This is also how our library department is proposing to avoid the 
upcoming fees. Since it then bypasses Athens and Shibboleth completely, 
I'm not sure if there's anything anybody can do if users try to log in 
to the services directly; we just have to rely on users accessing 
resources through our central collection of links. Fortunately since we 
have numerous non-Athens things people tend to go there anyway, so it 
should allow us to proxy the things that won't be in the Federation by July.

I keep hearing about an impending "JISC solution" on the list, but I'm 
not sure what problem it refers to. Could somebody briefly explain?

Thanks

-- 
Nick Howes
elab, IT Services
University of Warwick
http://go.warwick.ac.uk/elab


Margaret Stone wrote:
> Not wishing to speculate about the eagerly awaited announcement... but 
> I hope there may be a way to take into account the loss of 
> functionality for users when reaching the resource via a link not 
> mediated by their institution.
>
> We currently use EZProxy, which would enable us to offer off-site 
> access for the majority of the Athens resources, but *only if* users 
> follow a proxied link.  If we don't subscribe to OpenAthens, then for 
> all those services which are not Shibbolized by July, users will 
> continue to see the "Athens login" link they are used to, but will be 
> unable to use it.
>
> I'm not sure how the JISC solution could solve this problem, but I'll 
> carry on waiting eagerly to see...
>
> Margaret Stone
> UCL
>
>>
>> A formal announcement is awaited (eagerly!) from JISC of the options
>> that will be available for institutions to maintain access to *all*
>> their subscribed resources, without the cost of an OpenAthens
>> subscription. I suspect it won't be called a "gateway" - partly to avoid
>> confusion with the two gateways that (AFAIK) Eduserv will continue
>> running.  But there should not be a need for institutions that have
>> adopted FAM/Shibboleth, and joined the UK Federation, to continue using
>> the Shib-to-Athens Gateway (and therefore to have to subscribe to
>> OpenAthens).
>>
>> Work by commercial resource suppliers also seems to be hotting-up, so
>> that the number remaining that are not directly accessible via Shib and
>> the UK Fed should have diminished significantly before July.
>>
>> John
>> -- 
>> John Paschoud
>> Projects Manager & Infosystems Engineer
>> LSE Library
>> London School of Economics & Political Science
>> 10 Portugal Street
>> London WC2A 2HD
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Discussion list for Shibboleth developments 
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sean Dunne
>>> Sent: 15 February 2008 10:30
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: [JISC-SHIBBOLETH] CrossFire / DigiMap Gateway news
>>>
>>>
>>> Al,
>>>
>>> It's important to distinguish between the Athens-to-Shibboleth 
>>> Gateway and the Shibboleth-to-Athens Gateway.
>>>
>>> Eduserv's announcement yesterday concerned the Athens-to-Shibboleth 
>>> Gateway. It means that institutions that take OpenAthens after July 
>>> 2008 will be able to access purely federated services via this 
>>> gateway, even if such services demand user accountability (and 
>>> provided the institution signs up for that).
>>>
>>> After July 2008 the Shibboleth-to-Athens gateway will only be 
>>> available to institutions who sign up for OpenAthens. This leaves 
>>> institutions which do not sign up for OpenAthens with a potential 
>>> problem in accessing services which only provide an Athens interface.
>>>
>>> Sean
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Discussion list for Shibboleth developments
>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Roberts A.L.
>>>> Sent: 15 February 2008 10:08
>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>> Subject: Re: [JISC-SHIBBOLETH] CrossFire / DigiMap Gateway news
>>>>
>>>> I'm probably missing something but didn't the announcement
>>>> from Eduserv
>>>> say that the upgrade would apply to the openAthens product 
>>> and not the
>>>> gateway specifically. We have no plans to use openAthens but will be
>>>> using the gateway -  so at the mo so this subject is still a 
>>>> problem for
>>>> us.
>>>>
>>>> AL
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Alexander Roberts
>>>> Web Development Officer
>>>> Library and Information Services
>>>> Swansea University/Prifysgol Abertawe
>>>> +44 (0)1792 513239
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>> Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic 
>> communications disclaimer: 
>> http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/secretariat/legal/disclaimer.htm
>