Win' NT, Netscape Server & Patron Authentication

[Timothy Renick]

On Wed, 24 Jul 1996, Marc Salomon wrote:

> |1)  For the library's part, does this flat file system seem like good
> |system, or can you recommend a better one?
> 
> Depends on how many patron records you want to search.  < ~several thousand and
> you're OK, more than that and you might want to use a db.

We expect there to be about twelve thousand enteries.  However, they will 
not be the whole patron record, only the patron ID numbers.

> |2)  For the search part, if we go with the flat file, is it possible to
> |write it in Visual Basic and have it work (I have no programming
> |experience so all recommendations welcome -- I am hoping to get in touch
> |with a programmer through the university).
> 
> I don't see why not.

Another idea that we are thinking about is porting PERL to the NT box.  
I heard that there is a PERL version that runs on NT.  

> |3)  What other considerations, recommendations, opinions, or possible
> |questions do you have that I should be aware of.  We are hoping to duplicate
> |this process and use it for other library services that are open only for
> |registered patrons.
> 
> Let me get your process straight:
> 
> 1.  User connects to http://www.vendor.com/

--  Yes, after connecting initially to our homepage.

> 2.  www.vendor.com asks the user to authenticate

--  Yep!

> 3.  user enters credentials via standard HTTP authentication mechanism
> 4.  www.vendor.com opens an HTTP connection (in the background) to www.lib.edu,
>     and asks for validation of the authentication data.
> 5.  your application accepts/rejects that data using HTTP response codes to the
>     back-channel connection.

All this is correct.  The actual validation process will take place on 
our server.

> Before I comment, is this what you plan to do?
> 
> -marc

-Timothy