Transcript GEO IP Authentication - Alabama Virtual Library

A solution for eliminating passwords to improve access
Denise Oliver, Education and Outreach Director
Alabama Supercomputer Authority
COSN 2011
Goals of Presentation
 Illustrate how Alabama Supercomputer innovative
team project approach works
 Show how ASA took a commercial idea, adapted and
applied it to a state-wide initiative
 Spark ideas about how this might work for you
 Take information back to your state and share this idea
with teachers and administrators to improve projects
where Geo IP may be applicable
Alabama Supercomputer Authority
(ASA)
 What do we do?
 Maintain and develop state-wide networkAlabama Research Education Network
(AREN)
 High Performance Computing center in
Huntsville, AL
 Helpdesk services (800-338-8320)
 E-rate assistance
 Development of education
projects/initiatives
 Other services needed by our clients (web
hosting, disaster recovery, firewalls, email,
maintain quality of service)
www.asc.edu
What does ASA do best?
 Provides high quality technical assistance locally to
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state agencies, education institutions, libraries
One-on-One assistance with project development and
design
Has an understanding of state issues, technology
initiatives, political climate
Supports technology implementation through
partnerships with schools, libriaries, libraries and
others at a state and national level
Builds consensus and support for technology
implementation and infrastructure
ASA Projects
 Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) www.avl.lib.al.us
 Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) www.alex.state.al.us
 ACCESS Distance Learning www.accessdl.state.al.us
 Career Tech (Alabama Career Information Network)
www.alcareerinfo.org
 Educate Alabama (Leadership and Evaluation) under
construction
 Postsecondary Education-DAX (Data Access Exchange)
 Postsecondary Education- Adult Education
 5 agency partnership
 State Department of Education, Department of Postsecondary Education,
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Alabama Commission on Higher Education, Alabama Public Library
Service, Alabama Supercomputer Authority
 Each agency director appoints three members to the Executive Council-all
volunteers
Provides current up-to-date resources for the entire state-every citizen has
access
24/7 Helpdesk provided by ASA for technical support/information
Funded from the Alabama Education Trust Fund-budget line item
Supported by legislation through advocacy campaigns
Suffers funding cuts like everyone else
How does ASA use GEO IP
Authentication?
Project Team
Network Engineer- Richard Trice
Website Designer-Rob Latham
Education Specialist/AVL Helpdesk support-Gina Frady
Education and Outreach Director-Denise Oliver-AVL
Council Representative
What started the process?
 Less funding-higher expectation to do more with less
 Look for economical ways to deploy technology
 Increase use of existing resources to keep them viable
 Look at alternative and innovative ways to provide
what we are already providing without increased
funding or with funding cuts
 Trend to consolidate resources for scale of economy
What is GEO IP Authentication?
 Authentication based on where user’s IP is registered and
user’s physical location
 GeoLocation software determines approximate user
location
 IP address ranges for libraries and schools
 Exception IPs on a case by case basis
 Satellite
 State line
 Air cards
 Mobile devices
Common Uses of GeoIP
 Content localization for webmasters who want to serve local content on a global
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domain
Copyright owners and delivery networks restrict streams based on the
geographical information
Target advertising to certain areas i.e.. Banner advertising or pay for view
advertising by businesses for selected markets, etc.
Fraud prevention identifies suspicious payment transactions live by correlations
between IP address and additional information (billing records, email header)
City advertising by advertising on web sites with extensive content related to
particular cities.
Content based on local time using IP geolocation [15]
AVL’s Old Method Of
Authentication
 http://old.avl.lib.al.us
 Only users at public libraries or public school
campuses could ‘easily’ use the AVL resources.
 ‘Home Access’ users had to be issued ‘AVL Cards’ with
usernames and passwords.
 Every student had to be issued an AVL card in order to
use the AVL resources for home work, reports, etc.
outside of the school day
 Huge barrier to access of resources-limited access
AVL 2010 Site Redesign
 Incorporating GEO IP Authentication to remove barriers to access resources.
How does it work for the user?
How does it work on the back end?
How has this affected AVL card
usage?
August AVL Card Usage
2006-2010 Comparison
500
450
400
350
300
Aug-06
250
Aug-07
Aug-08
200
Aug-09
150
Aug-10
100
50
0
New Cards Issued
Sessions
1st Time Users
Daily Averages
Unique Users
How has this affected overall
usage?
August AVL Searches
2006-2010 Comparison
2,000,000
1,800,000
+40%
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
+14%
+26%
-1%
Aug-06
Aug-07
Aug-08
800,000
Aug-09
600,000
Aug-10
400,000
200,000
Searches
August 2010 Usage
Future Impact on AVL Usage
Challenges
 Individual vendors provide mobile apps for their products
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(one at a time)
Website design adapted for mobile devices
Some AVL cards still will need to be used
Using individual vendor Geo IP can shut down project if there
is server failure
Educating users about how the new authentication works
Continued adaptation of the website to include new features
without interfering with authentication (general public page
v. access to databases i.e. free trials)
Contact Information
Denise B. Oliver, Education and Outreach Director
Alabama Supercomputer Authority
400 S. Union St. #337
Montgomery, Al 36104
[email protected]
334-832-2405