# Data Networking/Fall 2015/DKNR
## Objective of the Project

To design and implement a robust, secure, dynamic and intelligent network that supports Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name System (DNS), Web Server, Firewall and Backup system in the Linux Operating System.

## Project Team

* Deepika Venugopalsamy Ranganathan
* Kavya Ramaraju
* Neha Inampudi
* Rashmi Reddy

## Elements of the Network

The main elements in the network are:
* Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
* Domain Name System (DNS)
* Webserver and Firewall
* Backup

## Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol allows a host on a network to receive configuration parameters including an IP address at boot time for communication. It can provide a complete set of TCP/IP configuration parameters and allows the dynamic assignment of IP addresses for a fixed lease. DHCP offers the following advantages as a network administrator:
* An IP address can be assigned to a client for only as long as the client remains connected to the network.
* It allows a limited pool of IP addresses to be shared among a number of clients that do not require permanent IP addresses.
* Addresses become automatically available again at the expiration of a period of time, without requiring you to take any action.

### Behavior of the protocol

DHCP is an application layer protocol that uses the services of UDP to dynamically allocate IP addresses to the hosts. The port number is 67.

### Signalling

* When a client enters the network, it broadcasts a DHCPdiscover message to all the DHCP servers.
* The DHCP server on receiving the discover message, unicasts an offer message to the client.
* The client accepts the offer and responds with a request message for the IP address.
* The server responds back with an acknowledgement message.

### Steps to configure DHCP server

IPV4:
Step 1: Update all packages
Step 2: Configure DHCP
Step 3: Modify the interfaces file
Step 4: Modify the interfaces file
Similar to the IPv4 configuration, the IPv6 configuration is done as given below
IPV6:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Client:
After configuring and saving the dhcp file we need to start the dhcp server using below commands.

### Testing

DHCP is tested successfully by checking if the DHCP server assigns IP address to the connected client in the communication network from a given range of IP addresses. Output takes a IP range for IPV4 as 192.168.1.168 which is from the range 192.168.1.110 to 192.168.1.200 given in dhcp.conf file and similarly with IPV6 is assigned as 2003:db8:0:2:a12b:8f4c:b6d9:8863/64 from given range in dhcpd6.conf file.

## Domain Name System (DNS)

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a service of the internet that translates hostnames into the corresponding IP addresses. DNS serves as the phonebook for the internet. It is a distributed database that is implemented in a hierarchy of DNS servers. It is an application layer protocol that allows the hosts to query the distributed database. The DNS protocol runs over UDP and uses port 53.

### Behavior of the protocol

When a host requests for a particular URL, the browser extracts the hostname from the URL and passes it to the client side of DNS application. The DNS client sends a query containing the hostname to the DNS server. The client will eventually receive a reply that contains the IP address for the hostname requested. Thus, the hostname to IP address mapping is done by DNS.

### DNS Server

The DNS servers are in distributed database that have hierarchical servers starting from the Root DNS server, Top-Level Domain servers (TLDs) and Authoritative servers. The records of the authoritative servers are uploaded into DNS by registrars who are certified by Internet Cooperation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

### Signalling

1. The client will first contact the local DNS server with the DNS query containing the hostname.
2. The local DNS server forwards the query to the root DNS server. The root DNS server sends a reply to the local DNS with a list of the possible TLD servers.
3. The local DNS server sends its query message to one of the TLD servers.
4. The TLD server responds back with the IP address of the authoritative name server to the local DNS server.
5. The local DNS server then sends its query to the authoritative DNS server which responds back with the IP address for the queried hostname.

### Configuration of DNS

The configuration of DNS can be done by using various software, namely:
* BIND
* POSADIS
* POWER DNS
For configuring the DNS server we use BIND (Berkley Internet Name Domain) version 9 as it provides a robust architecture and it is used by a large variety of name server on the internet. BIND also supports important features like DNS security and multiprocessor support.

### Steps to configure DNS

Step 1: Update the repositories
Step 2: Install bind9
Step 3: Assign a static IP address
Step 4: Edit the hosts file
Step 5: Edit the hostname file
Step 6: Manage name server information
Step 7: Define forward and reverse lookup zones
Step 8: Caching nameserver
Step 9: Edit the forward lookup file
Step 10: Edit the reverse lookup file
Once the master is done, the slave is configured in a different virtual machine and different forward and reverse lookup zones are defined.

### Testing

We basically use nslookup command to test DNS. Try nslookup <hostname> from all PCs in the network and it should show the translated IP. Also test reverse lookup. Apart from nslookup we can also use dig, host commands to test DNS.

## Webserver, Firewall and Backup
### Webserver

Server is used to store the data and retrieve the information when required. When a client requests for an IP address, the webserver fetches the information and displays the corresponding HTML page. Since requests can occur at anytime, the server is made to be always on where the client communicates at any time.

#### Behavior of the protocol

The HTTP protocol is used to access the web content by the client. HTTP is an application layer protocol which is implemented at port 80 using the services of reliable TCP (RFC 2616). Before requesting for the web page, a three way handshake TCP connection is initiated by the client with the web server. After the connection is established the web page is requested by the client. The server then fetches the HTML page and replies to the client using TCP. A persistent or non persistent TCP connection may be established between the client and the server.

#### Configuration of webserver

The webserver can be configured using one of the following:
* Apache2 HTTP server
* NGINX
* Windows webserver
In the given scenario, since a small number of websites are required to be hosted for a small network, Apache 2 will be configured and implemented as speed is not a major concern. The Apache web server is the most well known method for serving web content on the web. It represents more than half of every single dynamic site on the web and is greatly capable and adaptable. The fundamental unit that portrays an individual site or area is known as a virtual host.

#### Signalling

The client initiates a TCP connection with the web server IP provider. The connection involves a 3 way handshake mechanism. First, the clients sends a SYN message requesting TCP connection to the browser at port 80. The server responds with a SYN-ACK message acknowledging the request and requests the client to open a port for the server to send information. The client responds with the ACK message and also sends a request for the HTML page.

#### Steps to configure webserver

Step 1: Install Apache2 on the server.
Step 2: Creating the directory structure
Step 3: To grant permissions
Step 4: To modify permissions
Step 5: Creating demo page on virtual host. The page is created to test the virtual host configuration.
Step 6: Creating new virtual host files
Further steps in opening new file with root privileges:
The file looks like below:
We will be customizing few of the commands and add few directories so that this virtual hosts section matches any request that are made on port 80(default HTTP port)
* ServerAdmin is changed to admin@dknr.com
* ‘ServerName dknr.com’ is added as it establishes the base domain that matches for the virtual host definition
* ‘ServerAlias www.dknr.com’ is added which defines the name that are to be matched if they had the same base name.
* DocumentRoot is being changed to /var/www/dknr.com/public_html (We are changing the location of the document root for this domain)
Finally the virtual host file after modification should be:
Step 7: Enabling the new virtual host file
After executing the command restart Apache for the changes made to take effect:
Step 8: Setting up local hosts file
The details we should be adding are the public IP address and the domain of VPS server. Thus the file looks like
This directs the requests for dknr.com on the system and sends it to the server at 192.169.1.10. Save and close the file.

#### Testing

* Before configuration of web page opening the browser by typing localhost or 127.0.0.1 or IP address of the web server in the address bar displays the default web page of apache server.
* After configuration, to test the results go to the web browser and type IP address of the webserver or type local host, configured webpage is displayed
* If the HTML page is created in a different directory and localhost is entered in the address bar of web browser the webpage says “FORBIDDEN |Cannot view the contents of the page”
* If the HTML page is created at different directory and if the path is defined in /var/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default.conf, configured web page is displayed.

### Firewall

A firewall is a framework utilized for keeping unapproved access to or from a system. It could either be an equipment or a product. Firewall gives security to any system (private system) from different systems or unintended client. The usefulness of the firewall is to block and filter packets to go into the system. The firewall can for a system or even a specific server with bunches of databases or confidential data which is being shielded from unapproved clients in/outside the system.
Configuring commands on any Linux terminal machine (web server/DNS server/DHCP server) and set of standards are connected with the goal that it will drop certain packets and permit the rest.

#### Packages used

IP tables are used to modify the set of rules to restrict or allow the packets.

#### Steps to configure firewall

Step 1: Install or update iptables package
Step 2: Enable telnet
Step 3: Enable ssh login
Step 4: Policy Chain Default Behavior
Step 5: Change the behavior of the chain
Step 6: Allowing and blocking specific connections
Step 7: Allowing and blocking SSH connections
Step 8: Connection States
Step 9: Block ICMP
Step 10: Block FTP
Step 11: Block Telnet

#### Saving the configuration of IP tables

To save all the changes we made in the configuration.

#### Testing

To list all the rules configured in the firewall
* After configuring the firewall rules restart the server.
* Before configuration client in the network should be able to ping, telnet and access the web page from webserver.
* After configuring the firewall no client will be able to ping and telnet the webserver and client with IP address 192.168.1.110 is not able to access web page.

### Backup

Backup is the process of saving data in another location which can be recovered from in case of any data loss. In case the web server loses the data or in case of extra load on web server we can use this backup data to retrieve information. We sync the data with another server which keeps track of information in the directory. Hence it uses dynamic updating by copying files which are modified. Thus we use Remote Sync (RSync) in ubuntu.
In this project a backup of webserver in made in the DNS Server and backup is scheduled every 1 hour which implies that the data of web server is copied to backup location every hour. In case of any failure a copy of data is saved at the destined location.

#### Steps to configure backup

Since we are taking back up in DNS server we run apache on both the machines which will make it run like a web server in another linux machine. After installing apache server in both machines we follow these steps for setting up backup.
Step 1: Installing Apache in backup server
Step 2: Install Rsync in both the webserver and backup server
Step 3: Backup within another directory
Step 4: Install the SSH Rsync (In webserver and backup server)
Step 5: To put backup in another server (Executed in backup server)
Step 6: Schedule backup every 5 minutes

#### Testing

After executing commands in the backup server and the copy of web server, file was successfully transferred to the path mentioned in the backup server. When a change was made to the file and after execution of the scheduling command in the backup server, noted that the new file was transferred to the specified backup location.

## Algorithm

1. Client attempts to join the network : dknr
       If the client is valid
          Successfully connect to dknr
       Else
          Restart connection or contact network administrator for troubleshooting
2. Client needs to acquire IP address from the DHCP server
       Check if wlan interface is set to static or to automatic (DHCP)
       If static
          Change to automatic (DHCP)
       Else (DHCP discover)
          Contact DHCP server to get the IP address, gateway IP address, DHCP server details, DNS server details.
       If DHCP allocation is successful
          Server replies with an IP address to be allocated
       Else
          DHCP server replies with a request failed response
       Then
          Restart the connection or contact the network administrator for troubleshooting
3. After DHCP request is successful, the client attempts to connect to the network and access www.dknr.com via web browser
4. If DNS request was successfully resolved, the client requests the web page from the web server
       Client sends HTTP request to server
       If HTTP request is successful
          Webpage is displayed
       Else
          Webpage is not loaded

## Add-ons Implemented (Additional Features)
### VPN Configuration

VPN is a service that broadens the private system over an open system i.e. it approves us to get to a private system from outside. A client from outside can get to the private system with same needs as are given to a root client in a private system. The VPN is setup when the remote customer when it enters the SSID and the secret word of the entrance system. Along these lines, we can say that VPN is accessed with a secured association.

#### Steps to configure VPN

Step 1: Install package to configure VPN
Step 2: Edit the files
Step 3: Edit the /etc/ppp/pptpd-options file
Step 4: Create userid and password
Step 5: Restart the pptpd server

### Mail Server

A mail server is a program, also by expansion of the PC on which it runs, which is responsible for receiving, sorting and distribution of message from one PC onto the next electronics mail. It is against the mail customer ( mail client operators ) present on the machine rather than the end client.
The default mail transfer agent in ubuntu is Postfix and the framework on linux is called mailer daemon.

#### Steps to configure Mail Server

Step 1: Install postfix
Step 2: Configuring postfix
Step 3: Configuration of mailbox format for Maildir
Step 4: Configure Postfix for SMTP AUTH using SASL
Certificates are generated which are to be used for TLS encryption or/and certificate authentication.
Step 5: Configuration of Postfix to do TLS encryption for incoming and outgoing mails.
Step 6: Restart postfix daemon

### Network File System(NFS)

NFS allows one to share a directory that is located on one of the devices in a network to other devices in the same network much like accessing a local storage. A server is a device on which directory is located and clients are devices connecting to this server, Client should mount the shared directory to make it a part of their own directory.

#### Steps to configure NFS Server

Step 1: Update repository
Step 2: Install NSF package
Step 3: Create directory to share
Step 4: Configuring /etc/exports for NFS
Step 5: Start the service
Step 6: Check the status of the NFS share status
Step 7: Restart the server

#### Steps to configure NFS Client

Step 1: Install NFS for client and its dependencies
Step 2: Create a directory
Step 3: Mounting the remote share /shome on local directory /rhome
Step 4: Checking the mounted share directory using mount command

## Future Improvements

* Adding additional rules in Firewall to improve security for protection from malicious attacks.
* Increase the number of DNS servers for purposes of backup, load distribution and decentralization.
* IPv6 and IPv4 should be supported simultaneously
* Extend the server abilities to oblige numerous more uses utilizing in the meantime.
* Integrating so as to include security for mail server classification, respectability and more confirmation choices by utilizing strategies, for example, RSA, DES, MD5, including authentications and so forth.