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General Information on SILK Web Hosting Services

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(South System unless otherwise indicated, Titan)

A New Web Service—Smooth as Silk

On January 2, 1997, DCRT's Computing Facilities Branch (CFB) introduced the first component of its new Secure Internet-LinKed or SILK Web technology—the most significant implementation in the NIH Computer Center's recent history. This first SILK facility permits virtually all data stored on the MVS enterprise system to be accessible through the World Wide Web. When fully implemented, SILK technology will provide simple, yet powerful ways for NIH Computer Center customers to develop and control their own Web pages, their own secure intranets, and their own custom Web-based client/server applications.

The first SILK facility is of tremendous importance to MVS users—to have data immediately accessible on the Web, users need only save data on MVS disks. No user-written code is needed! The data may be any type of output supported by Web browsers, including plain text, HTML, GIFs, jpgs, or other binary files. Thus, the Web can now be considered as just another output option like printing or microfiche.

Additional SILK Web facilities will become available to NIH Computer Center users over the next year. These facilities will provide new Web capabilities for all users, not just the MVS community. In fact, we expect some of these new facilities to be implemented using the new open-system platform that will be acquired in early 1997. SILK Web technology—which incorporates a platform-independent view of servers, applications, and data—provides robust, state-of-the-art capabilities to the NIH enterprise environment in an uncomplicated and inexpensive manner.

Not So Long Ago . . .

Few technologies have had as great or as rapid an impact on computing as the World Wide Web. In less than two years, the Web browser has become the de facto client for most new client/server applications. The Web has become an invaluable tool at work and at home, used by young and old. It has even added new words to our vocabulary. Ten years ago when you browsed you were not on the Internet, surfing was an activity enjoyed mostly by youths on the West coast, and hyperlinks were tense sausages.

Now

Until now, MVS has been mostly excluded from the information explosion ignited by the World Wide Web. Although MVS contained the largest store of data and information, users typically had to download the data to another platform in order to take advantage of Web technologies. This is no longer true—with SILK Web facilities, any sequential file or PDS (partitioned data set) member can be displayed from a Web browser. The data to be displayed can be updated via TSO, ISPF, WYLBUR, or batch jobs, and the latest version will always be used. In addition, you can control access to the data by designating that it be available to the general public or, by using RACF, restrict access to specific individuals or groups. Also when displayed from a Web browser, data sets can be printed or stored locally using capabilities of the browser itself.

Two Web servers are now available:

• silk.nih.gov/public/ - a public server accessible by anyone
• silk.nih.gov/secure/ - a "secure" server that enables users to take advantage of the security features of the RACF facility

Anyone accessing SILK's secure server must provide a valid userid (i.e., valid MVS account and initials) and the RACF password. This userid will be checked for RACF authority to read the dataset.

Important note: it is the data set owner's responsibility to establish appropriate RACF protection. If no protection exists, anyone can access the data set via the public server.

Simple guidelines for using this SILK Web facility under MVS can be found in below in the section "Guidelines for Using the New SILK Web Facility".

Charges For Web Server Use

The cost of using the two SILK Web servers—public and secure—is a flat rate. A monthly surcharge of $20 covers all "@WWW" data sets stored under a userid (i.e., account/initials pair) regardless of how much they are used. (The "Guidelines for Using the New SILK Web Facility" section below has detailed information on data set names.) Whether you have one or one hundred Web pages, there will be a single monthly charge of $20—in addition to the normal data set storage charges (normally about $0.42 per month for each megabyte of data stored.)

Coming Soon

For many people setting up and running a Web server means making hardware purchases, network connections, as well as installing and maintaining software—not a particularly appealing prospect. Even if someone does find pleasure in those things, any change to a Web application must be handled by the server manager, and "emergency" updates to the application must pass through the same hoops. CFB is completing development on an easy-to-use facility that will allow users to create and run their own full-function SILK Web server, without having to purchase and maintain hardware or software. All SILK Web functions will be performed by the SILK server owner using only a Web browser, thus eliminating any need to deal with Unix or MVS. SILK Web server owners will be able to easily define and control access to their servers—thus providing the basis for a corporate intranet facility. In addition, secure socket layer (SSL) protection should also be available to provide data encryption across the network. A future issue of Interface will provide details of this new facility.

And A Little Later...

With the arrival of the new open-system platform in early 1997—a result of the project CERTAN contract—CFB will also provide new SILK Web facilities for easily building applications to obtain, examine, update, and store information using Web browsers. SILK technologies will permit applications to be implemented on the platform that is most appropriate for their requirements. In some cases this will provide highly efficient (i.e., inexpensive) computing, where only costly possibilities were previously available. For other applications this will provide an opportunity to obtain robust, secure, and fully recoverable computing—as needed for critical production functions—while keeping the ease-of-use provided by Web browsers.

Guidelines for Using the New SILK Web Facility

The first component of the SILK Web technology-to be offered by CFB beginning on January 2, 1997-is primarily of interest to MVS users. (See the first article in the Features section for a discussion of plans for full implementation of the SILK technology.)

This facility allows an MVS disk data set to be directly accessible on the Web as soon as it is created-no matter how it was created (e.g., TSO, ISPF, WYLBUR, or a batch job).

Saving and Accessing Data Sets is Easy

Simply save the data set using the syntax aaaaiii.@www.name (aaaaiii is the userid, or account/initials). For example, a copy of this document is saved as zzyzzap.@www.silk.articles.html. You may view these articles by opening a Web browser to

http://silk.nih.gov/public/zzyzzap.@www.silk.articles.html

The data set name must begin with aaaaiii.@www. (aaaaiii is implied when you save data in TSO or WYLBUR). The data set name should end with one of the standard "content" types (e.g., .HTML, .GIF, .TEXT) recognized by most browsers. (Use a browser to see a complete list of types in zzyzzap.@www.silk.types.html)

Two Web servers are available at this time:

silk.nih.gov/public/ - a public server accessible by anyone

silk.nih.gov/secure/ - a "secure" server that enables users to take advantage of the security features of the RACF facility. (i.e., account and initials) and RACF password

Anyone accessing SILK's secure server must provide a valid userid (i.e., valid MVS account and initials) and the RACF password. This userid will be checked for RACF authority to read the data set. Users accessing this "secure" server must provide the userid and RACF password—once per session. The browser will reuse the userid and password for the remainder of time it is open.

Creating Web Pages

• Data Set Format

  If using WYLBUR, it is necessary to specify the data set format—that is, specify LRECL, RECFM, and BLKSIZE with the save command. (The SILK Web server can not process edit format data.) The new HTML option of the WYLBUR save command has been defined to allow users save any text data in a format compatible with the silk web server. set wylbur using this new optionenter>

  SAVE AS @WWW.NAME.TYPE HTML

  and WYLBUR will use a format suitable for display on the Web.

• Names Syntax

  Save all data sets with names of the form

  AAAAIII.@WWW.NAME.TYPE

  where "name" is any name you choose, and "type" is one of the valid content types. Remember, in WYLBUR, simply save your data set as @WWW.name.type since WYLBUR will add the AAAAIII prefix automatically. For "type" specify HTML if the data set is an HTML file and TEXT if the data set is simply plain text. If the data set name does not end with a valid content type, TEXT is assumed. HTML-type data is text with hypertext mark-up language included to improve the appearance of the display on the Web. If you try to access a data set with a name that does not have @WWW as the second qualifier, you will receive the message

  File Not Found - Error 404

• Graphic Files

  If you want to display a graphic file (e.g., a GIF or JPEG file), upload the file from your PC in binary format and specify RECFM VB and LRECL 255 on the MVS system. Make sure the file conforms to the naming requirement described above. Specify a type of GIF for a GIF file, and JPEG or JPG for JPEG files.

• RACF Protection

  You have the option of using RACF facilities to restrict access to your data sets. If you do so, the files will need to be accessed via the secure server silk.nih.gov/secure/. Users accessing files via the secure server are prompted for a valid userid (i.e., account/initials) and RACF password.

  Important note: it is the data set owner's responsibility to establish appropriate RACF. If no protection exists, anyone can access the data set via the public server.

  Use of RACF protection will provide true, secure, intranet capabilities. For RACF security on the secure Web server, use the WYLBUR enter RACF command to obtain generic protection for groups of files to be displayed. You can also define a group of users who can access your pages.

Charges For Web Server Use

The cost of using the two SILK Web servers is a flat rate. A monthly surcharge of $20 covers all "@WWW" data sets stored under a userid (i.e., account/initials pair) regardless of how much they are used. Whether you have one or one hundred Web pages, there will be a single monthly charge of $20—in addition to the normal data set storage charges (normally about $0.42 per month for each megabyte of data stored.)

Summary

The coming year, 1997, will be a fascinating one for users of the NIH Computer Center. As SILK Web technologies expand to include multiple computing platforms, easy-to-use tools will make Web application development available to everyone, not just to technical Web experts. CFB would like to learn of your needs and interests in this exciting area.

WEB SPONSOR Makes Its Debut

Account sponsors and deregistration officials (DOs) can now use a Web browser to display the information that is available in ENTER SPONSOR's opening menu, item one ("Deregistration official duties and account information for sponsors"). This new facility is based on CFB's new Secure Internet-LinKed (SILK) technology. With the Web browser, officials can easily display information for MVS accounts (as well as for Helix or ALW accounts) and search by CAN number. This Web version of ENTER SPONSOR-much more intuitive than the WYLBUR-based version-is the first phase of a major enhancement to ENTER SPONSOR based on SILK Web technology.

In order to take advantage of the more sophisticated SILK Web technology, we have copied the data files to DB2-the NIH Computer Center's powerful, centrally-managed relational database (RDBMS). Maintaining the data in an RDBMS provides powerful search and display capabilities that sponsors and DOs can use for displaying information about a specific account, all accounts, or all accounts under a specific CAN number. Easy-to-use radio buttons provide a choice: information on all users (including MVS, Helix, and ALW) or accounts (sponsor and alternate, DO and alternate). Once these selections have been made, a simple click on the "Display" button will display the information-the HTML table format has been applied automatically. The standard features of a Web browser (e.g., print, save) are naturally usable.

Is Information Secure?

The first time that account sponsors or deregistration officials make a selection, a security "pop-up" window prompts for username and password. The user should enter the account/initials (e.g., aaaaiii) as the username and the RACF password for the initials specified as the password. Please note: preferred initials of a valid primary or alternate sponsor or DO must be used. The username and password need not be reentered on subsequent requests in the same session.

Who Can Access WEB SPONSOR?

Web access can be used from any computer with a Web browser. The Netscape 2.0 (and above) and Internet Explorer 2.0 browsers are both supported, and most other browsers should also function satisfactorily. If you are a sponsor or a DO, go to

http://silk.nih.gov/sponsor/webinfo

and start using WEB SPONSOR.

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Updated 7/23/07

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Center for Information Technology
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892