mirror of https://github.com/BOINC/boinc.git
145 lines
4.1 KiB
PHP
145 lines
4.1 KiB
PHP
<?php
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require_once("docutil.php");
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page_head("Account management systems");
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echo "
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<p>
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To create an account with BOINC projects, a participant must:
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<ul>
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<li> locate BOINC project web sites,
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read them, and decide which to join;
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<li> Download and install the BOINC client software.
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</ul>
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and then for each selected project:
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<ul>
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<li> fill out a web registration form;
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<li> handle an email;
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<li> cut and paste a URL and account key into the BOINC client.
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</ul>
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<p>
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If the participant chooses N projects,
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there are N forms to fill out,
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N emails to handle, and N dialog interactions with the BOINC client.
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This is tedious if there are lots of projects.
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Furthermore, it involves cutting and pasting long random strings,
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which is intimidating to some participants.
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<p>
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This document describes BOINC's support for <b>account management systems</b>,
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which streamline the process of finding and joining BOINC projects.
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A typical account management system is implemented as a web site.
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The participant experience is:
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<ul>
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<li> Visit the account manager site,
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set up a 'meta-account' (name, email, password),
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browse a list of projects, and click checkboxes to select projects.
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<li> Receive email from each selected project,
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and click on a link in the email.
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<li> Download and install the BOINC client software from the account manager.
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<li> Enter the meta-account name and password in a BOINC client dialog.
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</ul>
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This requires about 1/3 of the interactions of the manual approach,
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and avoids dealing with long random strings.
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<h2>Implementation</h2>
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<p>
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An account management system works as follows:
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<br>
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<img src=acct_mgt.png>
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<br>
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<ol>
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<li> The participant sets up his meta-account and selects projects.
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<li> The account manager issues a <b>create account</b> RPC
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to each selected project.
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<li> The project creates an account (marked as 'unconfirmed')
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and sends an email to the participant.
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<li> The participant opens the email and clicks on a link in it,
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causing the account to be marked as 'confirmed'.
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<li> The account manager periodically polls each selected project
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with a <b>query account</b> RPC,
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waiting for all accounts to become confirmed.
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<li> When all accounts are confirmed,
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the participant downloads and installs the BOINC client software
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from the account manager.
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The install package includes a file
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(specific to the account manager)
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containing the URL of the account manager.
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<li> The BOINC client runs, and asks the participant to enter
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the name and password of his meta-account.
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<li> The BOINC client does a <b>query accounts</b> RPC
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to the account manager, obtaining a list of accounts.
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It then attaches to these accounts and proceeds.
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</ol>
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The <b>create account</b> and <b>query account</b> RPCs
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are described <a href=web_rpc.php>here</a>.
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<h2>Core client functionality</h2>
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<p>
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The BOINC core client uses the following files to
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keep track of account manager information.
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<dl>
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<dt>
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<b>acct_mgr_url.xml</b>
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<dd>
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This file identifies the account manager.
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It is typically bundled with the BOINC client in
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an installer package.
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Its format is:
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".html_text("
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<acct_mgr>
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<name>Name of BOINC account management system</name>
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<url>http://acctmgr.com/</url>
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</acct_mgr>
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")."
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<dt>
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<b>acct_mgr_login.xml</b>
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<dd>
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This file contains meta-account information.
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Its format is:
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".html_text("
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<acct_mgr_login>
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<login>name</login>
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<password>xxx</password>
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</acct_mgr_login>
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")."
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</dl>
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If the core client finds acct_mgr_url.xml but not acct_mgr_login.xml,
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it prompts for a name and password,
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stores them in acct_mgr_login.xml,
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and makes an account manager RPC.
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The core client offers menu items for making an account manager RPC,
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and for changing the name/password.
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<h2>Account manager RPCs</h2>
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";
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list_start();
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list_item("URL", "Given in the file <b>acct_manager_url.xml</b>");
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list_item("input", "name
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<br>password"
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);
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list_item("output",
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html_text("<accounts>
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[ <error>MSG</error> ]
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[ <account>
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<url>URL</url>
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<authenticator>KEY</authenticator>
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</account>
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...
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]
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</accounts>")
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);
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list_item("action",
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"returns a list of the accounts associated with this meta-account"
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);
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list_end();
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page_tail();
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?>
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