[Eril-l] Open Athens & Microsoft Azure - Both Needed?

[Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list]

If you have a proxy server (ezproxy), you can do without OpenAthens.  We do not have OpenAthens, but I think I understand how it works.  OpenAthens help you set up SAML authentication between your campus identity provider (Azure in this case) and vendor systems.  For vendor systems that do not support SAML authentication (there are a lot of them), OpenAthens acts as a hosted proxy server.  For SAML-supported vendor systems, you could work with each vendor (and of course your IT) to set up SAML authentication without using OpenAthens.  For those who do not support SAML, you would need a proxy server (ezproxy).  If you are willing handle yourself the works of updating your proxy configurations (this is ongoing work), and setting up SAML connections with vendors (one time), then you don’t need OpenAthens.

I hope this helps.

-Bin

From: Eril-l <eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org> on behalf of Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list via Eril-l <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Date: Thursday, July 27, 2023 at 1:44 PM
To: Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Open Athens & Microsoft Azure - Both Needed?
You still need OpenAthens. It is handling SAML (and proxy) authentication to services/sites external to your institution.  Azure acts as your institutions Identity Provider for services, including for OpenAthens, but is not a tool for connecting to library online resources.

Athena


Athena Hoeppner (she/her/hers)
Discovery Services Librarian | University Librarian
University of Central Florida | athena at ucf.edu<mailto:athena at ucf.edu>
📅 Schedule Appointment<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/e7ed510b338643a092fb237960b6be17@ucf.edu/meetingtype/V46-JYn9vEWmqVPIUyuevA2?anonymous>



From: Eril-l <eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org> On Behalf Of Electronic Resources in Libraries discussion list via Eril-l
Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2023 1:20 PM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: [Eril-l] Open Athens & Microsoft Azure - Both Needed?

Hello,

I apologize in advance if this has been answered multiple times through the years, but when I try to search the archives, I keep receiving an error message.

We currently use Open Athens for our database authentication, and our university uses Microsoft Azure for email, intranet, and LMS sign in. When we set up Open Athens, our IT department connected Azure’s Active Directory with Open Athens, so patrons have an SSO experience.  So when patrons try to access a library database, they see Microsoft’s sign-in. Also, if patrons sign into to the LMS, or the university’s portal before accessing the library website, they’re not prompted to authenticate again for database access.

This may be an obvious question, but we’re trying to determine if we still need Open Athens or if Microsoft Azure provides the only authentication piece we need.  We have remote use of our databases, so I’m thinking that is the main part of what keeping Open Athens would provide.

Since administering our databases is only part of my job (small library, many hats), I don’t know all of the tech aspects in depth, so your help is appreciated.

Thank you!


Dana Mastroianni
Head of Public Services | Jennie King Mellon Library<http://library.chatham.edu/>
Office: 412-365-1602
Chatham University|Woodland Rd. Pittsburgh, 15232
[Intsa]<https://www.instagram.com/jkmlibrary/>[FB]<https://www.facebook.com/JKMLibrary/>[Social, Circles, neon, Spotify, line Icon]<https://open.spotify.com/user/fuwu26wdwqq6ums8xs4utraq5>


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