New security features and continuous improvement

Rdiffweb version 2.4.0

Are you using our simplified data backup management software Rdiffweb? You will be happy to know that a new version 2.4.0 is now available, with several significant improvements. IKUS Software is constantly striving to improve its IT solutions to ensure that they are not only user-friendly, but also robust and secure, especially in the face of possible computer attacks. And we always take the opportunity to solve some small bugs for more stability. Here are the improvements made.

Added an important security feature

We have added RateLimit to the login page and API to mitigate bot attacks. This new security feature blocks a brute force attack. This was made a priority because our centralized data backup management software Minarca uses Rdiffweb. Minarca stores sensitive data and it is important to protect it adequately against computer attacks.

Significant changes in the structure of the code 

We have made significant changes to the structure of code to increase the extensibility and reusability of the software modules. These changes were made to meet the needs of UniversalDB project we are currently working on for the Bern University of Applied Sciences. They open up endless possibilities for future software development under open source licenses.

Improved response speed

Some slowness was observed when browsing large directories containing a large amount of data. We improved the speed of browsing the repository by minimizing the number of I/O calls so that the hard drive is polled less often and thus avoid unnecessary repetition.

Bug fixes

  • Add RateLimit to login page and API to mitigate robots attacks #167
  • Send email notification only if email-sender option is defined to avoid raising exception in logs #176
  • Support file restore cancellation without leaving rdiffweb-restore process in <defunct> state #174
  • Replace python-ldap by ldap3 a pure python implementation to avoid dependencies on sasl and ldap binaries #186
  • Reffactor core module to allow better extendability and reusability #183
  • Add support for Debian Bookworm #180
  • Add support for Ubuntu Impish #175
  • Add rdiff-backup version to administration view
  • Run unit test during Debian build package
  • Refresh repository list automatically when required #188 #189
  • Fix error 500 displayed in status page #191
  • Improve repository browsing speed by minimizing the number of I/O call #192
  • Publish Docker image directly to DockerHub #144

Breaking changes

We have finally removed some features that had become unnecessary: 

  • Ldap Password changes is not supported anymore.
  • Ldap Check Shadow expire config is not supported anymore. It should be replace by a custom filter.
  • Drop CentOS 7 and CentOS 8 support

We hope you enjoy the new version 2.4.0 of Rdiffweb. To update your software or to use Rdiffweb for the first time, go to the Downloads page. Rdiffweb is much more than a simplified data backup software, it is also a community that helps you in the use of this open source solution and that is dedicated to constantly improve its features. Subscribe to the Rdiffweb Google Group and to our newsletter to receive the latest news about Rdiffweb.

rdiffweb.org : where to find everything about the simplified backup management software
A new dedicated website for Rdiffweb, a web interface to visualise Rdiff-backup repository.