Glossary

Athens
Athens is an authentication system that allows users in a given institution to access all of the databases available to that institution using a single password, instead of having to use different passwords for each database.

Authentication
Authentication determines if you are allowed into that account. Identification occurs before authentication.

Cookie
A message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file. The message is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. The main purpose of cookies is to identify users.

Firewall Server 
A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private networks connected to the Internet. All messages entering or leaving the network pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. Can also act as a Proxy Server. The important thing to remember is that if you are going through a firewall server, we will need the IP address of the server in order to authenticate you.

Identification
Identification is the process in which we determine which account you are wanting to log into.

IP address
An IP address is an internet address that enables computers to talk to each other. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255. For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address. IP addresses starting with 10 [10.xxx.xxx.xxx] are part of a private network which accesses the internet through a proxy server. The only IP which we need to add to our database to allow IP authentication is the IP address of the proxy server and not the P.C.s.

ITconfig
A Gale maintenance program which allows you to manage the user preferences including modification of the user interface, generate statistics and set up custom databases or ebooks sub-collects. URL and user name and password will be provided on request.

Passwords
Gale uses 2 types of passwords :
 1) Location password, which allows access for a session. The next time you access the database, you will need to enter the password again.
 2) Cookie password, which after you enter it the first time, adds a cookie to your P.C.. This cookie will be used for authentication the next time you access the database. We can define the life of the cookie e.g. 365 days, so that the user will have access to the databases for the next 12 months without having to enter a password. Clearing the cookies on your machine will eliminate the Gale cookie and you will be prompted again for a password.

Proxy server 
A server that sits between a client application, such as a Web browser [on the users P.C.] and the target server [in this case Infotrac servers]. It intercepts all requests to the target server to see if it can fulfill the requests itself. If not, it forwards the request to the target server. Intercepts all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server effectively hides the true network addresses. The important thing to remember is that if you are going through a proxy server, we will need the IP address of the server in order to authenticate you.

Referring url
The URL from which the user entered the site. If you are using security software, the referring url will be the url of the server where the software resides. The domain name [first segment of the url e.g. www.domainname.com] is sufficient for referring url authentication.

Script
A computer program usually written in cgi-perl or java which gives instructions to the main program. When used for remote access validation, the script will communicate with InfoTrac Web and validate the password submitted by your end user to access your subscription.

Service : A branded group of online information products from one or morevendors that can be subscribed to/licensed and searched as a complete collection or at a lower level.

Sessions (Sessns) :Cycle of user activities that starts when a user connects to a database and ends by connecting to another database or leaving the service through a logout or timeout due to user inactivity.

Fulltext (FT) : Sum of only full text records examined downloaded or otherwise supplied to user to the extent these are recordable and controlled by the Gale server rather than the browser. Separate reporting of full text usage by database began in June 2003.

Retrievals (Rtrvls) : Sum of all full text abstract and extended citation records examined downloaded or otherwise supplied to user to the extent these are recordable and controlled by the Gale server rather than the browser.

Searches (Srches) : A specific intellectual query submitted through a search form to the database.

Turnaways (Trnwy) : A turnaway (rejected session) is defined as an unsuccessful log-in to an electronic service by exceeding the simultaneous user limit.

Internal Usage/Remote Usage : Gale reports internal and remote access statistics separately on usage summary reports.