Italy-based KDev has found another use for its tiny, cellular radio-equipped Linux box. In its newest “Easy Guardian” iteration, the Acme FoxBox works as a network monitor that uses ICMP pings, SNMP scans, and text messaging to alert users to network events.

Previously, the Acme Fox was deployed as:

• A cellphone-to-web gateway aimed at letting users upload camera-phone photos to the web
• An SMS/TCP-IP bridge capable of collecting, for example, TV show poll results submitted via text messages
• A simple dynamic webserver with MySQL and PHP

The original Acme Fox SBC shipped in 2005, and was available with a Tux-shaped case (pictured at right). It was among the first SBCs based on a highly-integrated multi-chip module (MCM) introduced several years ago by Axis Communications. Originally built by Axis for a Linux-based device server, the Axis Etrax 100LX MCM contains Axis's Etrax 100LX 32-bit 100 MIPS (million-instructions-per-second) RISC system-on-chip processor, along with 4MB of Flash and 16MB of RAM. Lots more details about the MCM and the Acme Fox board can be found in our original coverage, here.

Touted features for the new Easy Guardian version include:

• System features
  • Linux embedded OS 2.6.x
  • Apache embedded web server
  • SQLite embedded SQL server
  • NMAP scanning engine
  • SNMP scanning engine
  • PHP, C and Bash coding
  • Quad band GSM modem with external antenna and 2.5-meter cable
  • 1GB internal MMC/SD card
  • 105 x 110 x 45 mm
  • Web interface for sensors management
  • Expandable set of gateway functions
  • 2 x USB ports support mass storage devices
  • Internal clock with backup battery and NTP support
• Functions available on the Web interface
  • Add new sensor scanner with NMAP
  • Add new SNMP advanced sensor
  • Data logging and charts with polls of system assets
  • “Full” system configuration
  • Read and write messages
  • Make pools
  • Phone book management
  • Make message broadcasting
  • Make message processing
  • Define user access profiles
  • Configure the system
  • Integrated editor for event scripts
  • All pages are customizable with XSL and CSS style sheet
• SMS to TCP/IP gateway functions
  • Integration with other tools like Nagios
  • SMS to/from email
  • SMS to/from MySQL
  • SMS to/from web script (PHP, ASP, JSP, etc)
  • SMS to/from Microsoft Outlook
  • SMS to/from Microsoft Access
  • SMS to/from Macromedia Flash animation
  • SMS to/from desktop Widgets (MAC X OS, Windows, Linux)
  • SMS to/from Postfix

Of the new “Easy Guardian” product, Acme Fox creator David Cantaluppi, whose company is now called “KDev,” writes, “Easy Guardian brings together the powerful tools of the open source arena: NMAP and Net-SNMP in a small silent Linux embedded box. The on-board GSM/GPRS Quad Band modem is linked to an advanced scanning engine that will alert you with a SMS every time a threshold exceed is detected on your services and network devices.”

Further details await interested readers at an Easy Guardian website, here.

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.