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Barracuda CloudGen Firewall

This Firmware Version Is End-Of-Support

Documentation for this product is no longer updated. Please see End-of-Support for CloudGen Firewall Firmware for further information on our EoS policy.

How to Configure SMS Control

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CloudGen Firewalls equipped with the Barracuda 3G USB modem can execute maintenance tasks and custom scripts triggered remotely via SMS. Administrators can also receive certain status information of a Barracuda CloudGen Firewall via SMS. Access control lists for specific phone numbers and password restrictions allow granular security policies for administrators.

Step 1. Enable Active GSM Channel

  1. Go to CONFIGURATION > Full Configuration > Box > Network .
  2. In the left menu, select Wireless WAN.
  3. Expand Configuration Mode and click Switch to Advanced View.
  4. In the Connection Details section, set Active GSM Channel to Yes.

  5. Click Send Changes and Activate

Step 2. Configure SMS Control

Before configuring the SMS Control feature, make sure the Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is equipped with the Barracuda 3G USB modem. See How to Configure an ISP using a WWAN Modem.

  1. Go to CONFIGURATION > Full Configuration > Box Administrative Settings.
  2. In the left menu, select SMS Control.
  3. Expand Configuration Mode and click Switch to Advanced View.
  4. In the SMS Control Settings section, enable Remote Control via SMS.

    In case of reception problems, use the SMS Storage Location field to override the SMS modem specific defaults. Allowed values are 'SM' (SIM Card Memory) and 'ME' (Mobile Equipment Memory).

  5. In the Allowed Phone Numbers table, add the phone numbers from which SMS control is allowed. Include country prefixes, omitting the leading zeros and plus sign.

  6. The Successive Command Maximum field specifies the maximum number of successive commands to be accepted (default: 8). When this limit is reached, the counter must be reset in Control > Box > Reset SMS Counter.

  7. In the  Command Codes  section, specify the password for each SMS command. Each password must start with a lower-case letter.

  8. In the  Custom Script table, you can enter a custom bash script to be executed via SMS. Begin the script with: #!/bin/bash and specify the password in the Execute Custom Script section.
  9. Click  Send Changes and Activate.

SMS Control Commands

TaskDescription/Command
Reboot

Reboots the system. Send: reboot <password>

Restart

Restarts the subsystem. Send: restart <password>

Reconnect Network

Restarts the network subsystem. Send: reconnect <password>

Rebuild Mgmt Tunnel

Restarts the management VPN tunnel. Send: rebuild <password>

Send Status Message

Gets status information for the system (model, serial number, temperature, free RAM, load average, dynamic links status). Send: status <password>

Execute Custom Script

Executes a custom bash script that is defined in the Custom Script table. Send: custom <password>

SMS Event Notifications

The following events are associated with SMS control: 

EventDescription
[135]Resource Limit Pending

Less than 50 % of the maximum command value remains.

[136]Resource Limit Exceeded

The maximum command counter has been reached or has been exceeded.

[4111]Authentication Failure WarningThe ACL does not match.
[4112]Authentication Failure Alert

Password authentication failure and/or unsuccessful command match.

[4126]Remote Command Execution Alert

Successful authentication and command is accepted.