1 / 20

Using a Third-Party Proxy System with the Innovative Patron API

Using a Third-Party Proxy System with the Innovative Patron API. Emalee Craft, Jennifer Ward University of Washington Libraries Innovative Users Group Meeting, Session H4 May 21, 2001. What is a Proxy?. Definition Traditional uses What they mean for libraries What about you? WAM?

ayoka
Download Presentation

Using a Third-Party Proxy System with the Innovative Patron API

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Using a Third-Party ProxySystem with the Innovative Patron API Emalee Craft, Jennifer Ward University of Washington Libraries Innovative Users Group Meeting, Session H4 May 21, 2001

  2. What is a Proxy? • Definition • Traditional uses • What they mean for libraries • What about you? • WAM? • Other – EZProxy?

  3. Problem #1 : Site Licenses vs. Location • Library has diverse electronic resources • Vendors restrict access by a list of IP addresses • On campus or dialing into the UW modem pool – you’re in • Off campus or commercial ISP – you’re not

  4. Problem #2 – Diverse Remote User Populations • Thousands of ISP, or “remote” users • UW Health Sciences uses broadest range • Multiple UW campuses, researchers on sabbatical

  5. The Goal : Off-campus Access to Web Resources • Provide all of our Web resources “safely” • Not all remote users are equal

  6. The Solution – A Proxy Server • User tries to access a restricted resource • Must somehow authenticate themselves • If successful, the proxy server requests a page on the users’ behalf

  7. UW Considerations • Thousands of varied users • Hundreds of restricted resources • HTTP proxy – no extra software for users • Limit traffic on our server • User authentication – how?

  8. Our Solution • Doit’s Muffin World Wide Web filtering system • Java-based • Open source, free

  9. Advantages for UW • Allows selective proxying • Meets needs of many users • Handles many remote domains • Java “hooks” allow many uses of PatAPI

  10. THE PATRON API • Expand use of PatAPI in future: • Download entire record • Other systems might connect here • Other uses EXP DATE[p43]=11-01-00 TOT CHKOUT[p48]=8 CUR CHKOUT[p50]=5 CREATED[p83]=07-07-00 MONEY OWED[p96]=$0.00 PATRN NAME[pn]=CRAFT, EMALEE D MAIL ADDRES[pa]=352900 PERM ADDRES[ph]=P.O. Box 85042$SEATTLE, WA. 98145 HOME PHONE[pt]=2062849124 BUSNS PHONE[pp]=2066162867 UNIV ID[pu]=416025264 MAIL SORT[ps]=352900 P BARCODE[pb]=29352004435146 PIN[p=]=066KofINPbzHE EMAIL ADDR[pz]=crafte@u.washington.edu

  11. Proxy Automatic Configuration (PAC) File • Written in Javascript • Advantages • Proxying at the domain level • No service interruptions for users • Disadvantages • Proxying at the domain level • Users must configure their browsers

  12. Client Configuration Process Library user visits Proxy Server Wizardhttp://www.lib.washington.edu/asp/browser/proxy.asp User configures their browser to request the pac file Ready to surf remote resources

  13. Support Challenges • Login method • Browser configuration issues • Firewalls and proxy servers • Troubleshooting matrix

  14. Login Method • Current username/login is a 14-digit number on the back of patron’s UW id card • PIN is selected and managed by patron • Problems arise when users: • Have multiple IDs in the system • Forget their PIN • Use a PIN with non alpha-numeric characters

  15. Browser Configuration • People don’t read • Typos or other errors in pac file address • Don’t follow instructions in the wizard • Think that the wizard did everything for them • Dial-up users might have multiple connections to the Internet

  16. Firewalls, Proxy Servers, and LANs – Oh My! • Firewall administrators must punch a hole and allow access to TCP port 51966 • Special pac file for Childrens Hospital and Medical Center • Proxy servers don’t play well together • Personal LANs and firewalls are often improperly configured

  17. Troubleshooting Matrix • Basic matrix involves the OS, ISP, and browser • Gets more complex when you add vendor support issues, ISPs that don’t play fair

  18. Current Proxy Statistics • Over 200 Information Resources proxied • 1,500 unique, registered users • Over 40,000 in potential user base • Over 5,000 sessions/month • High is over 8,000 sessions/month • Over 200,000 page requests/month • High is over 400,000 requests/month

  19. What does the Future Hold? • Release of new authentication method via UW NetID • Integrate enterprise systems with III to make one large database of patron information

  20. Emalee Craft – crafte@u.washington.edu Jennifer Ward – jlward@lib.washington.edu

More Related