[12558] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Database access for remote users
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Scott P. Muir)
Fri Nov 6 20:18:20 1998
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998 17:56:42 -0500
From: "Scott P. Muir" <muirs@bc.edu>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: "Scott P. Muir" <muirs@bc.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
The Boston College Libraries are interested in the
technical strategies that Libraries are using to provide
licensed databases to remote users. We provide access to
about 150 commercial databases via our campus network, most
of which are restricted to the BC community. On many of
these we provide open access to anyone physically on our
campus that fits the correct IP range. However, we are
also providing service to an increasing number of remote
users: students, faculty, staff, etc., that are coming into
campus via some ISP. These users do not fall in the
authorized IP range and are therefor blocked from these
databases. We are currently working on a couple of
strategies.
One is to require authentication for all databases, but
this has the problem of requiring authentication even for
users within the libraries, and all of the ramifications
that occur with that solution. We are also working with a
web-based proxy server product called Remote Passage by
IPlanet. This seems to be working reasonably well, except
that every time a vendor changes their front end or moves
it to another server, we have to rescript our access.
What solutions have you tried that either work or don't
work? Any information you have to share would be
appreciated.
Thank you.
----------------------
Scott P. Muir
muirs@bc.edu
Boston College
(617)552-3155 voice
(617 552-8828 fax
mailto: muirs@bc.edu
