[WEB4LIB] Anyone using SSL on an OPAC?

[Dobbs, Aaron]

Paul,

We did this (with epixtech Horizon/WebPac) and it worked very well until we
applied service pack 6a to the server.  
Caveat:  We also use epixtech RPA and some of our subscription databases
wouldn't authenticate to an https: referring address.  (others databases,
however, could; leading me to believe these db providers merely didn't
understand their own authentication schemes or just couldn't be bothered to
configure them properly for us)

As to "how common"?  from a random perusal over the last couple months since
we switched from WebPac to iPac, "not very".  

We have chosen to not implement this at the current time with our new
Horizon/iPac, though I still think it would be a Good Idea(tm) and we may go
back to this in the future.

-Aaron
:-)'

Buy your Christmas book gifts now, so you have time to read them before
mailing.
-Found in November 1965 edition of Readers' Digest ... 




-----Original Message-----
From: Paul F. Schaffner [mailto:pfs at umich.edu]
Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 10:43 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Anyone using SSL on an OPAC?


How common is it to protect a web-based PAC with SSL? EpixTech's Horizon
iPac makes this an easy option to implement, but only (I am told) in
an all-or-nothing sort of way. I.e., so as to protect not only the
transmission of a patron's personal and circulation info, but also 
all catalog searches--or not at all. Does anyone do this? If so,
what is the performance (or other) penalty?

Paul
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Paul Schaffner | pfs at umich.edu | http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfs/
Tech Svcs Librarian, Jackson Community College, Jackson, MI 49201
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