Gale database access

[Karen G. Schneider]

If you have enabled proxy access to the following databases, I could use
your assistance in setting up our database-only web machines.  I have
(easily, quickly, successfully)  enabled access to the other databases we're
subscribed to, but despite having a list of ip addresses from the Gale tech
folks, I'm getting error messages when we get past the entry page at
infotrac.galegroup.com .  Incidentally, in my search for guidance, I found a
great website for the Galenet URLs: http://galenet.gale.com/contact/faq.html
... just couldn't find anything for the non-Galenet databases we had
licensed, to wit:

Business and Company ASAP
General Reference Center Gold
Academic ASAP
Acxiom InfoBase Phone Directory

We aren't running a "real" proxy yet (I've installed, and uninstalled,
several proxy servers, including Winproxy and MS Proxy, and just am not
quite there yet on the purchase decision or the implementation...); to test
the setup, we're running through what I think of the Mutchomatic, a routine
for exploiting the browser's proxy setup, at
http://tln.lib.mi.us/~nort/tech/lockin.htm  which worked (easily, quickly,
perfectly) with the other databases, for which I simply plugged in the URLs
and in a couple of cases a second hostname that is obviously where they keep
their content.

The casual kludge we're using creates another problem, because the Gale
vendor gave me a LONG list of ip addresses--I had to jettison the other
addresses for now.  (So hey, about that proxy server... notice how the tail
starts to wag the dog...) But even with the LONG list of ip addresses
hogging the exception field in the IE5 proxy setup, I couldn't get into
*any* of our Gale databases, making me wonder if I was hitting yet another
server en route that wasn't in the list.  With the Mutchomatic disabled, we
get in just fine.  I didn't feel I should publish the ip list to Web4Lib,
but if you are interested I'll email it to you.  (Yes, I know I just gave
you info on the Galenet URLs, but I found them on the web...)

I don't *think* any of this should matter, but we're running IE5.01 on NT 4
workstation, with runapp to call IE as the windows desktop, and a variety of
lock-downs through the policy editor, including an .adm file specifically
for the proxy server, which is where I am entering the exceptions.
Again--works fine for the other databases.

I have been struggling full-tilt to deploy our database-only machines before
Monday night's library board meeting (replacing three dumb terminals, I'm
ashamed to admit are still there), but I'm starting to think I ain't gonna
make it.  (Parenthetically-but-relevantly: have you had difficulty, as we
have, enabling remote access to Gale databases?)

Karen G. Schneider kgs at bluehighways.com
Assistant Director of Technology & Customer with a Long Memory
Shenendehowa Public Library, Clifton Park, NY
http://www.shenpublib.org