Current developments

David Orrell – Senior ArchitectOli Cooper – Software Engineer

OpenAthens LAAn overviewOli Cooper

What is OpenAthens LA?

Standards-compliant software to enable federated access to both external and internal Web resources

Benefits of using OpenAthens LA

• Easy to install, configure and manage• Access to protected internal resources• Simplified/No user management• Flexible and future-proof• Free to existing HE/FE OpenAthens subscribers!

END-USERSUsers can access content from external Service Providers and internal protected resources through a variety of established technologies and open standards

INTERNAL DIRECTORYUser management is greatly simplified because OpenAthens LA can connect to the organisation’s existing user directory

NEW TECHNOLOGYA major benefit of the OpenAthens LA Platform is the ability to easily update, add and remove modules as technology and standards evolve

OpenAthens LA vs OpenAthens MD

OpenAthens LA OpenAthens MD

Local user authentication Bulk user upload

Locally installed Managed service

Fully supported Fully supported

Auditing, Diagnostics & Statistics (2.1) Statistics

Customisable & Extensible

Protect internal resources

SSO to Google Apps

OpenAthens LA

• Ease of installation, configuration & administration• Admin console

• Web application to configure and manage OALA (vs editing XML)

• Runtime Server provided as a Virtual Machine image• Updates made available automatically through repository• Set-up wizards (2.1)• Administration roles (2.1)

• Views and permissions tailored to different Admin Console users

• Diagnostics, Auditing & Statistics (2.1)

OpenAthens LA

• Extensible - modular• Fully Supported• Access to Athens-only resources with no additional

subscription/configuration• Shibboleth 1.3 end-of-life in June 2010

IT Services

User-repository

System administrator

Librarian

Configuration

A typical Shibboleth installation

Shibboleth server

End-users

ModelRuntime

Runtime server(s) Administration server

User-repository

System administrator

Librarian

Staff / students

A typical OpenAthens LA installation

End-users

Insert Screen shot of Admin Console

Moving to OpenAthens LA

• Currently running OpenAthens DA• Currently using OpenAthens MD• Considering Shibboleth• Currently running Shibboleth 1.3

Questions