EZproxy Authentication Adapter for PDS

Tags: pds , ezproxy , authentication , basic , nelli-tuning
Last Updated: Mar 01, 2011 14:07

• Description

  An authentication adapter that enables EZproxy to authenticate users via PDS. Users gain access to EZproxy and all other systems using the same PDS by logging in only once.

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• Author: Ere Maijala
• Additional author(s):
• Institution: None
• Year: 2009

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• License: MPL 1.1 / GPL 2.0
• Short description: Use, modification and distribution of the code are permitted provided the copyright notice, list of conditions and disclaimer appear in all related material.
• Link to terms: MPL 1.1, GPL 2.0

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• Skill required for using this code: basic

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State

Stable

Programming language

Perl

Software requirements

Ex Libris products with PDS (tested with PDS 2.0)

Screen captures

None (it's supposed to be invisible)

Author(s) homepage

http://wiki.helsinki.fi/display/Nelli

Download

Version 0.7

Using the following Ex Libris open interfaces

Not sure if PDS interface counts...

Changes

Version 0.7 - 1 Mar 2011

• Made the cross-domain error message configurable.
• Added a proper logging system with improved debug logging.
• Added a check for EZproxy self-redirection to handle it without revealing it to the user.

Version 0.6

• Logs logins to Apache error log

Version 0.5

• Initial public release

The Process (How it Works)

1. EZproxy use is initiated (http://ezproxy/login?url=http://service)
2. EZproxy reads ezproxy.usr and redirects to ezp_pds.cgi per a cgi rule
3. ezp_pds.cgi redirects to pds for login relaying institute information to it
4. Upon successful login pds redirects back to ezp_pds.cgi
5. ezp_pds.cgi checks from pds that the login is valid and into correct institute
6. ezp_pds.cgi calls EZproxy with predetermined credentials to log in
7. ezp.pds.cgi relays the redirection page received from EZproxy to the client

Installation instructions

1. Copy ezp_pds.cgi to m4_x/apache/htdocs/cgi-bin (create cgi-bin directory if it doesn't exist) and make them executable (chmod +x filename). Verify that cgi-bin is readable and executable by all (e.g. chmod 755 cgi-bin) and that no DOS/Windows line endings were introduced to the file.
2. Check perl path on the first line of ezp_pds.cgi if your MetaLib installation isn't in m4_3.
3. Modify the settings in the beginning of the script. The comments should explain the required settings. Create a common username/password to be used when ezp_pds.cgi authenticates to the proxy and enter it into the settings of both ezp_pds.cgi and EZproxy (the following step). ezp_pds.cgi supports multiple institutions. If you only have one, you can use DEFAULT or whatever you prefer. The important thing is to have the same on both ends.
4. Add the following line (with the forementioned username and password) to ezproxy.usr (part of the EZproxy installation):

   Replace test with the username, xyz with the password, address with the real one and institute with the same as in ezp_pds.cgi.

5. Modify texts inside ezp_pds.cgi according to your liking.

TO DO list

1. Separate settings and texts from the code

Known issues

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Comments