Becta’s story…
Federated identity
About Becta
• Becta is the government agency leading the national drive to ensure the effective and
innovative use of technology throughout learning.
• It is our ambition to utilise the benefits of technology to create a more exciting, rewarding and
successful experience for learners of all ages and abilities, enabling them to achieve their
potential.
• We do this in many ways. We work with government to lead the delivery and development of
the e-strategy, and we influence the strategic direction and development of national education
policy, to best take advantage of new and emerging technology. We also work with industry
and education providers to make sure the right technology is available, and we set standards
and provide tools that help establish and promote best practice.
• Our work cuts across a wide range of priority areas and key themes. These include enabling
people to have equal opportunity and access to learning resources, creating links between
schools and the home, ensuring the safety of all learners, personalising learning to enable
learners and practitioners to interact and inspire each other, helping providers to plan effective
investment in technology in building or refurbishment work, and using technology to ensure
efficiency and value for money.
• We know that technology has the potential to transform learning. We are committed to
inspiring education providers to realise that potential, and equip learners for Britain's future
success.
• England – 10 Regional
Broadband Consortia
• Northern Ireland – C2K
• Scotland – glow
• Wales – NGfL Cymru
Problems we are trying to solve
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multiple usernames and passwords for pupils/students and staff
Multiple copies of personal data held by third parties
Duplication of effort across multiple institutions
Publishers and network providers having to interface with multiple systems
Difficulty in sharing resources between institutions
Anytime, anywhere access to (mainly) commercial curriculum resources
JISC announce
its intention to
support
federated access
management for
UK FE/HE.
WMnet & LGfL
pilots prove
Shibboleth works
in UK school
sector
Personalised
online learning
space
2003
2004
Online reporting
Standards Fund
Grant 121 (and
121a)
Harnessing Technology
Fund
Work with JISC &
JANET(UK) to
establish the UK
Access
Management
Federation for
Education and
Research –
launched
30 November
2005
Integrated learning &
management systems
Becta’s
business
case
accepted
by DfES
LGfL continues
regional
federation as a
production
service
Workshops, strategy paper
& laboratory test led to
recommendation of
implementing Shibboleth
technology
All LAs
members of
the federation?
2006
2007
Home Access
2008
2009
2010
Benefits of simplified sign-on and the UK
federation
• For the learner:
– Easier access to resources
– Privacy preserving
– Facilitates anytime, anywhere learning
• For the institution:
– Reduction in administrative burdens for managers and users in schools
• For the LA/RBC:
– Allow for greater aggregation of purchasing content
– Facilitate secure sharing of content between authorities
• For the education sector:
– Shared, cross-sector infrastructure
– Facilitate access to e-portfolios
• For the Government:
– Strong collaboration system-wide
– Centrally provided services for best possible value
Benefits for Service Providers
– No need to maintain own user database
• Authentication is performed by the IdP
• Can authorise per institution, role, and/or entitlement
– Reduced user support requirements
– Reduced compliance burden
• Less storage/processing of personal data
– Accurate implementation of licence conditions
– Users take better care of credentials
– Organisations take better care of assertions
The UK Access Management Federation
• A group of member organisations who sign up to a set of
rules
• An independent body, managing the trust relationships
between members
• End user organisations act as ‘identity providers’ (IdPs)
and optionally ‘service providers’ (SPs)
• Publishers and resource providers act as ‘service
providers’ (SPs)
Organisational Structure
• Funded by Becta & JISC
• Provided for Schools, FE & HE
• Operational management by JANET(UK)
• Policy & Governance Board
– 3 Becta nominated members
– 3 JISC nominated members
– ‘Neutral’ Chair
• Technical Advisory Group
– JISC, Becta, RBC, LA, University and College
representation
What the service provides
• A set of Rules that binds members:
– Make accurate statements to other members
– Keep federation systems and data secure
– Use personal data correctly (inc. DPA 1998)
– Resolve problems within the Federation
– Not by legal action
• Guidance, examples, support
– How to comply with the Rules
– How to work with other members
– Common definitions, etc.
What the service provides
• Operational management
– Registration mechanism for SPs and IdPs
– Adding new members to the federation & updating
existing members’ metadata
– Fault finding and trouble shooting
– Compatibility testing of server certificates and CA
Qualification
– Technical and operational documentation
– Ongoing federation development
– Reporting
LA/RBC roadmap to join the UK federation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Join Federation – All organisations who wish to participate will
need to join the UK federation by registering and agreeing to
observe federation policy.
LA/RBC audit – Review readiness to adopt federated access
management.
Directory Development – Identify or implement a suitable
local/regional directory. Directories need to be correctly populated
with attributes about pupils and staff that meet the federation
standard, known as the eduPerson specification.
Authentication Development – Choose and implement a
local/regional authentication, or single sign-on system.
Implement IdP – Implement Shibboleth Identity Provider software.
Institutional Roll-out – On becoming a member of the federation,
the institution/LA/RBC will need to roll out the new system. This
may include new user guides, training and support mechanisms.
UK federation members
• 684 full members (at 17 March 2009)
• 112 school sector members, including:
– 4 RBCs (SWGfL, E2BN, EMBC, YHGfL) representing 46 local authorities
– Learning and Teaching Scotland (glow & Scottish LAs)
– C2K
– Birmingham Grid for Learning
– Worcestershire County Council
– Leeds City Council
– Hampshire County Council
– Norfolk County Council
– Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
– City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
– RM, Serco, Pearson, SAM Learning, TAG Learning, Microsoft and many more...
(http://www.ukfederation.org.uk/content/Documents/MemberList)
Systems Interoperability Framework
Not a product, but a
technical blueprint for
education software
Designed for education
technology suppliers and
educators
Manages data within the
education environment
Enables diverse
applications to interact
and share data
Systems
SIF walk through
MIS
•Messages are securely
encrypted using HTTPS
•Agents are
authenticated by the ZIS
before messages are
passed
Library
Network Account
Meals
14 to 19
Data
Analysis
&
Reporting
Moodle
VLM
Systems
Interoperability
Framework
• Statement of intent on
interoperability
•
•
•
•
14-19
MIAP
Awarding bodies – JCQ
QCA - Diploma
Aggregation Service
What next
• Continued growth of UK federation and SIF Association
• Case Studies:
– http://www.ukfederation.org.uk/library/uploads/Documents/embc-study.pdf
– http://www.ukfederation.org.uk/library/uploads/Documents/swgfl-study.pdf
• DCSF identity assurance project...
Contact…
Dr John Chapman
Becta
Millburn Hill Road
Science Park
Coventry CV4 7JJ
T +44 (0)24 7679 7453
F +44 (0)24 7641 1418
E becta@becta.org.uk
www.becta.org.uk