Over time I will add answers to frequently asked questions;
right now this page serves as a placeholder.
- What does Azinix stand for?
I am a big fan of Unix and its derivatives, hence the nix; the Azi comes from the first 3 letters of my last name, a la Linux.
- What hardware should I use?
Short answer: it probably doesn't matter. If you use Azinix to monitor/control your connection to the Internet, it's very unlikely that the Azinix server will be on the critical path.
Medium answer: For a very high speed connection, i.e., GigE and up, use an Intel Core2Duo and Intel PCI-e e1000-based dual GigE NIC.
Long answer: I've done a fairly detailed study of different hardware platforms, you can read about my experiences here.
- How do I write a rule that does XYZ?
Read the manual.
- How do I test my ruleset?
Look at the tests directory for examples of packet creation for rule testing.
- How does Azinix work?
Short answer: it uses reduced decision trees to identify a subset of potentially applicable rules. Then it performs finite state machine based analysis on the payload to further prune the set of rules to analyse. Finally, it checks the remaining rules one at a time, and calls the appropriate action.
Long answer: browse through the source code.