Suggested improvements

Mark,

Thank you for this good list of suggested improvements. I've forwarded it

to the iPS product manager.

WRT the one about licensing for the secure version, let me try to give a

clear answer. The extra licensing fees for "secure" mode is for the

gateway component of iPS and the features it provides. This includes:

- reverse proxy with URL rewriting

- netlet VPN

- certificate-based authentication

The term "secure" in this context can be a bit confusing. It does not

refer to whether the iPS itself is access using SSL. Rather, it refer to

the security of the entire intranet that is accessible via the portal. In

secure mode, the only access point for the entire intranet is the iPS

gateway, so the intranet can be made secure. In open mode, the iPS server

is accessed directly as are any other web servers in the intranet because

there is no gateway. Even in open mode, the iPS server can be configured to

use SSL. But that doesn't do anything about the other web servers and

resources that might be necessary for a complete portal solution.

HTH.

Tom

Mark Godiver wrote:

>

> Installation

>

> 1. Remove the PKGADD dependancy. Pkgadd requires root access to a

> machine, iPS is likely to be installed by developers, not sysadmins.

> 2. Install Java in the same directory tree as iPS. too many applications

> use /usr/java and expect different java versions.

> 3. Include 'optimization' settings; i.e java flags, documented in the

> release notes as part of the install.

> 4. During install request a username to run the gateway, web server and

> ldap server as. Again changing this is documented as an option in the

> release notes. If installing as a non-root user, this user should be

> used.

>

> Admin.

>

> 1. Make gateway url rewriting changes on a per machine basis. Too many

> sites use the same javascript variables, i.e; url, src, pathname, html;

> some sites require rewrites others do not.

> 2. Add comment fields to the admin interface, if I make a change I want

> others to know why.

> 3. Provide backup/restore scripts. As part of the development/production

> phase I've written scripts to make an image of a production ips setup,

> which I can then install on a development system. A few 'sed' statements

> deal with the new hostname and IP addresses, and a few 'pkginfo' checks

> need removing, but this works.

>

> Support.

>

> 1. Make 'Hot Patches' available on the iPS web site. Or a minimum the

> release notes, so I know whether I need it.

> 2. List 'public' versions of bugs/rfe's on the iPS web site. Something

> similar to 'SunSolve' would be great. If I have a problem I can save a

> lot of time by finding a bug report online. Most technical Sun/Netscape

> customers rarely ever use telephone support.

> 3. Remove the 'black box' support restrictions on the LDAP and web

> servers. If I want to add a CGI script to my web server, iPS should

> still be supported, just not my CGI script.

>

> Licensing.

> 1. Remove the crazy per CPU prices for the 'secure' version. All this

> is, is an implementation of the Mozilla NSS code which is freely

> available. Many companies offer faster H/W SSL solutions at far lower

> prices. Whether the URL rewriter is only available as part of the

> 'secure' version I've never had a clear answer.

> 2. List prices on the iplanet web site. When I try a product I want to

> know how much it'll cost me, and right now I have to have an iplanet

> sales rep visit me ...I hate sales reps :)

>

> You may not believe it from the above, but I do like the product.

>

> -Mark

at 2007-6-29 2:31:24 >