Project Meccano

1
Project Meccano

• ICT Services Resource Accounting and
• Usercode Management System

2
Introduction

• Project name Meccano
• Future system name ICTS Account
• Our goals
• 1. ID Management
• 2. Improved resource accounting mechanisms
• 3. Fit the Requirements

3
Project Outcomes

• 1. Utilisation of Identity Management.
• 2. Reduction of risk.
• Reduction in operational effort.
• 4. Future proofing.

4
The Project Team

• Core members
• Emma de Lacey, Ronan Phelan, Geoff Wain,
  Brendon Wyber, Malcolm Smeaton, Andrew
  Lorenc
• Project Owner
• Charles Brown, Infrastructure Systems Support
  Manager, ICTS
• Project Sponsor
• Clive Martis, ICTS Director
• Quality Assurance Group
• Risk Assessor - Richard Hanschu

5
What has been done so far

• 1. Submitted a business case with a detailed
  budget and stakeholder requirements received
  approval for an 18 month - 2 year project

2. Surveyed other NZ and Aussie universities
about their ID management and resource accounting
systems and experiences
3. Split off the ID Management to a separate
project
4. Decided to develop the resource accounting
system in house
5. Completed the Architectural Design document
6
Overall Architecture Design
1. Web Sites
2. Web Services
3. CS Gold database
4. IDMS
5. Resource Accounting database
6. Oracle Finances
7
Architecture Decisions

• Staff accounts will be created in CS Gold
• Service accounts will be created in CS Gold
• User balances will be held in LDAP and updated
  with every transaction with CS Gold
• Microsoft SQL Server will be used for logging,
  process resource logs, and reporting
• Access to Resource Accounting will be via a
  Microsoft ASP.Net https website
• Different view of the website for each user role
• Staff / Student
• IT HelpDesk
• Library IT
• Resource Accounting Administrator
• Departmental Administrator

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Website Roles
Departmental Admin
Resource Accounting Admin
Library IT HelpDesk
IT HelpDesk
Staff Student
Change a departmental users password Assign user
low/medium/high usage plan Allocate a student
funds for a resource Allocate a staff member
funds for a resource Report on departmental
Account usage with some optional parameters
Change a users password Report on Account usage
with some optional parameters for Single
user Department Resource Suspend user and all
their user codes and related resources Maintain
low/medium/high/unlimited usage plans Set minimum
for email reminder notification Set low for
email reminder notification Set Internet charging
rates depending on time and date Set Printing
charge rates for different printers Set mailbox
size by type of user or user group Add additional
space on mailbox by user Set quota limits for a
resource Add additional space for a resource by
user or user group
Change a students password
Create a new external account Create a new staff
personal account Create a new staff
administration account Create a new department
account Change a users password Report on
Account usage with some optional parameters
for Single user Department/section Resource Creat
e a new user account log comment with optional UC
Magic URL Suspend user and all their user codes
and related resources Disable and re-enable user
internet access
Change my password Report on my Account usage
with some optional parameters View my current
balance
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Examples of Website Actions and Resource
Processing
Logging Flow of web site interactions
Identity Creation
Resource processing
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Web Services interactions
Resource Accounting
CS Gold

• Log Resource Transaction
• View Detailed Resource Report with optional
  parameters
• Debit Patron for a resource

• Get Patron Balance
• Debit Patron Balance
• Credit Patron Balance
• View Patron Transaction with some optional
  parameters

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Resource Accounting database

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database
• Configuration information for resource
  accounting, e.g. charge rates
• Logging website interactions, e.g. account
  creations, resource allocations
• Store resource charging logs
• Process resource charges
• Aggregate charging, i.e. where charges are
  fractions of 1 Cent
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
• Produce aggregated resource accounting reports
  for administrators
• Provide snapshot reports
• Provide pushed reports

12
Internet Accounting

• Brendon Wyber, ICT Services, room 205, ext 6336

• Student is using snap vpn and is wondering why
  he was charged 20.35 for internet traffic on
  1-Oct-2007. Checked and he said he hasn't got
  internet enabler installed.

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Specific Example Firewall Accounting Logs

• Firewall Accounting Logs
• 155Gb of Traffic per weekday
• Log Files size
• 7.6 million log entries
• 257Mb compressed
• 2.08Gb uncompressed
• Multitude of Charging Rates
• KAREN vs. Commercial Internet (11000 routes)
• National vs. International (1500 routes)
• Day vs. Night
• Internal Usercodes vs. External Usercode vs. Free
  KAREN Usercode

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Specific Example Firewall Accounting Logs
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Resource Point of View
16
Questions
?
17
Where to from here

• Feedback

Architectural Plan sign off
Project Plan for next stage with timelines
Business Analysis
Development
Deployment
Project Closure
On-going enhancements (as approved with a
business case)