People Database project

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People Database project
John Byrne
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Project aims

• Improve current Computing Service resource
  management processes
• Provide a reference 'People Database' to support
  service providers in departments
• Provide an authentication service for service
  providers in departments

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Computing Service Registration System

• Used to manage Computing Service resources
• Examples
• Host login accounts
• Email accounts
• Web hosting accounts
• File store allocation
• Printing

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Current System

• Built on Interbase
• Character-based management interface
• Utility scripts to implement state held in
  database

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Current System

• Works well but
• Running low on resources
• String and plaster behind the scenes
• Eg early registration, status changes, transient
  arrangements,
• Inflexible database schema
• Eg personal details and account details too
  closely linked
• Closed system
• Inappropriate use of host login accounts

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New System

• Data separation
• Personal data separated from resource management
  data
• People Database
• Facilities Database
• Rule-based resource allocation
• What you get depends on who you are
• With over-rides
• Lightweight digital identity
• Username
• Password
• Basic access rights
• Toe in the intranet

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People Database

• Oracle
• Stable data layer
• One-stop
• Available to authorised users
• Accessed via standard APIs
• SQL
• ColdFusion
• Java
• Extensible

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People Database

• People
• Staff
• Students
• Associates
• Others
• Data
• Contact details
• Affiliation (eg dept/status)
• Job roles
• Identity (username)
• Misc other

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Identity Service

• LDAP
• User authentication
• Data to support access control
• Available to authorised users
• Accessed via standard APIs
• LDAP
• ColdFusion
• Java
• Extensible

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Data sources

• Corporate
• Resource Link
• SITS
• Associates Database
• Departmental
• Job roles
• Early registration
• Informal links
• Contract renewal

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Service providers

• Rule-based resource allocation
• Depending on a user's status
• A set of available resources
• A set of default resources
• Manual over-rides
• Ad-hoc resource allocation
• Detecting changes
• Change logs in People Database
• Authorization and authentication using LDAP

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End-users

• New user allocated default resources
• eg host access, mail
• User switches on/off additional resources using
  the web
• User without host access can still use the web to
  select facilities

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People Project

• System expected to go live summer 2004
• Contacts
• John Byrne (jcb1)
• Fergus McGlynn (fam6)