OpenAthensLA 2.0:
An introduction
OpenAthens workshops, February/March 2009
David Orrell, Eduserv
david.orrell@eduserv.org.uk
www.eduserv.org.uk

Product goals and rationale
Architecture
Demo of administration tools
2

What is OpenAthens LA?
Software to enable federated access to
internal and external Web resources

Federated identity
Identity Provider Service Providers
(resources)
Control
Policy
Subscriptions
Management

Federated identity
Identity Provider Service Providers
(resources)
Control
Policy
Subscriptions
Management

OpenAthens LA 1.0
• You know it as Athens DA
• 'Semi' federated
– depends on central service
• Not fully standards compliant
– only via central service

Since 1.0, a lot has changed...

1) Formation of The UK Access Management
Federation, and other federations

2) Changing user behaviour
• Web 2.0
• User-centric identity
• Social networks

3) Multiple identity standards
• SAML
• OpenID
• Information Cards

That's all very well... but...

But...
• We've lost control and flexibility!
• We can't meet students expectations
• Athens also...
– hid much of the complexity
– provided web-based administration
→ distributed control
– provided statistics

Shibboleth administration
System
IT Services administrator
Shibboleth server
Librarian
Configuration
User-repository

Our top 3 priorities for OpenAthens LA 2.0...

Priorities
1) Ease of installation, configuration &
maintenance
• Web-based administration
• Built-in diagnostics and statistics

Priorities
2) Support for multiple, Open Standards

Priorities
3) Extendable
• Modular architecture
• Open APIs – write your own extensions

OpenAthens LA 2.0
• Greater control...

OpenAthens LA 2.0: administration
System
administrator
Administration
Runtime server(s) server
Model
Runtime
Librarian
User-repository
Staff / students

Administration interface
Administration
server
Admin application(s) Model

Administration interface
Administration
server
Model history
Admin application(s) Model

OpenAthens LA 2.0
More flexibility...
•

OpenAthens 'Atacama' platform
Protocol modules

OpenAthens LA 2.0: modules
OpenAthens LA runtime
Platform
Webserver

OpenAthens LA 2.0: modules
• Authentication
OpenAthens LA runtime
Platform
Webserver

OpenAthens LA 2.0: modules
• Authentication
• Data-store
connectors
OpenAthens LA runtime
Platform
Webserver

OpenAthens LA 2.0: modules
• Authentication
• Data-store
connectors
OpenAthens LA runtime • Identity
protocols
(SAML, OpenID
Platform
etc)
Webserver

OpenAthens LA 2.0: modules
• Authentication
• Data-store
connectors
OpenAthens LA runtime • Identity
protocols
(SAML, OpenID
Platform
etc)
• Attribute
Webserver
release policies

OpenAthens LA 2.0: modules
• Authentication
• Data-store
connectors
OpenAthens LA runtime • Identity
protocols
(SAML, OpenID
Platform
etc)
• Attribute
Webserver
release policies
• Custom
attributes
• …

Open APIs: write your own modules
• OpenAthens platform is multi-language
– C/C++, C#/.NET, Java, PHP, Ruby
• Can write in-line 'scriptlets'
– JavaScript, Ruby
OpenAthens LA runtime

Demos
Admin console →
Service provider →

OpenAthens LA 2.0: release schedule
June 2009:
April 2009: End of Beta
Beta release programme
2009
July 2009:
March 2009:
OpenAthens LA 2.0
Initial Alpha
General Availability

Thank you!
david.orrell@eduserv.org.uk