Ubuntu. It is also possible to install eBox Platform on a real machine as a well a virtual one (www.vmware.com /).

Etechnopedia encourages you to install your own eBox and experiment with it. It has multiple capabilities and is widely used worldwide as a tool for network management in companies such as NASA.

The best method of learning is practice. This article is a gateway to the wide world of network administration. Start right now and find out what you can with your eBox.

Step 1. Installation Type

When you first run the installer, you will find a language selection window. After choosing the one you want, you move to another window where the installer will ask you about the method on how to install.

The unattended option deletes all the contents of the hard disk and loads the application semi-automatically. On the other hand, the expert mode allows a custom installation. Unless you're an advanced user, we recommend you choose unattended version due to its simplicity.

Step 2. Administrator User

Once the necessary files are deployed and your computer restarted, start the installation process itself.

The first thing needed is to create an administrator of the system and determine the password for it. The latter will serve to access the eBox interface.

Step 3. Features

The next step consists of the installation package that will provide the various features to your eBox. Select the optionSimple Select packages by task if you want to load a set of packages to provide various functionality to the server.

You will then see a list of the various alternatives available. If instead you prefer to choose the packages to be installed manually (recommended only for advanced users), by selecting avanced Select packages manually, which takes you to a list of modules to choose from.

There are five features that are available to obtain. Thus, Gateway is the gateway to the local network that allows secure access to the Internet. Security ensures the protection of your network from intrusions, providing secure connectivity between local and external networks.

Infrastructure focuses on the management of network services (DHCP, DNS, NTP, HTTP server ...). Office centralizes the management of shared network resources (printers, authentication, ...). Finally, Communication Center enables communications (email, instant messaging and VoIP).

If you're not sure what you need, do not worry. Remember that you can later install and remove packages as you wish. After selecting the components, a window with progress bar informs you of your status during installation.

Step 4. Final adjustments to the configuration

Generally, you will have an architecture based on a single computer (a server), however, if you have an master-slave infrastructure, you must choose the advanced option (Advanced).

This option appears only if the module for Users and Groups is installed. On the other hand, you must specify if any of the NICs is connected to an external network (Internet), because this traffic will be strictly analyzed. If you have only one, this option you will be presented.

Finally, if you installed the Mail module, you must configure the email interface.

Step 5. Red managing our

Once the eBox Platform is installed, you can access a graphical interface on your web browser. Use the password entered in the first steps of the installer to identify and access the eBox administration interface.

If you wish, you may enter it at any time using this address: https://yourmachine / ebox /.

Through this interface, you can access each network card detected by the system and can be configured statically (manually configured address) or dynamic (DHCP-configured address).

You can manage PPPoE connections. To do this, you should only select PPPoE as a method (Method) and enter the username and password provided by the ADSL provider.

It is also possible to resolve domain names indicating the direction of DNS name server. If you wish, you have at your disposal DDNS, the dynamic system used by many Internet providers. eBox is connected to the provider to get the public IP address translation avoiding any network that comes between us and the Internet.

You can check if you have configured your network correctly by entering the IP address of the machine and running the diagnostic tools (Network Diagnostic Tools).

For example, one that uses the ICMP network diagnostics to monitor connectivity to a remote machine that draws or breaks network datagrams routed through different networks to reach a target machine. With this tool, you can view the path followed by packets on your network.

Step 6. Reports and utilities

With eBox you can notify and register any type of events. This feature is useful for network administrator, being able to query those records through the eBox interface.

On the other hand, you can configure them to report them to you via email. In fact, it is possible to associate the event notification with profiles of major network (messaging, status of the firewall filters, network, printers, disk space, integrity in the data paths through the Internet, system diagnostics, etc).

To enable the reporting, you must go to the state of the module and check the reports. To obtain reports from existing records, you must access the consultation records in the eBox menu. The image shows statistics for HTTP requests and traffic.

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