Distributing Login Information

[David P Atkins]

Hello,

I've taken much from the list.  Now I'd like to contribute.  The body of
this message deals with one method of managing LogIn IDs for off-campus
WWW services.  If you are lucky enough to have unique patron ID validation
of services, this is old hat.  If not, it may be useful.

Thanks,
David Atkins

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For those folks who are interested in distributing Login Information for
WWW services via the WWW, the LSU Libraries now has an Off-Campus Gateway
Service (http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gateway/). 

As we have WWW resources available to LSU patrons wherever they are on the
Internet but we do not have unique patron ID validation, we still must
distribute a global ID that allows folks into WWW spaces formerly
restricted to LSU campus access only.  With htaccess on our webservers, if
the server receives a query from a non-LSU IP address , the server prompts
the user for an ID. 

Many LSU patrons use private Internet providers for there personal web
access.  The LSU campus contracted PPP Internet provider services with
IBM.  As non-LSU affiliates can also use this service (e.g. alumni), we
could not use IP validation from this contracted provider.  We'd let folks
in who are by vendor contract not eligible to receive some services.  The
other option:  Global ID opening up services from anywhere on the WWW. 
The patrons who use text based access have been using campus
email/internet accounts for years.  Now we have something for the
graphical folks.

While it's far from ideal, we use a global ID available to any LSU person
with an LSU email account.  To automatically distribution and to exercise
security in that distribution, LSU patrons register to use the Gateway via
a simple CGI form.  The form only recognizes LSU email addresses. Once a
person registers, the login instructions are emailed to his/her email
account.  If you have an LSU email account, you must be eligible for all
these services available from the Gateway. 

I hope it stays fairly self explanatory, making corrections and additions
as experience dictates. If folks have questions, we route them first to
the WWW pages.  We don't give out the ID over the phone.  If a person
forgets the ID, they simply re-register.  It's of the Web, by the Web, &
for the Web. 

I receive a copy of the completed registration form in my email with which
I extract the person's email address, creating a distribution list for
service announcements, ID changes, etc.  To keep this list of email
address current, we'll purge the list each Fall & ask folks to
re-register. Creating a listserv would have been preferred but was an
option administratively unavailable (euphemism). 

We still have bugs/shortcomings/issues.  We have yet to get our login
screens generated by the Library server to match exactly with our vendor's
server login screens.  This will require some development.  Also, this ID
does not work on vendor sites which still rely on IP validation for
authorization (get with it Cambridge.). 

Folks are welcome to copy the CGI script, etc.  Have at it.  If you have
any questions please let me know.  

Happy webbing,
David

______________________________________________________________________

David P. Atkins
Electronic Reference Services Librarian   
Middleton Library                    email:  notdpa at unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
Louisiana State University                     voice:   (504) 388-6823 
Baton Rouge, LA 70803-3300                      fax:    (504) 388-6825 
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