The term is bigbro's, blame me if it's inaccurate -) The basic idea is to allow access to the skynet cluster via a designated internal server. This is useful is the firewall(s) fall over, are crushed by a roaving hippo, die horribly in persia. Etc.
Basically, my proposal is this: get a phone line into the server room (and if there's one in the new room already, all the better). Install modem into the above oob server, attach to said phone line. In dire emergencies, we can now dial in from outside. In less dire situations, I for one have 24 hour access to the college, and a linux box (soon to be in the dmz) that i can hook another modem to, free internal phonecalls, etc. Also, i can probably provide ssh access to my server for other admins.
The first option should work if ul (and skynet) falls off the net, the 2nd if i'm around in the same circumstances just cheaper ,-), and the 3rd if it's just skynet that goes away. Thoughts? -- diamond
Ah, this makes sense. I've just two suggestions.
You should use dialback for security. When you successfully log in, the modem should hang up and phone your preconfigured telephone number (which must be static) back. You could configure this in UUCP on 1980's UNIX, so I presume it's possible today.
I wouldn't rely on being able to plug an analogue MODEM into any telephone port in UL. A lot of PBXs use digital signals to the phones themselves, and analogue lines have to be specially requested. -- poldy