From: sfreed@lacerta.unm.edu (Steve Freed)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.large
Subject: Re: User registration on diverse computer systems
Date: 27 Aug 92 16:36:01 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <5673@mccuts.uts.mcc.ac.uk> zzassps@uts.mcc.ac.uk (Phil Stringer) writes:

>were simple and as each new system came along, (every few years) we produced a
>piece of software to register users on the system and interface it to the accounting
>software written for that system. We now have a number of different databases and
>forms for users to fill in when they want to use our systems.
>
>	We are therefore now in a process of reviewing our procedures to try and 
>achieve a single easy to use unified system!

Here at UNM we have such a system. As I wade through tons of email and
news after 2 months of vacation, professional leave, personal leave, etc.
I found some  email requesting I submit a paper on it for presentation at the
LISA Conference coming up. Unfortunatly, deadlines have come and gone so
it probably won't happen this year.

The way it works (in a nutshell) is a list of all persons affiliated with the
university (students, faculty, staff, etc.) is generated on the IBM mainframe
and sent to the Unix system(s). Everyone on the list is entitled to an account
on any (all) of our systems.

Anyone wanting a computer account logs into any Unix system as the user "new"
where they are prompted for a variety of information including UNM ID number,
Name, date of birth, the system(s) they want accounts on (MVS, CMS, VMS, 
Unix, etc.), the login name they wish to use and the password they want.

The info is verified (real pearson, valid login ID, clever password) and
if all ok, thengivin some instructions on what to do, particularly if
there are any problems.

During the night, all the various systems are contacted, some RPC
magic happens and the necessary accounts are created.

Then there is user deletion, which is the bigger, more difficult part of the 
code. Each night, we look to see who has left the University. If they
have any computer accounts they are marked for deletion, thus begining a
~2 month process. (students gone for the summer are not deleted).

For the first month, the account is locked. What this means is that when
they try to log in, they get a message saying that the account is locked 
and will be going away soon, and if they feel this shouldn't happen
then call the specified number and explain it to a human. This also
insures that the whole account ends up on a monthly backup that is saved
for one year.

If nothing has happened, the the software assumes it is doing the right thing
and blows away all the files and re-directs mail back to the sender saying
the account has gone away. (This is done over 2 weeks, I can't remember the
exact process that happens). A couple of weeks later, a few more cleanup things
happen, can't remeber exactly what other than the mail re-direct is taken
out so mail just bounces with a user unknown message.

This whole process is done without human intervention. (Look ma, no hands!!!)
and seems to work rather well. The code is going through a cleanup process
this fall, with hopefully a release that is presentable to the public
by December or January. (there are currently some security concerns that
need to be resolved first).

--
Steve.
-- 

Steve.                    sfreed@ariel.unm.edu