Intranets and Library Applications


Sean James Barr
School of Library and Information Studies
University of Alberta

[University of Alberta Emblem]

Contents



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Intranets
Introduction

The presence of the Internet has unquestionably and permanently altered the library environment. It has dramatically altered how libraries interact with one another, how people who manage and use these institutions conduct their business, and how information of all types is managed. The Internet's dominance in electronic communication has arrived in full force and its influence on the operation of libraries has presented the field with an important question: what is next?

Intranets are internal versions of the Internet. They are a form of private, secure electronic networks that function almost exactly as their larger antecedent. Intranets can use the Internet to connect remote libraries within an organization, but they can also be strictly internal and run completely on a Local Area Network (LAN). The objective here is to assist those librarians who find themselves in the position of not only managing the organization of information and its retrieval, but also in the planning, developing and implementing of Intranets in library environments so that information retrieval is effective and efficient. A brief examination of Intranet philosophy and structure will provide a foundation for further discussion on Intranet installation, infrastructure, publishing, and security. There will also be an emphasis on the technical aspects of Intranet architecture and management. I believe that it has become apparent to many librarians that Intranets are an essential tool, not only for its internal users, but also as a means for justifying the profession's existence within any library, especially corporate.

Intranets: What is an Intranet? Zorn describes Intranets as "internal corporate networks set up to take advantage of popular Internet communication protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP), and other Internet tools such as web browsers, web servers, and HyperText Markup Language (HTML)" (Zorn, 1997, 31). Griffith describes the Intranet as

a network that uses Web software to create an "internal Internet" for an organization, regardless of the organization's size or geographic diversity. The technology can make use of an organization's existing network infrastructure (cabling, workstations, etc.) making it in many instances an extremely low-cost information solution (Griffith, 1996, 10).
Another definition of similar note is Harrison's description;
An intranet (is something) which provides a similar range of communication and information services to that on the Internet. An intranet uses the same sort of software tools but operates within a secure and controlled environment (Harrison, 1997, 36).
A final definition expands on the internal aspect of Intranets and blurs the boundary of their functionality.
An Intranet uses Internet protocols--TCP/IP-- and Internet tools on an organization's Local Area Network or Wide Area Network (LAN or WAN). The structure uses Web-style pages of information. users within the organization can post information and can access posted information. Although usually intended for internal use, sometimes the enterprise allows the outside world access to part or all of the Intranet (Flohr, 1997, 69).

How will Intranets influence libraries? Libraries are organizations that conduct business like any other institution. There are administrative functions, acquisitions and purchasing transactions, human resource management issues, public service issues, and the training of staff. The list of possibilities is only limited by those who implement them. An Intranet is a medium for delivering information to all employees within the organization. Internal web sites allow managers the ability to communicate in an effective and timely manner with their employees. With this easy dissemination of information there is a better expression of future goals, strategies, and vision to the staff. Contents

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Philosophy

Why would libraries be interested in implementing an Intranet? The idea of an Intranet is a "technology that permits your organization to define itself as a whole entity, a group, a family, where everyone knows their role, and everyone is working on the improvement and health of the organization" (Hinrichs, 1997, 1). The focus on the organizational definition is useful to libraries. If there is a collective will that needs to be communicated to all employees the strategic objectives become easier to achieve. Many case studies, including some library examples (Boegin, 1997; Callaway, 1998; Commings, 1997; Hattery, 1997; Masters, 1996; Ragan, 1997; and Slawsky & Flemming, 1997), focus attention on information management within an organization. As Knoblauch states;

The corporate Intranet provides a tremendous opportunity for librarians to deliver comprehensive information services. It is now practical to extend enterprise-wide desktop access to the library collections as well as to corporate knowledge as recorded in business-critical documents such as policies and procedures, competitive intelligence, research reports, and quality documentation (Knoblauch, 1997, 73).

The size of an organization also has much to do with the implementation of an Intranet. Many large corporate libraries and academic libraries use an Intranet to facilitate better information service (Boegin, 1997; Callaway, 1998; Commings, 1997; Hattery, 1997; Masters, 1996; Ragan, 1997; and Slawsky & Flemming, 1997). The shear size of some corporations span borders and have populations in excess of 75,000 employees. Dissemination of information in this kind of environment is truly enormous for the corporate librarian. Achieving the goal of access to all users in these examples demands a strong reasoning for implementation. Many corporations, because of their global nature, require a global approach information management. Organizations also demand local content development . The means to spreading that local endeavour requires some communication medium and the Intranet is one such tool. As Knoblauch points out,

A number of organizations use the Internet to integrate document management and full-text retrieval technology with traditional services and principles of library management to improve productivity and reduce costs (Knoblauch, 1997, 73).

Just as corporations use the Intranet to facilitate better communication and functionality libraries also use Intranets to reduce overlapping of processes and increase efficiency in their objectives. One example of this is the implementation of an Intranet-based library help system at Ann Arbor District Library in Ann Arbor , MI. (Boegin, 1997). In this case study the library created a Helpdesk Web site that enabled the staff (170) to search a knowledge base for answers to systems problems, make work requests, log new incident reports, and create a tracking database all with the use of an Intranet. This approach improved the System department's work flow by making it more organized and efficient. Staff experiencing problems with a systems related issue could log a report on the Intranets Helpdesk HTML form and submit it to the systems department for advice.

New incident reports are retrieved into an editing form that allows us to change the item's status to "open", assign it to a particular technician, document the resolution of the problem and fill out statistical information about how long the problem was "open" and how much time was spent working on it. When the incident report is completed, its status is changed to "closed" and it remains in the database (Boegin, 1997, 25).

Any recurring problems would then be logged and a technician would submit a technical note that would explain the problem and its solution; an Intranet FAQ for systems problems. In this particular case study the Helpdesk Web site not only provided "knowledge base" and "incident report" databases, it also included a directory of library staff, emergency contact information for technical support, information about the role of technology in the library's strategic plan and information about ongoing technology related projects. Thus, the role of an Intranet within an organization, whether it be private or public, is to not only manage the library more efficiently, but also to better facilitate the functions of the library. As Sloan reported, KPMG's David Parlby felt that ,

Unless companies embark on an Intranet project with a clear and realistic objectives, and see the end product as a means of revolutionising their business processes rather than simply aiding administration, they are not realising its full potential (Sloan, 1998, 11).
Libraries are in the business of providing information in all its various formats. Intranets facilitate this function of location and retrieval by making it available electronically and if unavailable electronically, then speeding up the process of inter-library loan or document delivery. However, the ease in which an Intranet is created and the power it enables organizations to easily and inexpensively share information there is a price, and that price is the problem of organizing the information so that its intended audience can benefit. "The challenge of the Intranet for librarians is the opportunity to continue to do what we've always done - take a leadership role in the management of information in the new age" (Griffith, 1996, 10).

Intranets represent a new platform for remaking some of the core functions of libraries, including acquisitions and processing, cataloguing, inventory control, public relations communication, and public service. If an Intranet was fully exploited within a library a transformation would take place in the organizational structure of the library itself ; the library's hierarchy would tend to be flatter; a constant dynamic structure would be evident ; and the recognition of the library's intellect and knowledge base amongst it employees would be seen. An issue of special interest to those who work in the corporate environment is the inclusion of the librarian in the design, delivery, and management of the Intranet.

Assertiveness and collaboration are two requirements of librarians in successfully handling their organization's information technology politics. Keeping eyes and ears open is important, being aware of goings on in and outside the organization (Hattery, 1997, 1).
Contents

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Structure

A network or LAN is made up of several parts (Campbell, 1996). Standards determine the specifications by which networks physically and logically operate. Architectures determine the fashion in which computers communicate with each other and can be either "peer to peer", or "client/server". Networks can have a certain topology, again physical or logical.

Physical topology describes how the computers connect to each other physically. Included as part of the physical topology is the would be the cables, connectors, Network Interface Cards (NICS), and other connecting devices. Logical topology describes how packets pass between network computers, or how information passes from node A to node B.

Networks also have a variety of access methods or logical topologies, but the most common is carrier-sensing multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) which was one standard established by the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The standard is known as Ethernet and it has a variety of speeds and cable types that determine the classifications.

Networks also need connecting devices to allow the cables to connect between the nodes and other networks. These devices can be repeaters, bridges, routers, gateways, hubs, Ethernet switches, and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) switches and all have issues of security performance related with them (Breeding, 1997).

Operating systems are also an important part to the structure of a network. There are the network operating systems (NOS) which run on the server computer and there are the computer operating systems (OS) which run on the client computers and the server computers. Many NOS are dependent on the kind of computer OS in order to work (example: Novell NetWare must be loaded onto a machine with a PC OS (Campbell, 1996).)

The final characteristic of the network environment and the term which encompasses most of the network's investment is hardware. Hardware is the computers that make up the network and include all the items which provide the means to communication; Client and Server.

A client is a machine that has the ability to provide input to the network and is able to do computing on its own. Client often refers to personal computers (PCs). A server is a centralized depository for a specific function and often the server is named after the function that it performs. All servers have one common characteristic: they all perform a centralized service for the network that they occupy (Campbell, 1996). Together these two aspects of the network make up what is referred to as client/server architecture and it is often in these sorts of network environments that Intranets are found. Intranets are simply the use of network technology infrastructure to perform the private communication needs of an organization. Intranets simply incorporate the architecture and standards of the network to facilitate their existence. Contents

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Intranet Installation

Introduction

Most libraries are now as at a stage in their information technology plan whereby a network is already in place within the institution. If this is the case, then the introduction and installation of an Intranet is relatively easy. However, if the library does not have the means to support an Intranet then all the considerations laid out in defining what a network (LAN) is must be acquired in order to make an Intranet possible.

Networking requirements for intranets are dependent on two areas: the TCP/IP suite of protocols and the evolving technologies of the World Wide Web. One way to create an Intranet is to implement these network standards within your organization. It would be the preferred method if you are installing a network for the first time simply because connectivity between your library and the rest of the Internet would be less complicated. If you already have a significant investment in a non-TCP/IP environment, such as Novell Netware, there are products available (routers & switches) that allow Intranets to be installed without replacing your existing NOS. Either way, Intranets in a library are possible, it is simply a matter of acquiring the proper network configuration, server, clients, tools and security to make it possible. Contents

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Basic Network Configuration

The International Organization for Standards (ISO) established the protocol layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) in 1978. The importance of this model is that it influences the client/server architecture and the network operating systems of the networked environment. The OSI model has seven distinct layers and these layers can be grouped into two to show what each layer does on the network. The OSI model basically breaks up the job of moving the data packets from one point to another into seven different tasks.

OSI Model Protocol Layers

End User Group

  1. Application (7): User programs: initiate and process messages.
  2. Presentation (6): System utilities: standardize data appearance, text compression.
  3. Session (5): Operating system: establish user level session and manage sessions between applications; message sequencing, recovery.
  4. Transport (4): Network manager: flow control, end to end error detection and correction, priority service.
    Network Group
  5. Network (3): Network manager: manage connection, routing, message blocking into packets.
  6. Data link (2): Hardware: reliable data delivery over physical medium; transmission error recovery, separating packets into frames.
  7. Physical (1): Hardware: actual communication across physical medium; individual bit communication.
(Pfleeger, 1997, 382)

Hardware would encompass the first three layers; Physical, Data link and part of Network. Operating system would continue from part of the Network layer and through the Transport, Session and part of the Presentation layers. System utilities deal specifically with the Presentation layer and Application programs with the Application layer of packet. The network protocols ensure that the data travels through the network quickly and accurately while the end-user protocols ensure that the distribution, exchange, formatting, and transmission of the data is performed properly (Eckel & Steen, 1996). The OSI model is less a specification and more a framework for network designers to build their architecture. Thus, the overlapping of the layers is possible but the basic structure and logic for how the architectures are put together is the same (Campbell, 1996).

The client/sever computing approach to network architecture uses many of the layers from the OSI model in its distribution of functions.

Application. Top most layer of the architecture. It performs the management of application processes, distribution of data, interprocess communication, and decomposition of application functions into distributable processes. Application layer functionality is supported by lower layers.

Distributed Operating System Layer. This layer provides the system-wide distributed services required by the application layer. It supports global naming, directory, addressing, sharing of local resources, protection and synchronization, intercommunication and recovery.

Local Management and Kernel Layer.This layer supports the distributed operating system in the individual nodes. It supports local interprocess communication memory and I/O access, protection, and multitasking.

Communication System Layer. This layer supports communications required by the application, distributed operating system, and local management layers. (Eckel, 1996, 23)

With this layered architecture there are several benefits to be had. Eckel (1996) describes the benefits as layer independence, flexibility, simplified implementation and maintenance, and standardization. What is a client/server architecture in layman's terms then?

A client is a computer process that requests services from network resources. A server is a computer process that provides services to authorized requesters. Client/server refers to a computing architecture, not a given technology (Bennett, 1996, 76).
For large organizations like libraries, client server architecture has several advantages to other network architectures. Flexibility is afforded client/server networks because of the options available to them for upgrading and more software is written specifically for them. In addition to these there is also greater industry information regarding the installation and configuration of such networks, and there is the administrative control and the expandability of the network to handle huge numbers of nodes.

Intranets require a special protocol in order to access servers that may not be the same in terms of NOS. The foundation of the Internet and Intranets is the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) family of network protocols. "A protocol is a set of rules that define two things - the format of the packets and the semantics of their use" (Eckel,1996, 61). Packets are the electronic units of information that are transmitted across the network and is the concern of the OSI Model. The packet contains the sending node's address, the receiving node's address and the data being sent between the two nodes. TCP/IP is a non-proprietary protocol suite that allows transparent communication to occur between separated computers and exchange information. It was established as a standard by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to allow communication to take place over the Internet with no licensing costs (Bennett, 1996). As a result of the non-proprietary nature of TCP/IP many Internet/Intranet applications are based on this protocol suite and have made the phenomenon of both so prolific (Guengerich, 1997).

HyperText Transfer Protocol is a "communication model that could be used by clients and servers to exchange hypertext documents over a network" (Bernard, 1996, 54), and is essential to any Intranet because it allows the client and server easy communication and transmission of hypertext files. The transmission of files is done by using a standard request format called a Universe Resource Locator (URL). The URL is a path name to the server which contains the directory web pages that an individual is looking for. When this is applied to an Intranet environment it allows for easy access to files through what would now be referred to as a Web Server and the clients, or browsers, would issue the request of the URL. Upon receipt of the request the client (browser) would interpret the and display the file for the user (Bennett, 1996). The W3C's definition of HTTP is as follows:

HTTP is an application level protocol with the lightness and speed necessary for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. A feature of HTTP is the typing and negotiation of data representation, allowing systems to be built independently of the data being transferred
(Bennett, 1996, 78)
You could almost replace the term HTTP with Intranets in this definition to help describe what Intranets do. Contents

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Server

There are two types of platforms that predominate the server computing environment. The first includes the many flavours of UNIX and the second, Microsoft Windows NT. There are several prominent vendors that have trademarked versions of the UNIX OS.

UNIX Flavours

Vendor and Tradename(s)

  1. Sun Microsystems: SunOS, Solaris
  2. Hewlett Packard: HP/UX
  3. IBM: AIX
  4. Digital (now Compaq): Digital UNIX

There are some important freeware version of UNIX available on the Internet. Foremost amongst these is Linux which is a UNIX clone and is widely used because of its excellent features. The significance of UNIX is that it helped build the Internet and a ll flavours of the platform have the TCP/IP bundled into them. Many early web servers were written to run under UNIX: NCSA HTTPd is under copyright at University of Illinois and the CERN HTTPd is under MIT copyright. An increasingly popular freeware server called Apache derives from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and is an option to those who seek an inexpensive implementation of an Intranet (Evans, 19 96, 8). Unfortunately, as with most UNIX flavours, there is considerable knowledge required in establishing a Web server with the Apache platform.

The major platform alternative to UNIX is Windows NT with its own Internet Information Server (IIS). The initial release of IIS was free from the Microsoft website but there was a fee associated with the maintenance support that Microsoft provided (Bennett, 1996). IIS was designed to run under Windows NT specifically and it was bundled with many of the tools needed to facilitate high functioning Intranets. Most other web servers require the developer to assemble a toolkit, learn multiple languages, and integrate them all to the user's needs. There are some things to consider when choosing either platform. How best will the server platform match the technical staff's expertise (Wagner & Engleman, 1997)?

As an IT decision maker assessing platforms, your chief concern is whether NT-based web server will meet your needs. The answer is that technically, they are at least equal of UNIX HTTPd, although NT employs different methods to achieve the sa me ends. On the other hand, deciding whether the Microsoft way is a good fit for your organization is left as an exercise for the reader. (Bennett, 1996, 107)

If you know that your Intranet server will be used sparingly you could implement a web server at the same expense and ease at which Boegin reported in the Ann Arbor District Library:

we chose a desktop PC (133mhz Pentium - 32 MB RAM) running Windows 95 -- subsequently upgraded to Windows NT -- and Netscape Corporation's Fastrack server as our platform. Microsoft Access was chosen as our database back end due to its availab ility and ease of use. We chose Cold Fusion, an application by Allaire Corporation, to act as an intermediary between our HTML forms and our databases. The total cost of hardware and so ftware for this system was around $2000 (Boegin, 1997, 25)
The cost consideration is always a concern for librarians and those who work in library systems, and this example illustrates the economy of such an endeavour. Many examples of web server software are also inexpensive or in some cases free but again, the onus is on the developer to know the various scripting languages [Common Gateway Interface, (CGI), Practical Extraction and Reporting Language (PERL), and Compiled Procedural Language('C')(Bannan, 1997)] in order to install them. Some freeware examples include Wide Area Information Service (WAIS) and Simple Web Indexing Systems for Humans (SWISH) and most often the programming languages that are required are dependent on what kind of platform you are using for your web server (Zorn, 1997). Most were developed for the UNIX environment that may or may not be transferable to other platforms.

Security is another issue when selecting your web server platform but this will be examined later. It is certainly a consideration if you are operating an Intranet that has access to the library's integrated library system. Platform selection also bears scrutiny for subsequent search engine software selection. Zorn (1997, 33-34) reviewed eight search engines for Intranet use and some were only UNIX or Windows NT supported. Many however support multiple platforms and in some cases, such as OpenText's Li veLink Search support five (Windows NT, UNIX, IBM AIX, SGI, and DEC OSFI). The growth of the industry right now suggests that greater cross platform capabilities will become the norm as sales are predicted to increase. "Zona Reset Inc. predicts intranet software sales will exceed $4 billion in 1997, up 476 million in 1995. In 1998 Zona predicts the figure will be $8 billion, four times the size of the Internet server business" (Jessop, 1997, 58).

What should one look for in a server for your Intranet?

The capacity and the performance of your web server will be affected by the number and types of applications being run, the number of users, and the NOS. The degree to which it can meet your requirements will be determined by its architecture (processor, database, and controller), its scalability, and the degree of fault tolerance and redundancy it provides. (Wesley & Wesley, 1996, 92-93)
Scalability refers to the ability of the server to increase capacity through the adding of more memory, another processor, or more hard drive storage. Fault tolerance is the equipment's ability to sustain damage and continue to operate. Fault tolerance is also dependent on the CPU, the memory and the hard drive. Redundancy refers to standby capability and is provided by machines or devices that can be quickly replaced. Furthermore, the minimum requirements for a web server would include a 133 MHz CPU, 64 MB of RAM, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) local bus and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) controller and hard drive.

Factors in server selection and sizing

Architecture? / CPU? / Memory? / Hard drive?

  1. Operating system (OS)
  2. Network operating system (NOS)
  3. Number of nodes
  4. Concurrent applications
  5. Types of applications
  6. Processing peaks
  7. Fault tolerance and redundancy
  8. Scalability requirements
  9. Distributed applications
(Wesley & Wesley, 1996, 98) Contents

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Client

Many libraries have existing networks within their institutions. Consequently, existing PCs are available to use as clients for an Intranet. There are three areas that one must consider to ensure successful Intranet implementation; compatibility, capability, and capacity. Compatibility is a software issue that refers to the ability of the operating system to work with an application. Therefore, the system has to provide support for TCP/IP and be able to run the browser selected for the library environment. Capability is the PCs ability to run the client software selected (browser). Capacity refers to the hardware of the client . The two areas to focus on are the amount of memory available and the size of the hard drive. If the PC has already been in use on the library's network for some time then it is unlikely that it will meet the requirements for successful Intranet support. Basic Intranet applications in conjunction with other applications can put too much of a load on the machine and cause it to not operate properly. Intranet technology is based on the TCPI/IP communication standard: setting up an Intranet means adding TCP/IP and HTTP to the library's network. Putting the TCP/IP suite on the desktop requires a stack of network layers which will load down the PCs capacity. An alternative to installing each client with the TCP/IP suite is to use a server side gateway that leaves the client configuration unchanged except for the addition of a vendor supplied driver. Either way, the increased graphics and database applications will determine any additional PC hardware requirements.

Factors in client selection and sizing

CPU? / Memory? / Hard drive?

  1. Operating System (OS)
  2. Types of applications
  3. Number of applications
(Wesley & Wesley, 1996, 92) Contents

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Publishing Applications

Content Development tools

Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a programming specification for web servers. It makes it possible to have HTML pages tell the web server to run programs that make your web pages interactive (Wagner & Englemann, 1997). HTTP was designed to move information around, not process it. In order to interact with databases, perform searches, or otherwise manipulate information, HTTP requires a well defined means of handing off this work to other programs. CGI does just that.

CGI Scripts


Some examples of vendor specific APIs include familiar names such as Netscape's Server API (NSAPI) and Microsoft's Internet Server API (ISAPI). "The general principle for either API, as for any proprietary extension to a shared technology, should be to use it when nothing else will do" (Bennett, 1996, 121).

HTML Editors and Tools

Intranets would not exist without the presence of HTML editors and tools. Just as these applications have fueled the Internet publication boom, so too have they influenced the Intranet world. Libraries can certainly make use of the multiple products available to facilitate web page publication and expansion and most already have the means to do so because of the Internet library web site publication.

Web tools for receiving and publishing information are deceptively free. All you need to start an Intranet are a free server and free web clients. A skilled user may be able to set up a Website from scratch in an afternoon. And that is where the problems can begin. (Flohr, 1997, 69)

Flohr's concern stems from the fear and overwhelming presence of the Internet and Intranets on the issue of document management. The ease with which Intranets can be set up means that it is possible for a library or any other organization to have an Intranet without the organization's awareness or so he claims. Whatever one may think HTML editing has become easier because of the demand for products which provide greater flexibility and performance. Many powerful editors for Intranet use have full editing features such as web templates, design wizards, drag and drop insertion of interactive web elements, built in conversion from RTF and ASCII formats, and translation of a wide variety of image formats to GIF and JPEG.

Web Browsers

Intranet web browsers or search engines are prolific. The marketplace has an enormous amount of competing products and as stated by DeJesus "Like a book without an index or a library without a catalog, an intranet without search engines is just a pile of information, no good for the people its intended to serve" (DeJesus, 1997, 92NA1). It is important to match your searching needs with the right search engine for your Intranet. Many libraries have large mainframes with databases that produce data streams in native 3270 format. Some Intranet browsers are able to convert that data into web pages and make use of the transactional systems that have been created for the mainframe. Two such products are Simware's Salvo Server edition, which converted the Smithsonian Library Catalog form 3270 screens into HTML (Salamone, 1996) and Intelligent Environments Inc.'s Amazon tool (Zelnick, 1998). Keeping Intranets organized is a difficult task but as Gustavson states,

whether high powered intranet search engines can be sensibly implemented, or corporations recognize the need for human filters and librarian, one thing is beyond argument: without the network, no enterprise publishing is possible. (Gustavson, 1997, 48)
Callaway provided an interesting breakdown of the top five web based document management vendors

Document Management Applications

Vendors and Market Share

  1. Documentum Inc. / Pleasanton, CA. : 14.7
  2. PC DOCS Group Int'l/ Toronto, ON. : 13.8%
  3. Altris Software Inc./ San Diego, CA. : 7.9%
  4. Information Dimension Inc./ Dublin, Ohio : 7.7%
  5. Interleaf Inc./ Waltham, MA. : 6.7%
(Callaway, 1998, 80)

Callaway also noted that Open Text Corp of Waterloo, ON. was currently numbered 7 in terms of market share, but gained more new customers then any other document management vendor between the end of 1996 and the end of 1997. [Another noted Canadian product is Fulcrum Knowledge Network]. Most of these Intranet search engines come with a substantial price tag to accompany their corporate target market (Guennette, 1997; Zorn, 1997) but ther are free search engines available for Intranet searching. Some have already been mentioned such as WAIS and SWISH (C Program), but Zorn also evaluated four others in comparison to some corporate vendor based products.

  1. Excite for web servers (EWS)
  2. ht://Dig (UNIX based)
  3. Htgrep (UNIX based , CGI Script written with PERL)
  4. Webglimpse (UNIX based)

If the intranet site is small and does not contain documents in formats other than HTML and ASCII text, the freeware search engines may be enough to do the job. The frequent downside of these free tools, however, is that advanced technical knowledge is needed to configure and customize the software for site specific use, and that advanced searching functionality found in commercial engines is not available. In addition, little formal technical support is offered by any free intranet search engines, except for Excite, which charges for its support and maintenance contract. (Zorn, 1997, 47)

Another interesting application of Intranets is the ability to access databases with search engines that convert 3270 data streams into HTML. The option to access legacy information is certainly valuable for many organizations including libraries. Another product that has won over people is the Resource Organization and Discovery in Subject - based Services (ROADS) suite of software that attempts to overcome many of the limitations of OPAC database software. ROADS is a UNIX only solution, is free, well documented, works well, maintenance is web based and configuration is done through the web interface with ASCII files sent via ftp to their proper locations. Adding and deleting records to this database is a matter of using HTML forms (Morgan, 1998). I would think that such an effort would certainly be compatible with any intranet implementation that was on a UNIX platform. Certainly worth investigating.

A side note to the web search engine foray is a recent development using "a JAVA based three dimensional data animation tool that displays multiple relationships between objects in a sort of perpetual information dance" (Marlatt, 1998, 25). The product is called Thinkmap and designed by a company called Plumbdesign.

Thinkmap's first commercial application, launched in early March, is the Smithsonian Web site exhibit "Revealing Things" which explores the cultural importance of common objects, such as a pair of jeans, a chemistry set, ... (Marlatt, 1998, 27).

The 3-D navigable thesaurus may be the future for library OPACS let alone web search engines. Contents

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Security

Security should be the primary concern in planning and implementing your Intranet. Many aspects to an effective security policy should be based on the user behaviour, user access needs, passwords and network vulnerabilities. These aspects focus on the education of the library staff. Training of staff is not unusual in the library environment therefore, useful instruction about the Intranet and its importance could ensure that the Intranet is not compromised by any of the staff's actions. Breeding (1997) isolated several characteristics that prevail in libraries and are vulnerable to corruption either from malicious attack or accidental destruction: networked based computing, UNIX servers for an Integrated Library System (ILS), file servers, connectivity to campus and corporate networks, and connectivity to the Internet. Breeding suggests that the connecting devices can provide the needed security depending on its intent and application. Breeding basically follows the hierarchical development of network devices from the least effective to the impenetrable.

The hub, especially 10BaseT hubs have advanced features that do not allow packet sniffing or eavesdropping of the network's lines. Sniffing can be solved through two means according to Breeding; encryption and the strict control of network traffic. These devices deal with the control of the network solution. The next device above that of the hub in terms of security is the router. The router divides the network into segments or subnets, basically separating the network into areas for public and private usage. The device to follow the router is the switch or switched Ethernet hubs. Swithches have multiple ports that in effect treat each port as a separate segment in the network. Therefore, sniffing of the network traffic becomes a very difficult task because there is only one line of packet transmission. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) operates in a different manner from that of Ethernet. "All data packets are broken into fixed size cells and switching technology is used to set up virtual circuits between senders and receivers on the network" (Breeding, 1997, 17). In an ATM network sniffing no longer becomes a possibility. "When libraries connect directly to the Internet, or gain access to the Internet via their Intranets a firewall can be used to protect an organization's networks from intruders on the Internet" (Breeding , 1997, 19). Firewalls deal only with specific protocols and it is most often the Internet Protocol (IP). Many questions regarding Firewalls can be answered at Ranum's FAQ site (1995) and Cox's [(a), (b)] (1996) articles which discuss the construction of firewalls and the types of firewalls available. Cox also examines the platforms for firewall servers if that is viewed as the best solution to your Intranet needs. Access control is also an issue that Cox addresses and this is reiterated by Fore's (1997) sentiments about authentication and access control. Fore lists a selection of useful tools related to computer security in a UNIX setting. Pfleeger (1997) suggests that networks, because of their vulnerability, should also incorporate encryption into the Intranet policy plan. Encryption is an extremely powerful tool for providing privacy, authenticity, integrity, and limited access to data. Pfleeger describes two types of encryption, link and end-to-end.

In link encryption, data is encrypted just before the system places it on the physical communications link. In this case, encryption occurs at layer 1 and 2 in the OSI model. A similar situation occurs with the TCP/IP protocols. Decryption occurs just as the communication enters the receiving computer. (Pfleeger, 1997, 406)
and ;
End-to-end encryption provides security from one end of a transmission through the other. The encryption can be applied by a hardware device between the user and the host. Alternately, the encryption can be done by software running on the host computer. In either case, the encryption is performed at the highest levels (layer 7, application, or perhaps at layer 6, presentation) of the OSI model. (Pfleeger, 1997, 407)

Some Intranet search engines come with security features. Fulcrum Surfboard's "software incorporates security features that limit access based on current firewall specifications or other security needs" (Zorn, 1997, 40). The freeware ht://Dig developed at San Diego State University has "An interesting security feature...is its ability to search a protected server when the password is given" (Zorn, 1997, 38), a plus for any Intranet installation. Contents

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Conclusion

Intranets have many traits that are beneficial to libraries. Intranets save time once they are implemented into a library environment. Intranets broadcast information to the organization and provide answers to frequently asked questions. Libraries can reduce the duplication of employee efforts by posting results of reference searches or programming resources for all to see and subsequently, make them permanently available. It helps to reduce clerical duplication and frees up time for the staff to assist the public with their searches. Improved service is the goal. Cost has been shown to be manageable for most situations and even large corporate libraries are able to justify their investment through increased employee response to the Intranet access of the library. Training and technology are issues that all librarians deal with and the Intranet is nothing new in that respect. Therefore, librarians should take up the leadership role of Intranet implementation and become involved in the planning and policy development of this important resource.

Sharing is a underlying theme to this medium of document and information delivery. The organization that accepts the Intranet as part of the organization's philosophy will achieve results from Intranet implementation. However, if the employee does not make use of the Intranet then its potential will have been wasted. The increased potential for the sharing of information will change the corporate environment through a more open forum of information sharing. Communication between the library and its staff will improve and this can only benefit the work environment and the service that libraries provide.

Policies about the use of the Intranet and the management of it are important to the effectiveness of the investment. Standards are needed not only for the physical infrastructure of setting up and Intranet they are also needed for managing information on the Intranet, how it is organized, and when it is updated. Systems departments may be in charge of the installation and physical maintenance but it is the role of the librarian to manage the resource like any other information gathering tool. Dissemination and information retrieval are issues that librarians are trained for. Librarians must take an active role in the promotion of the Intranet and assume a proactive approach because Intranets do not operate on their own. They are simply a tool to better service. Mismanagement of this, like any other resource at the librarian's disposal, is a matter of poor judgement. The potential is there, it is simply a matter of harnessing it and making it a part of the library's makeup for better public service. Contents



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[University of Alberta Emblem] Revised: 22 March 1998
Copyright © 1998 Sean James Barr