From: Mike Taylor Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 20:15:30 +0000 (+0100) Subject: Start using Markdown for library config documentation X-Git-Tag: 1.0.0~370^2~29 X-Git-Url: http://jsfdemo.indexdata.com/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=3ddd0c7cb7c41465ccd3b4ec2eb9c079aa67a4eb;p=mkws-moved-to-github.git Start using Markdown for library config documentation --- diff --git a/doc/library-configuration.markdown b/doc/library-configuration.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cb2db48 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/library-configuration.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,203 @@ +MKWS Target Selection +===================== + + +MKWS accesses targets using the Pazpar2 metasearching engine. Although +Pazpar2 can be used directly, using a statically configured set of +targets, this usage is unusual. More often, Pazpar2 is fronted by the +Service Proxy (SP), which manages authentication, sessions, target +selection, etc. + +This document assumes the SP is used, and explains how to go about +making a set of targets (a "library") available, how to connect your +MKWS application to that library, and how to choose which of the +available targets to use. + + +1. Maintaining the library +-------------------------- + +The service proxy accesses sets of targets that are known as +"libraries". In general, each customer will have their own library, +though some standard libraries may be shared between many customers -- +for example, a library containing all open-access academic journals. +A library can also contain other configuration information, including +the set of categories by which targets are classified for the library. + +Libraries are maintained using MKAdmin (MasterKey +Admin). Specifically, those used by MKWS are generally maintained on +the "MKC Admin" installation at + http://mkx-admin.indexdata.com/console/ + +In general, Index Data will create a library for each customer, then +give the customer a username/password pair that they can use to enter +MKAdmin and administrate that library. + +Once logged in, customers can select which targets to include (from +the list of several thousand that MKAdmin knows about), and make +customer-specific modifications -- e.g. overriding the titles of the +targets. + +Most importantly, customers' administrators can add authentication +credentials that the Service Proxy will used on their behalf when +accessing subscription resources -- username/password pairs or proxies +to use for IP-based authentication. Note that IT IS THEN CRUICIAL TO +SECURE THE LIBRARY FROM USE BY UNAUTHORISED CLIENTS, otherwise the +customer's paid subscriptions will be exploited. + +Access to libraries is managed by creating one or more "User Access" +records in MKAdmin, under the tab of that name. Each of these records +provides a combination of credentials and other data that allow an +incoming MKWS client to be identified as having legitimate access to +the library. The authentication process, described below, works by +searching for a matching User Access record. + + +2. Authenticating your MWKS application onto the library +-------------------------------------------------------- + +Some MKWS applications will be content to use the default library with +its selection of targets. Most, though, will want to define their own +library providing a different range of available targets. An important +case is that of applications that authenticate onto subscription +resources by means of backe-end site credentials stored in MKAdmin: +precautions must be taken so that such library accounts do not allow +unauthorised access. + +Setting up such a library is a process of several stages. + +Stage A: create the User Access account + +Log in to MKAdmin administrate your library: + - Go to http://mkc-admin.indexdata.com/console/ + - Enter the adminstrative username/password + - Go to the User Access tab + - Create an end-user account + - Depending on what authentication method it be used, set the + User Access account's username and password, or IP-address + range, or referring URL, or hostname. + +If your MWKS application runs at a well-known, permanent address -- +http://yourname.com/app.html, say -- you can set the User Access +record so that this originating URL is recognised by setting it into +the "Referring URL" field. + +If your application accesses the Service Proxy by a unique virtual +hostname -- yourname.sp-mkws.indexdata.com, say -- you can tie the use +of this hostname to your library by setting the User Access record's +"Host Name" field to name of the host where the SP is accessed. NOTE +THAT THIS IS NOT SECURE, AS OTHER APPLICATIONS CAN USE THIS VIRTUAL +HOSTNAME TO GAIN ACCESS TO YOUR LIBRARY. + +### Authentication by IP address does not yet work correctly -- see +bug MKWS-234 ("Improve SP configuration/proxying for better +authentication"). + +Alternatively, your application can authenticate by username and +password credentials. This is a useful approach in several situations, +including when you need to specify the use of a different library from +usual one. To arrange for this, set the username and password as a +single string separated by a slash -- e.g. "mike/swordfish" -- into +the User Access record's Authentication field. + +You can create multiple User Access records: for example, one that +uses Referring URL, and another that uses a username/password pair to +be used when running an application from a different URL. + +Stage B: tell the application to use the library + +In the HTML of the application, tell MKWS to authenticate on to the +Service Proxy. When IP-based, referer-based or hostname-based +authentication is used, this is very simple: + + + +### This should be the default setting + +And ensure that access to the MWKS application is from the correct +Referrer URL or IP-range. + +Stage C1 (optional): access by a different virtual hostname + +When hostname-based authentication is in use, it's necessary to access +the Service Proxy as the correctly named virtual host. This can be +done by setting the service_proxy_auth configuration item to a +URL containing that hostname, such as + //yourname.sp-mkws.indexdata.com/service-proxy/?command=auth&action=perconfig + +### It should be possible to change just the hostname without needing +to repeat the rest of the URL (protocol, path, query) + +### When changing the SP authentication URL, the Pazpar2 URL should in +general change along with it. + +Stage C2 (optional): embed credentials for access to the library + +When credential-based authentication is in use (username and +password), it's necessary to pass these credentials into the Service +Proxy when establishing the session. This can most simply be done just +by setting the service_proxy_auth configuration item to a URL such as + //sp-mkws.indexdata.com/service-proxy/?command=auth&action=perconfig&username=mike&password=swordfish + +### It should be possible to add the username and password to the +configuration without needing to repeat the rest of the URL. + +Stage D (optional): conceal credentials from HTML source + +Using a credential-based Service-Proxy authentication URL such as the +one above reveals the the credentials to public view -- to anyone who +does View Source on the MKWS application. This may be acceptable for +some libraries, but is intolerable for those which provide +authenticated access to subscription resources. + +In these circumstances, a more elaborate approach is necessary. The +idea is to make a URL local to the customer that is used for +authentication onto the Service Proxy, hiding the credentials in a +local rewrite rule. Then local mechanisms can be used to limit access +to that local authentication URL. Here is one way to do it when +Apache2 is the application's web-server, which we will call +yourname.com: + + - Add a rewriting authentication alias to the configuration: + RewriteEngine on + RewriteRule /spauth/ http://mkws.indexdata.com/service-proxy/?command=auth&action=check,login&username=U&password=PW [P] + - Set thwe MKWS configuration item "service_proxy_auth" to: + http://yourname.com/spauth/ + - Protect access to the local path http://yourname.com/spauth/ + (e.g. using a .htaccess file). + + +3. Choosing targets from the library +------------------------------------ + +MKWS applications can choose what subset of the library's targets to +use, by means of several alternative settings on individual widgets or +in the mkws_config structure: + +* targets -- contains a Pazpar2 targets string, typically of the form + "pz:id=" or "pz:id~" followed by a pipe-separated list of low-level + target IDs. + + At present, these IDs can take one of two forms, depending on the + configuration of the Service Proxy being used: they may be based on + ZURLs, so a typical value would be something like: + pz:id=josiah.brown.edu:210/innopac|lui.indexdata.com:8080/solr4/select?fq=database:4902 + Or they may be UDBs, so a typical value would be something like: + pz:id=brown|artstor + +* targetfilter -- contains a CQL query which is used to find relevant + targets from the relvant library. For example, + udb==Google_Images + Or + categories=news + +* target -- contains a single UDB, that of the sole target to be + used. For example + Google_Images + This is merely syntactic sugar for "targetfilter" with the query + udb==NAME + + diff --git a/doc/library-configuration.txt b/doc/library-configuration.txt deleted file mode 100644 index cb2db48..0000000 --- a/doc/library-configuration.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,203 +0,0 @@ -MKWS Target Selection -===================== - - -MKWS accesses targets using the Pazpar2 metasearching engine. Although -Pazpar2 can be used directly, using a statically configured set of -targets, this usage is unusual. More often, Pazpar2 is fronted by the -Service Proxy (SP), which manages authentication, sessions, target -selection, etc. - -This document assumes the SP is used, and explains how to go about -making a set of targets (a "library") available, how to connect your -MKWS application to that library, and how to choose which of the -available targets to use. - - -1. Maintaining the library --------------------------- - -The service proxy accesses sets of targets that are known as -"libraries". In general, each customer will have their own library, -though some standard libraries may be shared between many customers -- -for example, a library containing all open-access academic journals. -A library can also contain other configuration information, including -the set of categories by which targets are classified for the library. - -Libraries are maintained using MKAdmin (MasterKey -Admin). Specifically, those used by MKWS are generally maintained on -the "MKC Admin" installation at - http://mkx-admin.indexdata.com/console/ - -In general, Index Data will create a library for each customer, then -give the customer a username/password pair that they can use to enter -MKAdmin and administrate that library. - -Once logged in, customers can select which targets to include (from -the list of several thousand that MKAdmin knows about), and make -customer-specific modifications -- e.g. overriding the titles of the -targets. - -Most importantly, customers' administrators can add authentication -credentials that the Service Proxy will used on their behalf when -accessing subscription resources -- username/password pairs or proxies -to use for IP-based authentication. Note that IT IS THEN CRUICIAL TO -SECURE THE LIBRARY FROM USE BY UNAUTHORISED CLIENTS, otherwise the -customer's paid subscriptions will be exploited. - -Access to libraries is managed by creating one or more "User Access" -records in MKAdmin, under the tab of that name. Each of these records -provides a combination of credentials and other data that allow an -incoming MKWS client to be identified as having legitimate access to -the library. The authentication process, described below, works by -searching for a matching User Access record. - - -2. Authenticating your MWKS application onto the library --------------------------------------------------------- - -Some MKWS applications will be content to use the default library with -its selection of targets. Most, though, will want to define their own -library providing a different range of available targets. An important -case is that of applications that authenticate onto subscription -resources by means of backe-end site credentials stored in MKAdmin: -precautions must be taken so that such library accounts do not allow -unauthorised access. - -Setting up such a library is a process of several stages. - -Stage A: create the User Access account - -Log in to MKAdmin administrate your library: - - Go to http://mkc-admin.indexdata.com/console/ - - Enter the adminstrative username/password - - Go to the User Access tab - - Create an end-user account - - Depending on what authentication method it be used, set the - User Access account's username and password, or IP-address - range, or referring URL, or hostname. - -If your MWKS application runs at a well-known, permanent address -- -http://yourname.com/app.html, say -- you can set the User Access -record so that this originating URL is recognised by setting it into -the "Referring URL" field. - -If your application accesses the Service Proxy by a unique virtual -hostname -- yourname.sp-mkws.indexdata.com, say -- you can tie the use -of this hostname to your library by setting the User Access record's -"Host Name" field to name of the host where the SP is accessed. NOTE -THAT THIS IS NOT SECURE, AS OTHER APPLICATIONS CAN USE THIS VIRTUAL -HOSTNAME TO GAIN ACCESS TO YOUR LIBRARY. - -### Authentication by IP address does not yet work correctly -- see -bug MKWS-234 ("Improve SP configuration/proxying for better -authentication"). - -Alternatively, your application can authenticate by username and -password credentials. This is a useful approach in several situations, -including when you need to specify the use of a different library from -usual one. To arrange for this, set the username and password as a -single string separated by a slash -- e.g. "mike/swordfish" -- into -the User Access record's Authentication field. - -You can create multiple User Access records: for example, one that -uses Referring URL, and another that uses a username/password pair to -be used when running an application from a different URL. - -Stage B: tell the application to use the library - -In the HTML of the application, tell MKWS to authenticate on to the -Service Proxy. When IP-based, referer-based or hostname-based -authentication is used, this is very simple: - - - -### This should be the default setting - -And ensure that access to the MWKS application is from the correct -Referrer URL or IP-range. - -Stage C1 (optional): access by a different virtual hostname - -When hostname-based authentication is in use, it's necessary to access -the Service Proxy as the correctly named virtual host. This can be -done by setting the service_proxy_auth configuration item to a -URL containing that hostname, such as - //yourname.sp-mkws.indexdata.com/service-proxy/?command=auth&action=perconfig - -### It should be possible to change just the hostname without needing -to repeat the rest of the URL (protocol, path, query) - -### When changing the SP authentication URL, the Pazpar2 URL should in -general change along with it. - -Stage C2 (optional): embed credentials for access to the library - -When credential-based authentication is in use (username and -password), it's necessary to pass these credentials into the Service -Proxy when establishing the session. This can most simply be done just -by setting the service_proxy_auth configuration item to a URL such as - //sp-mkws.indexdata.com/service-proxy/?command=auth&action=perconfig&username=mike&password=swordfish - -### It should be possible to add the username and password to the -configuration without needing to repeat the rest of the URL. - -Stage D (optional): conceal credentials from HTML source - -Using a credential-based Service-Proxy authentication URL such as the -one above reveals the the credentials to public view -- to anyone who -does View Source on the MKWS application. This may be acceptable for -some libraries, but is intolerable for those which provide -authenticated access to subscription resources. - -In these circumstances, a more elaborate approach is necessary. The -idea is to make a URL local to the customer that is used for -authentication onto the Service Proxy, hiding the credentials in a -local rewrite rule. Then local mechanisms can be used to limit access -to that local authentication URL. Here is one way to do it when -Apache2 is the application's web-server, which we will call -yourname.com: - - - Add a rewriting authentication alias to the configuration: - RewriteEngine on - RewriteRule /spauth/ http://mkws.indexdata.com/service-proxy/?command=auth&action=check,login&username=U&password=PW [P] - - Set thwe MKWS configuration item "service_proxy_auth" to: - http://yourname.com/spauth/ - - Protect access to the local path http://yourname.com/spauth/ - (e.g. using a .htaccess file). - - -3. Choosing targets from the library ------------------------------------- - -MKWS applications can choose what subset of the library's targets to -use, by means of several alternative settings on individual widgets or -in the mkws_config structure: - -* targets -- contains a Pazpar2 targets string, typically of the form - "pz:id=" or "pz:id~" followed by a pipe-separated list of low-level - target IDs. - - At present, these IDs can take one of two forms, depending on the - configuration of the Service Proxy being used: they may be based on - ZURLs, so a typical value would be something like: - pz:id=josiah.brown.edu:210/innopac|lui.indexdata.com:8080/solr4/select?fq=database:4902 - Or they may be UDBs, so a typical value would be something like: - pz:id=brown|artstor - -* targetfilter -- contains a CQL query which is used to find relevant - targets from the relvant library. For example, - udb==Google_Images - Or - categories=news - -* target -- contains a single UDB, that of the sole target to be - used. For example - Google_Images - This is merely syntactic sugar for "targetfilter" with the query - udb==NAME - -