Middleware: Addressing the Top IT Issues on Campus Renee Woodten Frost Internet2 and University of Michigan CUMREC May 13, 2003

Outline Set the context Define middleware Outline the Top 10 issues Discuss the relevancy of middleware Introduce NSF Middleware Initiative Highlight available resources and educational opportunities

CUMREC May 13, 2003 What is IT being asked to do? One stop for university services (portal) integrated with course management systems -for-life Automatic creation and deletion of computer accounts Submit and/or update information online Browser or desktop preferences follow you

CUMREC May 13, 2003 More on the “to do” list Multi-campus scanning electron microscopes Integrated voic , , and faxmail for Advancement staff Secure PDA and wireless support All-campus announcements (spam) Expensive library databases shared with other schools in a system or consortium....

CUMREC May 13, 2003 What do all of these have in common? Are the people using these services who they claim to be? Are they members of our campus community? Have they been given permission? Is their privacy being protected?

CUMREC May 13, 2003 What is middleware? Suite of campus-wide security, access, and information services –Integrates data sources and manages information about people and their contact locations –Establishes electronic identity of users –Uses administrative data to assign affiliation and gives permission to use services based on that role

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Definitions: Identifiers Identifiers– your electronic names –Multiple names and corresponding information in multiple places –Single unique identifier for each authorized user –Names and information in other systems can be cross- linked to it Ie, Admin systems, library systems, building systems

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Definitions: Authentication Authentication – links the physical you to an electronic identifier –Password authentication most common –Security need should drive authentication method –Distance learning and inter-campus applications

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Definitions: Authorization Authorization services – allowing you to use services –Affiliated with the school (role) –Permitted to use the services based on that role

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Definitions: Enterprise Directory Services Enterprise Directory services - where your electronic identifiers are reconciled and basic characteristics are kept –Very quick lookup function –Phone number, address, campus identifiers –Machine address, voice mail box, box location

CUMREC May 13, 2003 What is Middleware? specialized networked services that are shared by applications and users a set of core software components that permit scaling of applications and networks tools that take complexity out of application integration a second layer of the IT infrastructure, sitting above the network a land where technology meets policy the intersection of what networks designers and applications developers each do not want to do

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Map of Middleware Land

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Core Middleware Middleware makes “transparent use” happen, providing consistency, security, privacy and capability Identity - unique markers of who you (person, machine, service, group) are Authentication - how you prove or establish that you are that identity Directories - where an identity’s basic characteristics are kept Authorization - what an identity is permitted to do Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) - emerging tools for security services

CUMREC May 13, EDUCAUSE Current Issues Survey Criteria –Importance for strategic success –Potential significance in next year –Most time consuming for leaders –Most resource intensive 10 issues most significant

CUMREC May 13, 2003 The Top Ten Issues Administrative Systems/ERP IT Funding Faculty Development, Support, and Training IT Strategic Planning Security Management Online Student Services Teaching and Learning Strategies Distance Education Maintaining Network Infrastructure Emerging Network Technologies (Portals)

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Threads Woven Throughout Money and Time Integration Policy Enforcement Enhanced Security Ease of Use Capability to Iterate and Deploy Faster Privacy management

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Money and Time Consolidated access management –Fewer staff for more applications –Fewer information repositories to manage –Fewer accounts to manage –Automated creation and deletion of accounts

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Integration Leverage existing infrastructures –Data Unique identifier is mapped to application- dependent identifiers –Network Integrated sign-on –Services Administrative and Course Management Systems

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Policy Enforcement Access follows institutional policy and legal requirements –Business changes reflected in access Dismissed students/staff have access to all services and buildings immediately revoked

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Enhanced Security Consolidation of Access –Status/role change alters service mix –Use of same identifier enhances auditing –Access to critical applications is concentrated More security minded

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Ease of Use Directory-enabled applications –Reduce faculty need to update class rosters Consolidated authentication –Reduces the number of userids/passwords Move updating of information to ultimate data owner –Students update address information or destination of their forwarded

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Capability to Iterate and Deploy Faster Use same authentication and identity infrastructure for new services Extend services to new groups by adding to the directory One group of staff responsible for implementing business rules

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Privacy management Increasing need both to pass information about people for access and to protect privacy –Must have a central policy structure and related technical infrastructure for privacy management Library applications where both authorized access and anonymity is critical

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Next Steps Develop project plan Decide on unique namespace Review application and directory requirements Pick initial target applications Design and populate the directory with big picture in mind Deploy directory and enable applications

CUMREC May 13, 2003 NMI-EDIT Consortium Funded by the NSF Middleware Initiative (NMI) Enterprise and Desktop Integration Technologies (EDIT) Consortium – Internet2 – primary on grant and research – EDUCAUSE – primary on outreach – Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) – primary on Integration Testbed Higher-ed, government, corporate, research, and international participation

CUMREC May 13, 2003 NMI-EDIT: Goals Much as at the network layer, create a ubiquitous common, persistent and robust core middleware infrastructure for the Research & Education community In support of inter-institutional and inter-realm collaborations, provide tools and services (e.g. registries, bridge PKI components, root directories) as required

CUMREC May 13, 2003 NMI-EDIT: Core Middleware Scope Identity and Identifiers – namespaces, identifier crosswalks, real world levels of assurance Authentication – campus technologies and policies, inter-realm interoperability via PKI, Kerberos Directories – enterprise directory services architectures and tools, standard object classes, inter- realm and registry services Authorization – permissions and access controls, delegation, privacy management Integration Activities – common management tools, use of virtual, federated and hierarchical organizations

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Enterprise Middleware Educational Opportunities Pre-conference Seminars & track sessions: EDUCAUSE Annual & Regional Meetings, CUMREC, Internet2, etc Campus Architectural Middleware Planning Workshops –CAMP, Boulder CO – June 4-6, 2003 CIO and Technical staff Best practices in middleware deployment Check the site for announcement or past conference proceedingswww.nmi-edit.org –Advanced CAMP, Boulder CO – July 9-11, 2003 Highly technical Research topics

CUMREC May 13, 2003 On-line Resources Available Introductory Technical and Management Documents –Sample Middleware Business Case and Writer’s Guide –Identifiers, Authentication, and Directories: Best Practices for Higher Education –Identifier Mapping Templates and Campus Examples –And more…. Enterprise Directory Implementation Process (Roadmap) For more information, contact Ann West or send mail to

CUMREC May 13, 2003 Questions? Renee Woodten Frost Internet2/University of Michigan