I'm seeing a few notes going by in the various newgroups where people say
"I was told to use this URL:
https://wayf.ukfederation.org.uk/shibboleth-wayf/ClearCache.wayf?shire=https%3A%2F%<Obscured>&target=ddaf7e581f3fe1009eeddf9dda5529e2&providerId=<obscured>&time=1217866245
"
At a technical level there seems to be a couple of oddities in here - For a start this is a pretty fragile URL and a <SessionInitiator> type thing (for those using Shib) would be a better bet. The &time is a bit worrying as well.
The real reason for this mail is to point out the "ClearCache.wayf" bit.
Normally, the WAYF will remember any choices that your users make (if they allow it to). Next time they hit the WAYF they will be prompted with their recent selection as a hyperlink (so they don't have to hunt in the pulldown for their institution). However if you specify ClearCache.wayf this will explicitly void any memory of previous visits thus condeming your users to always hunt in the ever growing drop down list. So you are pretty much guaranteeing a bad end user experience - which none of us want.
NOTE - unlike some other WAYF configuration the UK federations does not, and never will (as a matter of policy) auto-redirect ("Oh, you went there last time we'll just send you off there again"). The ClearCache URL is primarily meant as the get out of jail card for the "well you painted yourself into that corner didn't you" mistakes.
So, if people have been in the habit of suggestion ClearCache.wayf, can they instead use https://wayf.ukfederation.org.uk/shibboleth-wayf/uk.wayf ? This is is the default WAYF for the federation and should be where most <SessionInitiators> end up
If you have a good reason for using ClearCache, can you let me know? That way we can try and encorporate that feedback into the round of updates to the WAYF.
Thanks
Rod
|