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I have a question on how to configure a server for development purposes. this is the situation:

There is a main server which connects all computer to Internet.

We want to have another server for development and only developers should have access to it. there will be some local sites on this server with special domain names like : issue-tracker.local, app.local etc.

We want to be able to browse these sites on our laptops.

So we want to know what is the best way to configure such a network in which all users can access internet without problem, all developers can access development server with local domains on it, at the same time they want to have access to the internet without any new configuration of IP etc.

We have linux ubuntu on our development server and we can't change any setting on the main server.

Thank you.

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  • I would suggest using permissions/logon to control access not the network configuration. Access control is there to control access: use the tools designed to do exactly what you want.
    – Richard
    Jan 30, 2011 at 8:49
  • @Richard I think I use firewalls to do that for me. thank you for ur comment
    – Morteza Milani
    Jan 31, 2011 at 11:38

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A good strategy for doing this would be.

  • Have the DNS names resolve for everyone, DNS is in no way harmful nor a security risk for development platforms
  • Once you have the DNS names decide how do you want to give access to the server
    • Close all access to the server using htpasswd for the web side and ssh or ftp auth for editing files
    • Have the server in a separate internal network, have a firewall inbetween that will control access based on some rules which can either be dynamic or static
    • Have access by internal IP network (have the developers in a subnetwork)
    • If you don't want to do that create some knocking in mechanism in the firewall so a developer can get in no matter from where

If you really don't like giving the DNS addresses to everyone ther's also some methods for that

  • Use DHCP to give an alternate DNS server just to developer desktops
  • Use DNS views, separate the DNS replies and have the developers in a separate internal network (which kinda ties beautifully with the security options I suggested)

No matter what you do with the DNS you also have to have in mind some kind of security, no matter what you don't want anyone accidentaly getting to the devel server

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    Last point is key. If someone knowns the IP of a DNS they can use standard tools to get it to resolve an address. Then they use the IP to go to the server.
    – Richard
    Jan 31, 2011 at 14:18
  • Thank you. I think I want to use firewall for access control.
    – Morteza Milani
    Feb 7, 2011 at 9:18

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