Evolynx RADIUS Reference: API

Using API

Introduction
If you are a .NET programmer, you can easily use a simple API to create your own database backend and billing software. Just create a .NET DLL with a specific name, which exposes a required Class.
Evolynx RADIUS server expects to find a Class Library DLL file, named "BusLayer.dll", in the same directory as "EvolynxRadius.exe" is located. This DLL should expose a Public Class name "Business" which implements the "IBusiness" interface. This interface is defined in the "Common.dll" and is used to make sure that you create a Business class which has all methods required by Evolynx RADIUS.

Business Class
When creating the DLL, you must at least create one class named Business. This Class is the bridge between Evolynx RADIUS and your billing software. Evolynx RADIUS will call specific methods of this Class to exchange information with database. A typical Business Class will look like this:

Imports Evolynx.Radius.Common

Public Class Business

   Implements IBusiness

   Public Function Authenticate(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket) As Integer _
         Implements IBusiness.Authenticate
      'Here you should check the user credencials
      'return values are 0,1,2 for Reject,Accept and Challenge
   End Function

   Public Sub AccountingStart(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket) _
         Implements IBusiness.AccountingStart
   End Sub

   Public Sub AccountingOther(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket) _
         Implements IBusiness.AccountingOther
   End Sub

   Public Sub AccountingStop(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket) _
         Implements IBusiness.AccountingStop
   End Sub

   Public Sub OnForwardRequest(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket, _
      ByVal TargetIP As String) _
         Implements IBusiness.OnForwardRequest
   End Sub

   Public Sub OnForwardAccounting(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket, _
      ByVal TargetIP As String) _
         Implements IBusiness.OnForwardAccounting
   End Sub

   Public Sub OnForwardToNAS(ByVal Packet As RadiusPacket, _
      ByVal TargetIP As String) _
         Implements IBusiness.OnForwardToNAS
   End Sub

   Public Sub LoadConfig() Implements IBusiness.LoadConfig
   End Sub

   Public Function LoadClients() As ClientsCollection _
         Implements IBusiness.LoadClients
   End Sub

   Public Function WriteError(ByVal Message As String, _
      Optional ByVal ErrorID As Long = 0) As Long _
         Implements IBusiness.WriteError
   End Sub

   Public Sub NotifyByEmail(ByVal State As Object) _
         Implements IBusiness.NotifyByEmail
   End Sub

   Public Sub ScheduledMaintenance(ByVal State As Object) _
         Implements IBusiness.ScheduledMaintenance
   End Sub

End Class

Step by Step: How to create BusLayer.dll
Now that we know what we need to create, lets see how it should be created. The following steps summarize how you can create the DLL using Visual Basic .NET:

Create a new Class Library Project and name it BusLayer
In Solution Explorer, right click on References and select "Add Reference"
On .NET tab, click on Browse and select "Common.dll" which is located in Evolynx RADIUS directory, and click ok
Copy the code from this page (inside the box) to your class module
Add code to any of the methods you want
When you are finished debugging your DLL, Build and copy your bug free DLL to Evolynx RADIUS directory (RADIUS Service should be stopped)

How to debug BusLayer.dll
In order to debug your DLL in Visual Studio .NET environment follow these steps:

Set the "Output Path" of your DLL project to the Evolynx RADIUS directory

In Solution Explorer window, right click on project and select Properties
From the folders list at the left side select "Configuration Properties/Build"
Use the browse button (...) to browse to the Evolynx RADIUS directory
Click OK

Make sure EvolynxRADIUS service is stopped
Build your DLL in Debug mode
Start the EvolynxRADIUS service
From Debug menu select Processes
In the list of available Processes select EvolynxRadius.exe and then Click on Attach button
On the next window make sure "Common Language Runtime" is selected then click OK
Close the Processes window
Use breakpoints to stop execution in any part of your code
Use a RADIUS client (or Evolynx RADIUS Load Test Tool) to send requests to RADIUS Server and test your DLL

Sample Code
We have prepared a very simple example with minimum functionality to show how you can use the Evolynx API to create a DLL which authenticates users with a MS-Access database. In order to run this example, you need to re-define the Reference to "Definitions.dll" and set the "Output Path" in Project Properties. The mdb file must be placed in Evolynx RADIUS directory.

API Example (VB.NET 2003 source code)
Sample Access mdb file

How to control Evolynx RADIUS Service
Evolynx RADIUS runs as a Windows service. With some .NET programming you can control some of the internal functions of this service. To do this, you need to create a ServiceController object and connect it to Evolynx Service. Then you can start and Stop the service or run a Custom command. The following sample code shows how to Start the service and run a Custom Command:

DIM myService As New ServiceProcess.ServiceController()
myService.MachineName = "server-1"
myService.ServiceName = "EvolynxRADIUS"
myService.Start()
myService.ExecuteCommand(131)

Currently there are 4 custom commands defined. These commands are used to reload settings and information without re-starting the service:

130 = Reloads the settings from Config file or from API
131 = Reloads the Clients from "clients.txt" file or from API
132 = Reloads the Proxy information from "proxy.txt" file
133 = Reloads the Dictionary information from "radius.txt" file
134 = Clears the logs, both RADIUS.LOG and the database log