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? –Other – EZProxy?

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

EXP DATE[p43]= TOT CHKOUT[p48]=8 CUR CHKOUT[p50]=5 CREATED[p83]= MONEY OWED[p96]=$0.00 PATRN NAME[pn]=CRAFT, EMALEE D MAIL ADDRES[pa]= PERM ADDRES[ph]=P.O. Box 85042$SEATTLE, WA HOME PHONE[pt]= BUSNS PHONE[pp]= UNIV ID[pu]= MAIL SORT[ps]= P BARCODE[pb]= PIN[p=]=066KofINPbzHE Expand use of PatAPI in future: Download entire record Other systems might connect here Other uses THE PATRON API

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

Library user visits Proxy Server Wizard User configures their browser to request the pac file Client Configuration Process

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emalee Craft – Jennifer Ward –