Drawbridge is a firewall software catered for academic institutions, developed by Texas A&M University.
Drawbridge is a robust and efficient firewall package designed specifically for large academic environments. Developed at Texas A&M University, it is a copyrighted yet freely available bridging IP packet filter that comes equipped with a powerful filter language and impressive performance capabilities.
One of the key strengths of Drawbridge lies in its ability to perform high-speed packet filtering. This feature, combined with its ability to accommodate a large number of individual host configurations within an intranetwork, earns Drawbridge high marks for its versatility and flexibility.
This firewall package employs a constant-time table lookup algorithm that enables it to deliver consistent packet throughput rates, even when faced with multiple filters. Drawbridge consists of three main components: the Drawbridge filter code, the Drawbridge Manager, and the Drawbridge Filter Compiler, all of which run on a FreeBSD system.
To install Drawbridge, follow these automatic installation instructions:
1. Create a "manager" account that is a member of group wheel.
Username: manager
Groups: manager, wheel
2. Run the install script. The package will be installed by default in the /usr/local/drawbridge directory, with binaries located in /usr/local/drawbridge/bin and /usr/local/drawbridge/sbin.
3. Documentations can be found in /usr/local/drawbridge/doc and rulesets in /usr/local/drawbridge/rules. The startup script is located in /usr/local/etc/rc.d.
4. Modify the "Interface IDs" section of the /usr/local/etc/rc.d/drawbridge.sh script to reflect the correct names of the interfaces for your particular hardware. Make sure to define the inside and outside interface names. The mirror interface is optional (mirror="").
In addition, remember to add /usr/local/drawbridge/sbin and /usr/local/drawbridge/bin to the default path for the manager account. With its high-speed packet filtering capabilities and customizable configurations, Drawbridge is an excellent choice for any large academic environment looking for dependable firewall protection.
One of the key strengths of Drawbridge lies in its ability to perform high-speed packet filtering. This feature, combined with its ability to accommodate a large number of individual host configurations within an intranetwork, earns Drawbridge high marks for its versatility and flexibility.
This firewall package employs a constant-time table lookup algorithm that enables it to deliver consistent packet throughput rates, even when faced with multiple filters. Drawbridge consists of three main components: the Drawbridge filter code, the Drawbridge Manager, and the Drawbridge Filter Compiler, all of which run on a FreeBSD system.
To install Drawbridge, follow these automatic installation instructions:
1. Create a "manager" account that is a member of group wheel.
Username: manager
Groups: manager, wheel
2. Run the install script. The package will be installed by default in the /usr/local/drawbridge directory, with binaries located in /usr/local/drawbridge/bin and /usr/local/drawbridge/sbin.
3. Documentations can be found in /usr/local/drawbridge/doc and rulesets in /usr/local/drawbridge/rules. The startup script is located in /usr/local/etc/rc.d.
4. Modify the "Interface IDs" section of the /usr/local/etc/rc.d/drawbridge.sh script to reflect the correct names of the interfaces for your particular hardware. Make sure to define the inside and outside interface names. The mirror interface is optional (mirror="").
In addition, remember to add /usr/local/drawbridge/sbin and /usr/local/drawbridge/bin to the default path for the manager account. With its high-speed packet filtering capabilities and customizable configurations, Drawbridge is an excellent choice for any large academic environment looking for dependable firewall protection.
What's New
Version 4.0: N/A