In a communiqué to library staff recently, Rue Ramirez, AUL Library Systems & Information Technology/Technical Services, talked about the forthcoming developments in remote access authentication which will serve Library users better.
“The introduction of the myVPN service is important because it promises to provide a scaleable, more stable, and robust method for remote users to securely access the campus network.”
“[T]he “old” VPN, in addition to the rewriting proxy (RSVPN), a separate proxy server, and a limited instance of EZproxy have never really represented a comprehensive method for remote access. Out of necessity, we’ve presented our users with a somewhat confusing and problematic array of options.”
“As a result, we have begun a coordinated move to make EZproxy our one remote access tool. As its name implies, EZproxy is easy for users… they’ll be asked to authenticate [using their UBCcard or CWL] and they’re in. The burden of work and configuration is on the back end, the Library’s end.”
“The myVPN service would … be used as a backup in case EZproxy was unavailable.
“We are striving to … move into full production by the end of the first quarter of 2010.” –Rue Ramirez, AUL Library Systems & Information Technology/Technical Services (email 22Oct.2009)
