1. 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

2. What is a Proxy? Definition Traditional uses What they mean for libraries What about you? –WAM? –Other – EZProxy?

3. 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

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

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

6. 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

7. 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?

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

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

10. EXP DATE[p43]=11-01-00 TOT CHKOUT[p48]=8 CUR CHKOUT[p50]=5 CREATED[p83]=07-07-00 MONEY OWED[p96]=$0.00 PATRN NAME[pn]=CRAFT, EMALEE D MAIL ADDRES[pa]=352900 PERM ADDRES[ph]=P.O. Box 85042$SEATTLE, WA. 98145 HOME PHONE[pt]=2062849124 BUSNS PHONE[pp]=2066162867 UNIV ID[pu]=416025264 MAIL SORT[ps]=352900 P BARCODE[pb]=29352004435146 PIN[p=]=066KofINPbzHE EMAIL ADDR[pz]=crafte@u.washington.edu Expand use of PatAPI in future: Download entire record Other systems might connect here Other uses THE PATRON API

11. 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

12. Library user visits Proxy Server Wizard http://www.lib.washington.edu/asp/browser/proxy.asp http://www.lib.washington.edu/asp/browser/proxy.asp User configures their browser to request the pac file Client Configuration Process

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Firewalls, Proxy Servers, and LANs – Oh My! Firewall administrators must punch a hole and allow access to TCP port 51966 Special pac file for Childrens Hospital and Medical Center Proxy servers don’t play well together Personal LANs and firewalls are often improperly configured

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Emalee Craft – crafte@u.washington.edu Jennifer Ward – jlward@lib.washington.edu