PLIFs Driving You to Drink: Tips and Tricks for Success in Getting Patron Info into Aleph

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PLIFs Driving You to Drink?Tips and Tricks
for Success in Getting Patron Info into Aleph

• Andrew Perry and Dave Ritchie
• LiSUG 2008 Brewing Up Solutions
• SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica
• Oct 10, 2008

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What's the PLIFing Problem?

• ANY duplicate ID causes the person's record not
  to load (across all types)?
• ID sections with IDs of all 0s or blanks won't
  work
• Loading records with NO 01 ID causes Aleph to
  create one a sequential number which if left
  without updating to a real 01 ID might
  eventually conflict with another type of
  sequential number (some Aleph dummy 01's
  conflicted with incoming real Banner PIDM 16
  ID's)

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What's the PLIFing Problem? continued

• Match ID in PLIF does not exist in Aleph patron
  data file
• QUIZ What's the result if you load a
  garden-variety PLIF record when the match ID
  doesn't exist in the Aleph patron file?
• (a) New Record? (b) No Load?
• ANS new record if no other problems with the
  incoming record (e.g., conflict with existing ID
  already in patron file)

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What's the PLIFing Problem? continued

• Poor quality control from data source?
• Expiry date(s) missing?
• QUIZ How many expiry dates are required in v18?
• (a) None (b) One (c ) Two (d) Three
• ANS one for each Address (z304) record one for
  the Borrower (z305) record
• Lack of testing?
• Tab31, tab_bor_id.eng - tables not up to date?

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PLIF Process

• 1- Create/receive PLIF from data source
• 2- Transfer PLIF to DEV server
• 3- Review data
• 4- If problems Manipulate data, or make new PLIF
  and go back to a previous step
• 5- Test Load via p_file_20 Circ Service
• 6- Interpret load report and log (errors?)?
• 7- If errors Manipulate data or make new PLIF,
  and go back to a previous step
• Finished? Now do it on PROD!

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Transfer PLIF to server

• Sandbox Upload function is PLIF file size an
  issue??
• If so, use Secure FTP to xxx_Dropbox/plifs/
  directory
• refer to Footprints 5745
• If use Dropbox, must copy to DEV (and PROD), or
  OLIS can develop a copy script to look for a PLIF
  on regular basis

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Reviewing Data

• Is the data formatted correctly?
• QUIZ How many places are there to verify the
  format of a PLIF in Sandbox?
• (a) One (b) Two (c ) Three
• ANS two (listed in the 2 bullets just below)
• Use Util-F-2-5-1 on PLIF in Sandbox OR
• Open filename.plif in Sandbox OR
• Download open file in a good editor (EditPlus,
  UltraEdit, etc.) on your desktop

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Sidebar PLIF Structure

• Match ID a.k.a.
• User Record z303 section
• Ends with numbers of ID recs, Address recs,
  Borrower recs (e.g., 040201)?
• ID Record(s) z308's
• Address Record(s) z304's
• Each includes Start date and Expiry Date
• Borrower Record z305 section
• Includes Sublibrary (xxx50) Expiry Date

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Sidebar PLIF Structure, User Rec
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Sidebar PLIF Structure, ID Recs
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Sidebar PLIF Structure, Address Recs
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Sidebar PLIF Structure, Bor Rec
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Reviewing Data More Issues

• Is match ID logic correct?
• If SSN being used to match, is correct SSN format
  used (hyphens or not)?
• Do any ID sections contain blank or other
  duplicate default characters?
• Clashing ID numbers
• Have address dates been included? Valid date?
• Are tab31 and tab_bor_id.eng correct?

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Reviewing Data Even More Issues

• Is there a valid borrower expiration date?
  REQUIRED in PLIF
• Are X, D, and U used as action codes?
• USER-REC-NO-ID, ADDRESS, BOR (counters can be
  wrong)?
• Is the PLIF for v.18.02 ? (less of a problem
  now)?

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Load Patron Records (p_file_20) Circ Service

• Input PLIF filename
• Input filename for Report
• Testing? run in UpdateNo mode to get Report
• Load should be iterative process run without
  update, identify and correct errors, run again,
  ...
• Automating PLIF loads? Can be run from job_list
  (get parameters from Log)?

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Interpreting p_file_20 REPORT

• Where is it? --gt Circ Client Task Manager!
• REPORT shows each record processed.
• Indicates when a record has successed to load
• Note that the part of the record Unable to load
  is NOT the problem part
• Scan for words like Can not or Cannot gt
  that indicates the problem field in the record

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Interpreting p_file_20 REPORT Task Mgr example,
no problem visible yet
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Interpreting p_file_20 REPORT Task Mgr example,
z304 problem causes whole record not to load
but whats the problem?
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Interpreting p_file_20 REPORT , continued

• QUIZ Whats the biggest DISadvantage to viewing
  the Report in the Task Manager or in xxx50/print/
  directory in Sandbox?
• (a) Takes a long time to load (often large file)
  
• (b) Cannot easily search for errors
• How else can I get at it, and read it?
• Task Mgr Right-click on table, Export to
  Excel, use Find to search
• Sandbox Download into editor, use Find to
  search

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Interpreting p_file_20 REPORT downloaded file
to Editor (z308 ID ERROR example) ltsection-02gt ltl
ine-numbergt004247lt/line-numbergt lttable-namegtz308lt/
table-namegt ltactiongtREWRITElt/actiongt ltmatch-idgt181
8607249lt/match-idgt ltpatron-idgtID55668lt/patron-idgt
ltmsg-codegt5003lt/msg-codegt ltmsg-descgtUnable to
process record due to problems in other
records.lt/msg-descgt lt/section-02gt ltsection-02gt ltli
ne-numbergt004247lt/line-numbergt lttable-namegtz308lt/t
able-namegt ltactiongtREWRITElt/actiongt ltmatch-idgt1818
607249lt/match-idgt ltpatron-idgtID55668lt/patron-idgt lt
msg-codegt5037lt/msg-codegt ltmsg-descgtCannot
update/delete record. Login record belongs to
other patronlt/msg-descgt lt/section-02gt
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Interpreting p_file_20 REPORT, continued

• ID problem? COUNT the ID's in the Report for
  that individual until you come to the problem one
  (Can not...)?
• e.g., you load 4 ID's an 01 (barcode), a 16
  (Banner PIDM), an 07 (local ID), an 05
  (SUNYCard number) in that order and in the
  Report for this individual all the z308 sections
  say Unable... except for the THIRD one the 07
  ID is the problem
• Failures can be deceptiveerrors may point to one
  record (e.g., ID) but the problem may be another
  one
• Wrong spacing results in problems in LATER fields
  
• Often resolving errors involves contact with data
  source (e.g., registrar, student systems support,
  PLIF creator)?

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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG

• Where is it? --gt
• alephe/scratch/xxx50_p_file_20.nnnnn !
• QUIZ What are the advantages of the LOG file?
• (a) Often can quickly review in Sandbox
• (b) Smaller size than REPORT downloads easily
  (1 MB vs. 15 MB)
• (c) Gives actual error message
• (d) All of the above
• ANS (d)

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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z304 problem part of
PLIF as viewed in Sandbox
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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z304 problem part of
PLIF as viewed in editor
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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG

• Useful sections
• 1st gives p_file_20 program call with parameters
  ? did you load it the way you thought?
• 2nd shows loading of tables needed to run PLIF
  ? table as possible source of error?
• 3rd Record listing ? benchmark recs ERROR recs
• Scan for Error (download to desktop, open in
  editor)

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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z305 has 3 problems
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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z305 borrower
expiration date missing
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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z305 after adding
borrower expiration date, now 2 problems
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Tab 31 what does it do?

• Table includes Patron statuses and default
  permissions / privileges of each, including
  default borrower expiration date
• See these in Circ client Local Information part
  of patron record, in tabs at bottom
• Tab31 Problem if first line has ALEPH or
  XXX50 , remove that first line! Karen
  Gardner-Athey

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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z305 comparing PLIF
bor-rec-sublibrary w/tab 31 sublibrary
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Interpreting p_file_20 LOG, z305 replacing PLIF
bor-rec-sublibrary w/tab 31 sublibrary
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Tab_bor_id manages patron ID types

• Problem make sure that all the verifications are
  N ( verification optional) EXCEPT for the
  patron login ID type (usually the barcode 01 ID
  type) which you want to be Y ( mandatory)
  Karen Gardner-Athey

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Manipulating Data - examples

• Date(s) including or replacing
• Sublibrary replacement BOR-REC-SUB-LIBRARY
• QUIZ Where is the above sublibrary parameter?
• (a) Borrower section (b) z305 (c ) Both (d)
  None
• ANS (c) since Borrower section z305
• Creating test PLIF or isolating problem records
• Footprints request example for clashing
  sequential numbers Aleph-assigned-01 and 16 IDs,
  request OLIS to add a CAMPUS PREFIX with the
  utility (Util-G-2) which governs Aleph assignment
  of dummy 01s for records added without an 01,
  AND assign that prefix to existing
  Aleph-assigned-01s

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Manipulating Data - steps

• 1- What's the problem? And what do we know about
  it? And can it be solved by either REPLACING or
  INSERTING data?
• Does the problem affect a certain class of
  records (i.e., only those with 1 address
  record/section)?
• Where in the PLIF record is the problem located?
• 2- Download PLIF to desktop Load into editor
• 3- Use Find to scan for first instance continue
  through several patron records
• 4- Use Find Replace exact same data! to scan
  for potential number of problems
• Example Find A01 Replace A01
• 5- Use Find/Replace different data CAREFULLY!!!

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HELP Resources

• v18 PLIF documentation How to Use the Patron
  Loader Interface PLIF (file-20) v.18.01
  find it at OLIS Documentation site
• Footprints to OLIS staff
• SUNY LMS listserv message
• Aleph CRM db and/or problem report

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Discussion Questions

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Extra Whats the PLIFing problem here?
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Extra Rec 5993 z304 z305 unsupported
action usually caused by a formatting problem
or extra spaces (but we dont see it here)