Aleph not accepting PDS login (initiates PDS log-out immediately after login)

Description

Scenario: PDS is on Primo server. 2 Authentication methods are defined for both Primo login and Aleph login. Clicking login from Aleph sends an "institute=" parameter , but the institute name is mapped to Primo's institute name so that both login requests from Primo and from Aleph can go to a generic html login page which gives the option of logging in from either of the two PDS institutions. Both PDS institution authentications work correctly, however when authenticating via one of the methods from Aleph, Aleph immediately initiates PDS logout, and the user is logged out. 

Resolution

Cause: 
The cause for the immediate logout from Aleph is because Aleph is not receiving the correct return "institute=" parameter from PDS and therefore Aleph does not know how to continue with the PDS session. Usually in each PDS institution (tab service file) the institution names for each of the calling systems which use the institution are mapped. For Example: aleph = BIN50 . That way the calling system receives the correct institute name back from PDS. In this scenario, only the PDS institution that's html login page is being initiated, can map the Aleph institution because if Aleph is mapped to it's institution name in the other PDS institution, PDS would bypass the generic login page once it recognizes that the other PDS institution has the "aleph=<Aleph Institute>" mapping. As a reult, there would only be one authentication methon when coming from Aleph. 

 
Suggested solution: 

Since Aleph needs to receive a correct return institution, I set "aleph = <Aleph institution>" in the tab service file that did not have this mapping. 
In order for the Aleph login button to direct to the generic login page, which gives the menu, I changed the /exlibris/aleph/u20_2/alephe/www_f_eng/pds-login file to hardcode the request to PDS to send "institute=<GENERIC INSTITUTE>" 
This way, the Aleph login goes to the generic login page which is the menu with the 2 URLs, and each of the two PDS institutions have aleph mapped to the Aleph institue as a return institute. 

Currently all login options seem to work correctly

• Article last edited: 16-Mar-2016