Josh,
One thing you may also want to consider is how you would handle api
authentication for institutions that use Shibboleth. There are secure ways to
do this, à-la the google 2-step verification or via an embedded browser, but
that would involve some additional fields in the database and modification of
the web front-end.
The main question in my mind would be whether the application would store these
access credentials and/or how a user logs out. I don't see this as a problem
for users' personal machines, but if someone tried to use this in the context
of a pubic or lab computer, I would be very concerned.
If, as Art suggested below, the desktop app required users to authenticate and
then be timed out after a set period, then what would be the advantage of a
desktop app? Especially if a campus already has some type of web-based single
sign on in place.
In short, what exactly is the goal in developing a desktop app?
If the goal is to bypass the standard VCL website and simplify access, you can
use the existing API to do that. I have written several web-based alternate
interfaces for our VCL that function well, including one that integrates with
our campus' learning management system. They are easy to write and the
developer has full control over how they look -- that would be harder to
accomplish with a desktop application. The existing API is certainly more
limited in its range of functions when compared to the full web site. On the
other hand, it is capable of making and managing reservations, which constitute
the vast majority of users' (esp. students') interactions with the VCL. You can
see some screenshots here:
https://vcl.ats.amherst.edu/remote_access/
On the other hand, if the goal is to eliminate the somewhat awkward transition
between the VCL website and an active RDP connection, there are ways to deal
with that, too. With the use of protocol handlers and a little bit of custom
application development for Windows, we have a working one-click logon
solution that works on all of the major browser-OS combinations (IE, FF,
Safari, Chrome; Win7, WinXP, OS X, Ubuntu). And this pairs nicely with the
remote interfaces mentioned above, making it really simple for users to connect.
Aaron
--
Aaron Coburn
Systems Administrator and Programmer
Academic Technology Services, Amherst College
(413) 542-5451 acob...@amherst.edu
On Feb 8, 2012, at 2:08 PM, Art Vandenberg wrote:
Georgia State is likely interested in this IF it doesn't reduce security. I
presume icon would be clickable and then one VIOLA, logged in? If so, there
is presumably no login per se. Perhaps some time-out on the ICON would be
valuable then - e.g. you have x minutes to click or else (something
happens... goes away? expires? prompts for PW after all?) Maybe recommended
only where there is at least some login (to VCL menu at least) so there is a
reasonable accountability?
I am going to send this to our engineers and ask for their input (I think the
read the posts, but will be direct.)
Art
On Feb 8, 2012, at 11:56 AM, Josh Thompson wrote:
I've been hearing interest in an icon on the desktop type of access to
VCL. The idea being that you could have some kind of broker script/app that
can be run which will interact with the VCL API to create a VCL
reservation, wait on it to be deployed, and then connect to the reserved
system (ideally without requiring the user to log in to the reserved
system). That app could then just be launched through an icon to gain
access to a VCL provisioned system.
Several years ago, I wrote something along the lines of this in python/tk.
That was more of a proof of concept and would need a good bit of work to be
useful to others.
I'm starting this thread to start gathering information on who is
interested in this idea and what requirements you would have for it. I'd
also like to know if anyone would be interested in helping with the
development of it.
So, if you have any interest in this, please reply to this thread with
-requirements you would have
-how you would envision it to work
-any interest in development of it
Thanks,
Josh
---
Josh Thompson
VCL Developer
North Carolina State University
Art Vandenberg
Account Manager/Research Function
Customer Relations, IST
Information Systems Technology
Georgia State University
avandenb...@gsu.edu
+1 404 413 4743
MS Information Computer Science, Georgia Tech
MVA Painting Drawing, Georgia State
Web page: http://www.gsu.edu/ist/acs/25735.html
