Workflow

IP range information is maintained on providers’ web platforms, or passed on to publishers and information providers by Max Planck Digital Library staff.

IP ranges are pushed to publisher services in regular cycles (presently bimonthly, beginning at end of January). Otherwise, the process has proved to be unreliable and error-prone. For this reason, real-time updates or ad hoc authorization of single IP addresses is not feasible.

To ensure that Max Planck users have uninterrupted access to licensed resources, the Max Planck Digital Library depends on continuous IP-related updates from Max Planck Institutes.

Note that access to additional content licensed by Max Planck Institutes, or to any existing local instances of a service, is maintained by institutes directly.

Networks

It is highly desirable that a Max Planck Institute is represented by at least a single authorized IP address, which allows that user requests are treated and counted as coming from that particular institute.

To grant smooth and effective authorization of clients, IP ranges ought to be coherent and non-fragmented (for example, no single node within a network owned by a different institution).

Otherwise publishers may not be willing or able to maintain IP ranges correctly. Additionally, third party holders of adjacent infrastructure may not be maintaining IP range details to the same degree of granularity. This may cause IP range overlaps, and correct identification of clients is not guaranteed.

Security

IT departments ought to ensure that temporary visitors access the internet through networks that are not authorized for access to electronic resources licensed exclusively for the benefit of Max Planck Society scientific staff. Please consider our  Access Conditions and Terms of Use of Electronic Resources.

Note that Max Planck Institutes are responsible for preventing unauthorized access.