CCS News
APRIL 11, 2008
FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM:
We are working on two critical issues with Client Care:
1. iBistro – the slowdowns that are being experienced on the weekend are being looked at by the most senior technical staff at SirsiDynix and we have been dialoging with them regularly. While the problem is perplexing everyone, we will be moving forward with the installation of further monitoring tools and a new Apache (webserver software) version to help diagnose the problem. We will keep you posted.
2. Indexing and Patch Cluster 5E – As of this writing SirsiDynix has recommended installation of patch cluster 5E to help us address the broken browse indexes. We will install 5E on the test server on Friday 4/11. It is imperative that all libraries test essential functions in a timely manner. We plan to install 5E to the production server in the wee small hours of Wednesday morning 4/16. (Note: This will result in a prompt to upgrade the Java Client. You may do this at your leisure; it is not imperative to upgrade immediately.) Then we will rebuild the indexes Sunday morning 4/20 before opening time. The indexes are being built over the weekend so that we do not disturb the overnight process two nights in a row. There will be some delay in notices generated on Wednesday morning 4/16 but it should all catch up during the day. We will keep you posted on this too!
LIBRARY CLOSING: McHenry will be closed all day on Friday, April 25 for staff training.
THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK: The April 1 issue of Library Journal includes the annual analysis of the automation marketplace by Marshall Breeding (“Opportunity Out Of Turmoil,” pp. 32-44). No bombshells, but some focus on nextGen OPACs and the Open Source movement, vendor profiles, overall marketplace trend assessment and lots of comparison charts make this worth a few minutes of our frequent leisure time.
WINDOWS XP LICENSES: Libraries which are buying PCs to run the Java Client, but don’t want to wait till we load Sirsi Release 3.2 which will bring the first MS-Vista-supported iteration of the Java Client, need a license to retrofit the PCs with Windows XP. At the Sirsi Users Group meeting, I was told that XP licenses are available at a good discount from www.techsoup.org.
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that Java client users sometimes experience slower response time toward the end of a particularly busy day? This is usually because of a memory leak in Java that causes workstation storage to unnecessarily accumulate data as the day progresses. If there are a lot of transactions conducted in a day, there will be excessive data stored, and response time will be affected on that machine. Conversely, on days with normal activity levels, the memory leaks do not usually create a problem. Sirsi is working on closing the leak, but there’s a relatively easy work-around that should improve your response time until it’s fixed. Closing and reopening WorkFlows will clear out the leaked memory and your machine will return to its normal response time.
Also: There are still seats available in all four of the Java ILL training sessions scheduled for the month of April. The training dates/times/locations are as follows:
- Tuesday, April 15th, from 1:30 to 5:00 at Des Plaines
- Wednesday, April 16th, from 9:30 to 12:00 at Northbrook
- Tuesday, April 22nd, from 1:30 to 5:00 at Des Plaines
- Thursday, April 24th, from 1:30 to 5:00 at Des Plaines
These classes are intended for staff with little or no experience with Java and will cover basic ILL/Holds processing using that client. To register yourself or someone from your library for a session, please send me the name and email address of the person(s) who'll be coming and specify which session they’re planning to attend. There are no limits on the number of people from each library that may attend (other than the capacity of the training space), so feel free to have more than one staff member register for a session. – Ken Victorson
CCS MEETINGS NEXT WEEK:
Tues., 4/15, 9:30, Prospect Heights:
Director’s Station Group
Wed., 4/16, 10:00, CCS: Executive Comm.
