The Symantec Raptor does use text configuration files, but they don't give clues as to their layout. If you are an intrepid administrator, you can edit them by hand, but you can't be sure of whether you changed things that shouldn't be changed or not. File layout documentation is one of the most contentious issues for software, but at least some layouts should be published. Not just switches. We have hubs, UPS, air conditioning units etc. that are now network reachable and configurable. Getting at those through the network can really wreck havoc. -----Original Message----- From: Mikael Olsson [mailto:mikael.olsson@clavister.com] Sent: Sat June 01 2002 07:01 To: Bill Royds Cc: firewalls@lists.gnac.net Subject: Re: a web management system for the NetGAP firewall appliance (off-topic) Bill Royds wrote: > > The problem is that command line solutions are necessary for bulk > changes (needing to change all IP references to another space > for example). Just to be picky: a human-parseable text-based configuration file will work equally well. > What is starting to bug me is the number of printers, CD stacks etc. > that are using browsers to configure them. Not to mention switches, which get placed in more sensitive places than printers and CD stacks :/ And, speaking of switches: some switches can dump their configuration as text where you can make changes and push it back to the switch. But THEN you get switches that can only dump their configurations as a big binary memory dump that I doubt even will work with the next version of the firmware. &%#&%#¤ -- Mikael Olsson, Clavister AB Storgatan 12, Box 393, SE-891 28 ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK, Sweden Phone: +46 (0)660 29 92 00 Mobile: +46 (0)70 26 222 05 Fax: +46 (0)660 122 50 WWW: http://www.clavister.com _______________________________________________ Firewalls mailing list Firewalls@lists.gnac.net For Account Management (unsubscribe, get/change password, etc) Please go to: http://lists.gnac.net/mailman/listinfo/firewalls