What this book covers

Chapter 1, Troubleshooting Basics, helps the reader break down problems into digestible portions with related components. Some of the concepts discussed include generic techniques useful in more than just OpenVPN problem solving.

Chapter 2, Common Problems, will identify the issues seen most frequently by both novice administrators and experienced administrators alike.

Chapter 3, Installing OpenVPN, covers compilation and installation of OpenVPN on a variety of platforms. Virtual network adapters, alternative client packages, and software dependencies will be identified.

Chapter 4, The Log File, focuses heavily on the OpenVPN log file and how to adjust and decipher the verbosity of the available messages. This is an extremely valuable resource when identifying and correcting problems.

Chapter 5, Client and Server Startup, discusses software and system dependencies necessary for process startup. Items like file permissions, scripting, and basic networking all contribute to successfully running OpenVPN.

Chapter 6, Certificates and Authentication, illustrates the varying authentication paths and where breakage can occur. System time, authentication backends and scripting are all addressed.

Chapter 7, Network and Routing, shows where network topology and routing bring complexity to the OpenVPN architecture. Conflicting routes, address inconsistency, and subnetting will all be covered.

Chapter 8, Performance, was written to help you identify performance bottlenecks and places where efficiencies can be improved.

Chapter 9, External Problems, covers where and when problems can exist outside your OpenVPN infrastructure, and even entirely outside your network or control.