Concept for PFSENSE
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I got a thought, I wonder it the embedding or small form factor will not allow you expand or use certain packages with PFsense. What I will think would could is something like this. It would require a third ethernet port.
I would like to recommend that we add the ISCSI Initiator to PFSense. By relocating the storage requirement from the local machine to the ISCSI target on a SAN. So the only thing required is the boot loader and the ISCSI Initator which makes the connection to the SAN.
This creates a situation by where the embed verision or a full install with a small drive the ability to use more products. Let me know what everyone thinks.
RC
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One reason for this concept is because of blade systems and server using advanced network storage servers. FreeNAS directly to mind. It in it's own right is a awesome product. I been testing with it and hooked ISCSI devices directly to is and shared them directly out to ISCSI on 2003 and Vista. It has some incredible implications.
The other thought is building a computer that has muiltple computers systems in one case (mini-itx) Possible 2 or more each with ISCSI connections to storage server Z(IE: PFSense on one and Untangle on the other) each providing services to the internal network in a nice clean single 1U or 2U case. One more possibility is to go one step further and build a ultimate system with three or 4 mini-itx buoxes in a 4U or 5U box. With the storage server(FreeNAS (ISCSI)) connections via several drives. This wouls act as the disk storage for both the Firewall(PFSense) and Untangle providing filtering and other services. Intergrated into the massive box would be a 4 port serview so only 1 keyboard. mouse, and monitor connection would be needed. Add in a 1GB unmangaed switch for the ISCSI traffic and it all self contained.
One huge appliance replaces many different servers and cut's energy costs. Just think what the possibilities are? With a small business customer you can basicly sell a 1000 to 1500 box and then replace a high end router and if you compare the other appliances that are outher that require many different lic's and maintenance charges annually it look very attractive.
This is a concept and I really interested in see how a box built like this would run and looking at the engineering challenges that would take to make something like this practical.
If anyone is interested in a project like this, let me kmow I love to try to figure out what it would take to build a solution like this. I just trying now to identify hardware and components.
Blade systems are the system of choice. If we can make our product be able to use that type of system or enviroment it would put even closer to the enterprise system that we know it can be.
RC