Has anyone automated eServices logins?

[atrobinson]

Since there is apparently no topic specific to IT-related issues:  Has anyone succeeded in automating eServices logins?

My requirement is to automate eServices logins so that certain operations can be performed programmatically, rather than requiring user interaction. It is acceptable for the automation to be triggered by a user who supplies his or her eServices credentials to my program as necessary, but it is not acceptable that the user must navigate to eServices to enter his or her credentials, or to navigate through eServices to trigger the desired operations.

I have already teased out the HTTP POST parameters necessary for at least some of the operations I want to perform, but the authentication piece is more complex and I hope someone else has already done it. If not, I will forge ahead and post my progress here.

[vento]

I honestly failed to see the point of making this automation. It is like having you bank account online access programmed to log in automatically by anybody.

[PHall]

Sounds like a solution looking for a problem.

Is there a valid need to automate the eServives login procedure?

[Fubar]

Is there a valid need to automate the eServives login procedure?

Sounds like another IMU/WIMRS/OPS QUALS type deal.

[NIN]

Sounds like a solution looking for a problem.

Is there a valid need to automate the eServives login procedure?

There are plenty of reasons to do so.

I can think of at least one: scripting the collection of eServices data on a scheduled basis and parsing the results.

I know at least one wing staff officer who uses some scripting (Perl, I believe) to automate the process of getting email addresses out of the downloadable data for use elsewhere (wing mailing list maintenance, I'm guessing)

[JeffDG]

Submit your request to NHQ.

In 3-6 months they will inform you that, despite your willingness to do all the work, they do not have sufficient resources to complete your request. 

If, however, you figure out how to do it, they will commit to finding out how you made it work, and prevent it from working in the future.

[JackFrost3k]

CAPWATCH is your best bet. I would find it difficult to automate anything once logged in.

[a2capt]

Submit your request to NHQ.

In 3-6 months they will inform you that, despite your willingness to do all the work, they do not have sufficient resources to complete your request. 

If, however, you figure out how to do it, they will commit to finding out how you made it work, and prevent it from working in the future.

C Well.. yup. Sadly. Just like the ID card barcode thing. Oh, yes, I realize it's the 'vendor' .. but if the customer, (NHQ) said "hey, you need to make this for -us- like -we- want it", and had the membership in mind with that.. because I find it incredibly hard to believe that despite the presence of a barcode on the card that was there -BEFORE- they outsourced it, that said, -SOMEONE- put it on there, that the thought would have -NEVER- crossed their minds that the membership might have used it for something.

Not that I'm a fanatic supporter of IMU, but I did witness the cat and mouse game being played over disabling the login parsing every time he came up with a way to automate some of it.


Yes, use the CAPWATCH download.. if you're doing something for the wing, you'll likely get support from someone up on high to give you access to the data on a larger scope if needed..

[JeffDG]

Yes, use the CAPWATCH download.. if you're doing something for the wing, you'll likely get support from someone up on high to give you access to the data on a larger scope if needed..

Even with that, you have to authenticate to eServices in order to download CAPWATCH.

[NIN]

CAPWATCH is your best bet. I would find it difficult to automate anything once logged in.

yeah, I think thats what is going on.  Get authenticated programmatically, then get the CAPWATCH text files and magically extract the data you need.

Beats trying to screen-scrape or CURL the info off a page.

[a2capt]

Even with that, you have to authenticate to eServices in order to download CAPWATCH.

Browser login with saved user/pass, scripted using a macro engine, paste in the URL of a download screen [POST] query to get what's needed, wait for a page refresh and then grab the file at https://www.capnhq.gov/downloads/XXXXXX.zip where XXXXXX would be the CAPID of the authenticated user. Not too much NHQ can break there. Except change the URLs, ad dynamic data to the download link.. seems like an awful lot of hassle..


Oh, wait. So did the other interference games..

[JoeTomasone]

It will get broken regularly unless you keep safety current and change your password before prompts for each appear.

[a2capt]

One would figure that someone using credentials in some fashion like this would be current on their "stuff" .. and know how to play the password game.

[Phil Hirons, Jr.]

It will get broken regularly unless you keep safety current and change your password before prompts for each appear.

One would figure that someone using credentials in some fashion like this would be current on their "stuff" .. and know how to play the password game.

My wing has monthly safety briefing on the 4th Tuesday of the month. If I had a nickel for every "Would you like to take an online safety course now?" I'd be wealthy.

I program for a living and I change my e-services password when it complains. It's a fairly reasonable schedule.

That all said, some form of single sign on / user auth against eServices is an extremely reasonable ask of NHQ. If you can no longer login in to eServices it's likely you should not be on any CAP system.

[a2capt]

The "nag" is why I pushed to have it scheduled early in the month..  since it's good until the end of the next calendar month.