I am currently working on a Single Sign On project involving a Unisys ClearPath MCP mainframe. The main interface that ClearPath has for this is Kerberos. The basic idea is to use the application to set HTTP headers to set WWW-Authenticate header (as described in RFC 4559). The first step to make this work is to integrate Kerberos into an … Read the rest
When is it not about the network?
I was trolling around LinkedIn tonight and I saw many ads for various positions. For some reason, my mind drifted to see if DICE had any listings for jobs requiring iRule programming skills (iRules is a scripting language/event engine inside of the F5 Networks’ BigIP device). For those that don’t know, the BigIP could be considered an SSL accelerator and … Read the rest
How to keep your Free WiFi session private.
So, you are really digging the free WiFi in Panera or Hooters or your hotel, but did you know that most of the traffic you send is viewable by some guy in the corner with a sniffer? I’m not talking about any websites you use where the address (URl) starts with https. Those are fine *You do make sure you … Read the rest
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
I am presenting 3 sessions at the Unisys North American Users Group (UNITE) conference in October in Orlando this year. The sessions include:
- Techniques to Secure Web Applications Including the OWASP Top 10
- Comparing Different Web Interfaces to MCP Applications
- Real World Experiences Implementing sftp to a ClearPath MCP System
- The Changing MCP Discussion (A panel discussion)
I … Read the rest
Intranets: The Real Story
This article was written 14 years ago, but some of the questions seem topical.
Intranets: Wave of the Future?
Open any magazine today and you are sure to find something about an intranet and why your company should have one. Most “Internet” companies are actually more interested in the business intranet market rather than its well-known cousin — the Internet. … Read the rest
Connecting the Mainframe to the Internet
The Internet
As with intranets, the Internet has produced an abundance of information in trade journals. Internet usage grows more with each passing day. While most businesses are interested in utilizing this medium, several questions must be asked. If the company mainframe is placed on the Internet, will it be secure? Is the benefit of an Internet presence worth the … Read the rest
Clearpath Revealed
This is an article I wrote several years ago that may be of interest to the ClearPath community.
When the first Clearpath NX server was shipped, the computing world as we know it changed. Such a bold statement surely requires an explanation. While most of us working with Unisys technology know better, the rest of the world considers Unisys simply … Read the rest
Alignment of the Planets Reliability
I have often said that certain products carry with them what I call “Alignment of the Planets” reliability. This means that you would blame everything in the computer room–including the alignment of the planets–before you blame the particular system. Having started my professional computing career on the Burroughs A Series systems, I learned that Burroughs (now Unisys) designed software that … Read the rest
New case study published on Thunderstone
Thunderstone is a search appliance used by the General Services Administration (GSA). The company asked me to participate in a case study whitepaper. This was a good review of the appliance and why we choose to use it. You can find it here.… Read the rest
Welcome to the New Company
Welcome. My name is Tom Schaefer and I am the owner of Better Software Solutions. This company is a boutique software consulting firm specializing in developing software and processes that are beyond the normal applications. Specifically, the method we employ is to use highly-qualified consultants that understand business and technology and how they intersect. I believe if you hire naturally … Read the rest