EZproxy, OpenAthens, and what to do when the proxy goes down.
Proxies and off-site access
A proxy is how off-site patrons prove they belong to your library. A-Z keeps a list of them and each database points at one, so you can run more than one and switch any of them off.
Adding a proxy
- Prefix proxies (EZproxy style) are added in front of the database URL:
https://ezproxy.example.org/login?url=+ the database URL. - Template proxies (OpenAthens style) need the database URL somewhere in the middle:
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/example.org?url={url}. Templates URL-encode the database address by default.
Paste a test URL and the Test button opens it through the proxy in a new tab.
Assigning proxies
Each database has a proxy setting: a proxy from the list, or None for a direct link. Set the default for new databases under Settings → Defaults. Use the bulk action on the database list to assign a proxy to many databases at once.
Some vendors give you a special sign-in address instead of a prefix. For those, choose None and put the vendor's address in the URL field.
When the proxy goes down
We ping every enabled proxy host every 15 minutes and email you the moment one stops answering. Flip the proxy off from the proxy list (you'll see how many databases are affected). Within a minute, every database on that proxy links straight to the vendor, or to its in-library URL if you set one, so patrons in the building still get in. Turn it back on when the host recovers. Both actions are in the activity log.
