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Easy Remote Access to Any Database:
A New OPLIN Service
Don Yarman
OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
October 28, 2005
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
The Bottom Line
OPLIN can provide remote access to any database you have subscribed to. Email [email protected] to get started.
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
Two Sides of the Authentication Coin
1. Identify authorized user
2. Communicate authorization to vendor
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
OPLIN’s Challenges
What we do, we do statewide. And yet, 251 independent public libraries
(very independent). Some libraries can (and want to) do this on
their own -- we mustn't step on their toes. Common, vendor-preferred mechanism
(referring URL) doesn't work statewide. No statewide standard for library cards.
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
The view from Mount Oplin
8 million library patrons Each library card has a library’s name on it
More than 3/4 of Ohio’s libraries have unique library card patterns, making it simple to match library card to library
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
Not without its problems…
The very largest & the very smallest 14 characters is a lot to type Existing security holes now easier to find Promiscuous library patrons
Multiple libraries Multiple user categories (Patron? Student?)
Compare to KnowItNow
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
My own perspective shift
Yes, we need to keep unauthorized users from accessing subscription content, but it’s more important to ensure that authorized users can get to it.
Remote access can be MY responsibility, not the vendors’.
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
I ♥ EZProxy
Eight year battle; simple solution. One server, 260 IP interfaces
Akron Public Library = OH0002 Akron EZProxy = oh0002.oplin.org Proxied IP = 66.213.41.2
Lots of administrative work up front, but the elimination of future administrative tedium.
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
How does it work?
Hostname-based rewriting Instead of http://search.epnet.com... http://search.epnet.com.oh0002.oplin.org
DNS entries associate proxy with IP EZProxy requires authentication EZProxy only works with certain domains
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
Whoa. 260 configurations?
Largely identical. An “include” line in the configuration files can
pull database entries from another text file. I edit that common file, changing all proxies.
But I can customize the configuration of a specific proxy to add individual databases.
October 28, 2005 OPLIN Stakeholders’ Meeting
Remote access for anything(if you’ve licensed it)
Tell OPLIN what database you want OPLIN edits your ezproxy.cfg file and adds your login
information to our “Find A Library” database
Tell the vendor to add your proxy IP address 66.213.41.___
Change your database link to OPLIN http://www.oplin.org/controller.php?l=ra&Id=67-_____ Future Development:
http://proxy.oplin.org/login?URL=http://____________