As well as managing CACHEBOX’s primary job – caching web content – you need to take care of the “housekeeping” – deploying, managing and maintaining the server in your network. CACHEBOX makes this easy too!
Working with CACHEBOX, you will immediately notice all the smart administrative features – logging, backup/restore, reporting, alerts and so on – which make it much easier than working with a general purpose server.
But you might not notice what’s happening in the background. CACHEBOX software self-manages, checking what is happening in the appliance environment, and responding to events – for example by automatically restarting on-box processes which stop unexpectedly. The result is a more robust cache service, with less need for server administrator intervention to keep things running smoothly.
Logging
- CACHEBOX supports the automated logging of system-level messages (authentication, operating system, hardware and networking). These logs are for fault diagnosis; there is no need to review them routinely. CACHEBOX performs its own maintenance functions and remedies for temporary problems.
- Cache log files can be scheduled to be automatically uploaded to an FTP server, windows file server or Linux/Unix/Apple server running Samba on a daily basis. This allows logs to be analysed off-box and centrally stored to meet data retention laws or auditing requirements.
Reporting
- CACHEBOX gives you comprehensive information on the appliance – status of disks, CPU, memory, I/O, services and so on – and on network latency and throughput.
- Information is presented in clear dashboards and graphs with options to customise what is displayed and what time periods are reported
- Reports can be exported as PDFs and can be scheduled/automated
Alerting
- CACHEBOX can be configured to send alerts by email, SMS or SNMP to keep you up to date with events relating to hardware, system, service events or user authentication.
SNMP
- CACHEBOX can be configured to allow Simple Network Monitoring Protocol (SNMP) requests, allowing you to monitor CACHEBOX status and performance or create alerts using network management software.
Backup/Restore
- Configuration data can be backed up with a single click, then archived or sent to ApplianSys support to help with troubleshooting
- Restoring previous backups can be performed with similar ease
- Backups can be automated and stored on-box or off-box
Upgrade
- ApplianSys provides regular updates to add new features, improve performance and respond to new security flaws. These can be easily applied via the web interface.
- When an update is applied, CACHEBOX retains a copy of the previous firmware. If, for any reason you want to switch back, you can do so easily.
- Scheduled reboots can be used when upgrading firmware. You can download firmware updates during the working day and schedule them to be applied during off-peak hours to minimise any impact on your caching service.
Shared Management Support/Users
- CACHEBOX is built to be administered by multiple users: The web admin system allows you to easily add new users, assign roles and delegate responsibility.
- Users are authenticated either locally, or via RADIUS or LDAP.
Security
- CACHEBOX’s web interface uses configurable certificates to protect itself from ‘eavesdroppers’, ensuring that only people you allow can access your network data.
- It also lets you control which machines or networks can access the user interface.
Next: Hardened Operating System >