The JISC Production Federation

1. The JISC Production Federation Why is it taking so long?? Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting education and research

2. The JISC Production Federation Why is it taking so long?? Nicole Harris Programme Manager

3. Current Environment • Test Environment at EDINA (SDSS) project. • Projects using InQueue for testing. • Athens Federation for use with the gateway. • Shibboleth releases from Internet2 (1.3). • AthensIM. • Guanxi Release. • May seem confusing, but true to the nature of what we are trying to receive. • We know early adoption is painful (that’s why we give you money).

4. Update on Progress • Alan released a blueprint document for implementing the federation. • Accepted by the Core Middleware Advisory Board, taking on board comments received from projects and institutions. • CMAB agreed to approach UKERNA to run the federation until the next service review point (2008). Inline with other European countries / NRENs. • Meeting with UKERNA – successful! • UKERNA to submit offer to JISC by the end of November. • Full service to be in operation by July 2006. • UKERNA meeting with SDSS team. • Internal JISC Shibboleth working party set up (more difficult than you may think!). • Strategy and Action Plan written.

5. The Timetable

6. Management Board Test Environment Outsourced Identity Providers Virtual Home for Identities WAYF Policy Management Service Manager Roll-Out Manager Support Service Athens Gateway The Model

7. Agreed Actions and Timetable • Letter to be sent out to all HE institutions (Vice Chancellors, IT Directors and Librarians) in the UK with clear message about the service environment, choices available. Also inviting them to nominate a contact to work with JISC. END NOVEMBER. • Wording is more difficult than you think. • Letter to be sent out to all publishers with clear message about the service environment (and other things that Terry will tell you all about). • Appointment of a Service Transition Manager to be based in JISC London Office. • Invitations to participate in management board / technical advisory group. • Invitations to help contribute to policy drafting (still not fully defined – blame me!). • Repository for documentation / information (including all your stuff). • Development and innovation plan alongside the core federation development (Virtual Home for Identities, firm business model for outsourced IdPs, ongoing schema / attribute work). • Eduserv requested to act as part of the JISC federation as an overarching service provider (shibboleth to athens gateway) and identity provider (athens to shibboleth gateway).

8. So, why is it taking so long?? • We have the time to look at options – wanted to create an environment of different options to explore how this might work. • Moving from an existing national service to a new service based on different technology is much much harder than starting from scratch (i.e. no national service in place). • Timetable is dependent on existing Athens contract and renewal date. • Athens is a commercial (though not for profit) company – we can’t tell them what to do! • We wanted to get it right! • JISC people taking inconsiderate maternity leave and retirement! • Convincing several JISC Committees that this is the right approach.

9. Key Messages • JISC is recommending that all new projects / adopters to use SDSS and the JISC production federation. • JISC is recommending that all new projects use Shibboleth 1.3, but does not discourage use of other software options (many institutions, many models, best solution). • Don’t wait! Get involved with SDSS now – we will ensure that transition is as seamless as possible. • SDSS and UKERNA will be working together. • Eduserv have been asked to use the JISC production federation rather than pursuing the separate Athens federation. • There won’t be a ‘big bang’ turn-off. We will make the process as smooth as possible.