Transcript Presentation - Bodleian Libraries

WISER:
Remote access to databases and
datasets
This session will help you to set up access to Oxford online
resources from your home computer.
The session will help you to identify which of several methods
is most appropriate for your needs.
Methods will include Athens passwords, Dial-up and the Virtual
Private Network.
Judy Reading & Katherine Craddock
Outline of session
This session will cover:



A brief overview of the range of resources which you may
wish to access from home.
An outline of how to find out which method is most
appropriate for which resource
Instructions for how to set up access through each of the
methods described.
OxLIP
OxLIP (Oxford Libraries Information Platform) is a gateway to
hundreds of electronic resources
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/oxlip/

Includes:
– catalogues
– abstracting & indexing services
– reference works
– full-text resources
– statistical resource
– official publications
– electronic journals
– quality web resources
– current awareness services

Free and subscription databases
Examples of Databases
Abstract and Indexing Services:
 CSA (ASSIA, ERIC, LISA, Social Services Abs, Sociological
Abs, Worldwide Political Science Abs)
 IBSS (International Bibliography of the Social Sciences)
 WebSPIRS (EconLit, PAIS, PsycInfo)
Citation index:
 Web of Knowledge/Social Science Citation Index
Other:
 TDNet (Electronic journals)
 Catalogues
 Theses and Dissertations
 Other OXLIP resources
 Web resources
Remote access to electronic
resources

If you are a member of Oxford University and are using a
PC, Mac or Unix workstation within the ox.ac.uk domain
you will be able to access most electronic resources without
requiring a username and/or password.

If you want to access electronic resources from outside
Oxford University you will need to register either for a
personal Athens username and password or for the
University's VPN Service, and in some cases both.
Athens

The Athens authentication service allows the use of a single
username and password to access all electronic resources
listed here http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/athens/resources.xml
from any network connected computer.

To use the service you must register for an Athens personal
account and set a password.
VPN: Virtual Private Network

The great majority of resources are limited to the Oxford
Internet domain by IP address. This means that even if you
can access them via Athens outside Oxford, when within
the ox.ac.uk domain no login is required.

When working off campus, it is possible to be allocated an
Oxford address through the University's Virtual Private
Network (VPN) Service.

To use this service you must register for a remote access
account and install and run VPN software on your
computer.
How do you know what to use?

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OXLIP includes information about access to specific databases
If you use VPN off campus you will have access to nearly all
electronic resources

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Athens does allow access to many of our resources (including
some full-text journals -JSTOR, ScienceDirect, Ingenta and
Blackwell Synergy are Athens-compliant).
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However, there are a few which are available through Athens only eg
Digimap, databases from ESDS (Economic and Social Data Service)
International and specialist databases for Law and the Business
School.
But some resources are only available through VPN, including some
of the full-text journals
Some networked CD-Roms require the download of
“thin client software” – instructions are available – and
you can email [email protected] for help
How do you know what to use?
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General rules of thumb:
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If you do not require Athens to access any of the resources
you use when you are on campus, you should be able to use
them off campus with VPN only.
If you do require Athens to use a particular resource on
campus you will also need Athens off campus and may need
VPN as well.
If you are having difficulties getting VPN to work, you may find
that Athens gives you access to most of or all the resources
you need. Alternatively a dial-up connection might provide a
solution.
The Oxford Single Sign-On Account
This account is the key to remote access of digital
resources
 Everyone is assigned an Oxford single sign-on account
when their first university card is issued
 Once activated, the account gives access to Webmail and
WebLearn as well as the Self-Registration Interface
https://register.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ allowing:
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registration for an Athens account
registration for a Remote Access account
the download of software such as VPN
registration of machines for the central automated
backup system
Demonstration: Registering for and
Using and Athens Account

More details about the Athens account can be found at
http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/athens/

A link to the self-registration page can be found on the
OUCS home page www.ox.ac.uk

Once your username and password are active you can
access all available services which use Athens
authentication by going to http://www.athens.ac.uk/ and
login at the "My Athens" button.
Demonstration: Setting up VPN
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More details on VPN can be found at
http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/remote/

You need to both register for a remote access account and
download and install the VPN client software
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Available for Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and Vista,
Mac OSX 10.2-4 (and all Intel Macs), Linux and Solaris
Start the VPN software whenever you need access to Oxford
electronic resources
Changes to the
assigned (Oxford)
IP address
VPN Server in Oxford
How does VPN Work?
Returns username and
Contacts server with some
password
and server
Confirms
and
initial
data
and encryption
requests
All
further
network
communication
assigns
Oxford
IP address
asks
for remote
access
an
encrypted
connection
travels via the VPN server with the
username and password
original IP address but disguised
Researcher’s Laptop
Demonstration: Using VPN

On Windows, click the Start button and look in the All
Programs list for Cisco Systems VPN Client
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On Mac OSX the Applications folder will contain VPNClient
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Software can be set to remember the password, but don’t do
this unless you are the only user of the machine
The Most Common VPN Problems

Error Message: The remote peer is no longer responding
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Indicates a firewall blocking VPN traffic. Required settings are:
UDP Port 500, 4500 and 10000 open for send/receive
IP protocol 50 (ESP) allowed
Error Message: User authentication failed
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username/password provided are not what the server expects.
Password can be reset via the self-registration page

password has changed since VPN client
remembered it. VPN will forget the password via
Connection Entries  Modify  Erase User Password
For other problems try the online trouble-shooter:
www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/helpcentre/troubleshooting/vpn/