All the functions of WYLBUR's Enter Sponsor can now be accomplished by account sponsors and deregistration officials using Web Sponsor, a new service based on SILK Web technology. In daily use since February, Web Sponsor has had such strong acceptance from our account sponsors that WYLBUR's Enter Sponsor will no longer be available after August 9, 1998. After that date all sponsor and deregistration official actions and requests must be made via Web Sponsor.
Everything Really Is Easier Via Web Sponsor
Web Sponsor greatly simplifies all tasks for sponsors and deregistration officials. All actions can be requested from Web Sponsor's "Action Selection" at http://silk.nih.gov/sponsor/homepage instead of the series of cascading menu choices in WYLBUR's Enter Sponsor.
Displaying information about accounts and users can be initiated from the "Action Selection" page. This page simplifies requests and actions by providing simple input boxes, check boxes, radio buttons, and drop down list boxes.
New, Improved Web Sponsor
The Web interface allows us to add new functionality. The most recent improvements enable sponsors to:
Be Ready Before August
If you are a sponsor or deregistration official, start using Web Sponsor now. After August 9 that will be the only facility available to you for sponsor activities.
With the increased popularity of SILK Web customized servers, many SILK webmasters need to provide an e-mail facility for their pages. Since many users accessing webpages have not set their browsers up to transmit e-mail, the standard browser's "Mail-to" capability does not work. A simple solution for owners is SILK Web's Easymail facility.
SILK Easymail to the Rescue
With Easymail webpage owners can provide a way for anyone who has a WYLBUR account, initials and password to transmit e-mail via a simple hypertext link in the webpage. An example of such a link:
SILK Formsmail for Gathering Information
SILK webmasters also need a convenient way to gather information and opinions via a form on their webpages. Sending such information to a specific e-mail address is very easy using the SILK Formsmail interface. Moreover, with Formsmail, the person accessing the webpage does not need to have a DCRT account, initials and password.
To see a discussion of all the options (e.g., "CC" and "Subject") available on Easymail and Formsmail, go to the SILK webpage http://silk.nih.gov and click on "Documentation" under "About Silk Web."
South System's &PUBLIC Data Sets Available via SILK Web
SILK Web has now been enhanced to allow users to view any of WYLBUR's "&PUBLIC" data sets quickly from the Web. For example the normal operating schedule of NIH Computer Center is in the data set &PUBLIC.SCHEDULE. To review this from the Web—just open your browser and click on the Web address http://silk.nih.gov/public
/public.schedule. Note: the name of the &PUBLIC data set appears after the last slash—without the ampersand (&).
Since its introduction in January 1997, the SILK Web facility has become a very popular mechanism for effortlessly creating webpages, as well as for accessing enterprise databases through a Web interface. Many users have taken advantage of this facility by creating @WWW data sets that can be viewed by Web browsers. For details on the many features of this facility—including the original announcement—go to the webpage http://silk.nih.gov/silk/silkinfo/doc.htm.
North System Web Access Is Open for Business
DCRT's Computing Facilities Branch (CFB) introduces Secure Internet-LinKed (SILK) Web Technology on the North system. This initial SILK facility for the MVS North system will permit much of the data stored on the MVS enterprise system to be accessible through the Web.
SILK provides the ability to make MVS data accessible from the Web using any Web browser. The data may be any type of output supported by Web browsers—including plain text, html, gif, jpeg or other binary files. The Web can now be considered as just another output option like printing or microfiche.
MVS enterprise servers contain huge stores of information but, to utilize Web technologies, usually users have had to download MVS data to another platform. The North system now can use SILK Web technologies to access any sequential data set or PDS member from a Web Browser—and data accessible from a browser can be viewed, printed or stored on a PC by that browser.
Security
The owner of an MVS data set controls access to that data set. Access can be "universal" or can be restricted to individuals or groups by using mainframe RACF commands. SILK data sets are mainframe MVS data sets with full RACF protection—they can be made as secure as any other mainframe data set.
Anyone accessing the North SILK secure server must supply a valid North userid ($III) and RACF password. The userid will be checked for RACF authority to read the data set. It is the data owner's responsibility to establish and maintain appropriate RACF control of Web accessible MVS data sets.
Naming Convention
Web-accessible data sets must use the following naming convention and must contain "@www" as the third level qualifier. Examples of Web-enabled North system data sets are
Getting There
The North system's SILK webpage is http://silkad.nih.gov. (The "ad" after SILK in the address is derived from the previously established North system hostname, AD.NIH.GOV). From that webpage you can also access the two SILK Web servers—public and secure—or you can go directly to their Web addresses.
n Public server
http://silkad.nih.gov/public
This server contains data
available to anyone.
Data sets for public access
should be defined in RACF with "UACC=READ."
n Secure server
http://silkad.nih.gov/secure
This server utilizes RACF
security features for stored data.
You can use both public and secure servers to see any North system data set from the Web by creating a link such as
Charges for Web Server Use
In addition to MVS storage costs, the cost of using SILK on the North system is a flat monthly fee—$20 charged each month to every user who stores Web-accessible data sets on MVS disk packs. Whether you have one or a hundred data sets, the monthly surcharge is just $20.
How Do I Get Started?
Getting started is very simple:
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Web Sponsor Facility Is Available
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