SUPER-LOGIN on intranet??

fernigcc

Hi all!!

I starting coding a new intranet for some company and I mixed different applications such as: phpBB (forum), OWL (file repository), webcollab (project management), gallery (image repository), etc.

The problem is that each application has it's own users and registering process, so we wanted to unify all of this. Our first approach was to think of a new database with the common user's fields so that all users were on the same site. But that didn't help us that much, since a query such as 'SELECT * FROM table WHERE User="fer" AND Post="yes"' will never be executed, since Fer is in one database and pos in the other one.

Do you guys have any different approach that we can think of?

Thanks in advance!!

     Fer

ScubaKing22

Well when you're setting up and configuring all those apps why don't you just tell them to all use the same database?

fernigcc

Hi,

That was a good approach to solve the problem, unluckily we have some applications which are built on MySQL and some others (including the company db) are built over PostreSQL.

What [b]login[/b] technologies are already developed at the server side? I'm searching for a wider solution, we thought of NIS, LDAP, .htaccess or anything similar. Have any of you ever done that?

Wouldn't it be interesting to create an standard for that matter?

 Greetings and thanx!

      Fer

Natty_Dreadlock

Wouldn't it be interesting to create an standard for that matter?

.htaccess is some kinda standard, and it's quite easy to use - there r lots of tutorials on the net, and the apache docu gives a good overview, too. However, u had to disable the other systems login functions - so it will probably not work.
Never mind: What about creatin some own login system that submits the user's credentials to the "sub-systems" - I think of some php page that contains forms which submit these data to the other applications. Just have a look at the apps login forms and u'll know which names the creadentials have. Now, usin the same username/password pair for every app and for your "SUPER-LOGIN", there r no problems to store the credentials; just use the (validated, of course) super-login data. I hope u got the idea, if not, feel free to ask again
hth

fernigcc

What about creatin some own login system that submits the user's credentials to the "sub-systems" - I think of some php page that contains forms which submit these data to the other applications.

Hi Natty!!

I really like your idea. The point of separation between different subsystems is exactly what i was looking for. Do you think it should be something such as a login CLASS in PHP? It might be implemented as a SINGLETON Pattern and it would keep track of every user logged on in the system. Therefore every application should be modiffied in order to check whether the user is already logged on or not.

Until there is quite easy i guess. Now let's consider this scenario: We have the LOGIN class already implemented and we have a simple BBs and a MAIL Client on our system. We need to create a form in which the user should insert all the data for both, the BBS AND the Mail Client. Then, the class collects all the data and inserts it into all the application's that we have installed already (BBs and Mail Client), inserting in their bd's and creating a new user with the login/pwd that we have selected.

This view might be another approach to the same problem, but i'm looking for an easier solution. Something such as .NET PASSPORT or similar one. I don't know if you could think of another view for this complex`and easy problem.

thanks in advance and feel free to ask me (sorry for my english).... :-D

     FeR

Natty_Dreadlock

sure, u can modify every app's code, however, this can be quite confusin when it uses special encodin etc. for it's data, so first u had to figure out the format, special characteristics.
I thought of some kinda client-side approach (or hack ;-))... u have a central login page that simply submits the credentials to the login scripts of the sub-system, via some forms or even simple get-links (security risk, indeed).
The creation of new accounts could be done usin the creation pages of the systems. just have a look at the source and provide the creation script with the necessary info, e.g. via curl.
The advantages of this way are that u don't have to modify the script code and write to the database directly, so data integrity should be ensured. btw, it's easier to update the sub-systems coz u do not have to modify the script code again but just need to check if the names of the form fields changed or if u gotta add some info.
Drawbacks: It's not very clean nor does it provide high integration - but be sure, it'll be less work compared to the customization of all subsystems. hth
Hasta pronto

fernigcc

Hi again!

That script will be ok in order to register the user for the first time, but i have to create then a universal login function and disabling the 'login' function of the subsystem, and the 'rename' user function of every subsystem.

I think this is the easier approach to solve the problem, and although it is not the "best" one, I think I will do it this way. Thanks a lot to everyone in helping me!!

Fernando Martin

Natty_Dreadlock

buena suerte
y hasta luego