Gathering Data for the New Server

Last week I ran the MARC export reports to create the first set of "item record" files to be sent to ByWater Solutions (BWS). We have a total of 160,745 records, so I configured the report to include 50,000 records in each of 3 files and the remaining 10,745 records in the fourth. I clicked the check boxes to include the "999 holdings tags", the "local and junk tags" and to export the Symphony catalog key to MARC tag oo1". The files were very large, 190 mb in total, but they are the bibliographic records for every item in our catalog.

This week, using PSFTP (PuTTY's secure FTP utility) on my workstation and the remote connection instructions from Brendan, I was able to "put" (that is the Linux command to copy files from my local location to a remote location) all the files into a folder on a BWS server. BWS will convert the data into a format that is usable in Koha and then will import that new data format onto our server.

In the mean time, BWS has connected remotely to our new server and installed the remaining components for Debian server and the Koha software. It is an empty shell at the moment, without any profiles, properties, patron data or item records, but it is exciting to watch each step of this project unfold.

Cathi

The New Debian Server

In our conference call on August 19th Brendan gave me some pointers about the installation that I would be doing of the Debian 'Lenny' Linux software onto the new server. He said it would be fairly straight forward...and parts of it were and other parts of it weren't.

Before I left on vacation I configured the server with a static IP, a single partition, and no printers or email--just the base system. I needed only the first DVD of the 5-DVD set that is the full 'Lenny' package. This was luckily a "bootable" DVD since there was absolutely nothing installed on our new Dell server up to this point. Once the Debian software screen came up I clicked on "Installation" and the procedure was pretty automatic, a standard "installation" routine...answering the questions, selecting options, and entering the requested information. It is a good idea to have this information handy prior to the installation:

• the IP that is to be used,
• the name of the domain,
• a username/password for an alternate login to the default "ROOT" login.

The first "glitch" in the installation was when I received an error message that there were "missing non-free firmware files". I Googled this message and discovered that this version of Debian no longer delivers all the network card drivers bundled into it. I then Googled the file name I needed--bnx2-09-4.0.5.fw--and found a site that offered it "free" and downloaded it to my thumb drive. This allowed me to complete the installation by selecting "load file from external device", which is an option that obviously needed to be included in the installation since it no longer provides everything to do a successful build.

The second "glitch" I came across was after the installation completed successfully when the default monitor resolutions was too high for the desktop display. After the system would load, the monitor would go blank and the message "Can't display in this video mode" would appear. I had to connect the server to our portable projector to see the GUI desktop. After a little research I found that I could break out of the GUI desktop by pressing ALT-CTRL-F1. This started a new shell in the command screen with the command prompt. I reset the display to VT100 terminal emulator and I could see everything on my monitor once again.

Also, I had problems seeing the new server on the network and seeing the rest of the network from the new server. I wasn't able to successfully PING another IP or to PING the IP of this server from my other servers. I discovered that the network cable had been put into the secondary NIC port rather than the primary port. Once I switched the cable to the other port then everything connected and PING-ed and worked very well.

When I returned from vacation I needed to finish my part of the installation and to do that I needed to be at the command prompt to perform the last set of tasks. The first two tasks: "apt-get update" and "apt-get upgrade" instruct the server to access a "mirror" of the software on the Internet and to pull down the latest update and upgrade of the loaded components. The final task was to load "openssh" which would allow BWS to make a secure remote connection to our server. After a little experimenting to discover the exact name of the application I needed, I ran "apt-get install openssh-server" and the software installed successfully.

I installed PuTTY on my Windows workstation so that I also could connect "remotely" to the new server to test it. It is free software, available on the Internet, very easy to install and fairly easy to use. It opens a terminal emulation box very similar to a Windows command box, which is almost the same as being on the server itself.

On September 7 I sent Brendan (ByWater Solutions) the login information for our network and he was able to access our Host server (where the Symphony software resides) and to PING the Debian server. With the installation completed and "openssh" installed he is also able to connect to the Debian server remotely.

So....our server is up and running and ready for ByWater Solutions to log into to complete the configuration of Debian and the installation of Koha.

Cathi

Two Visits

After we notified SirsiDynix that we planned on migrating to a new system, we had a visit on July 6 from David Noll, our SirsiDynix Field Sales Consultant. Dave wanted to know why we intended on leaving Symphony. We discussed our current issues ... and the main problem was the cost of the product and how frustrated we are that the prices continue to climb. Dave informed us that 30% of the libraries that left SirsiDynix for open source software ended up with SirsiDynix again. He wanted us to know that they would welcome us back again if our project didn't work out. He said that they would try to help us if we had any concerns.

On July 26, Cathi and I attended an InfoPeople workshop on Koha for System Administrators. This workshop was held at our Library so it was very convenient. Too bad there were so few participants but it gave us time with the instructor, Brendan Gallagher, from ByWater Solutions. We were given a "hands on" view of Koha.

After the workshop we talked about training here for our Library. It looks like Brendan will be handling our training and that we will be using version 3.2 if Koha. We talked about dates for the training, and "potentially" settled on October 4,5,6. On Monday,October 4, we will discuss System Administration, Reporting and some Linux administration. Tuesday, October 5, will be focused on Technical Services--Cataloging, Acquisitions and Serials. On Wednesday, October 6, the sessions will cover Circulation & the OPAC.

Some of our Library staff are concerned about having the training so early... no time really to practice since they need to keep up with the steady stream of material arriving. However, Brendan advised that staff persons need to practice, use the new system and become familiar with it before going live so the transition will be more successful. After the training, weekly or bi-weekly calls from ByWater Solutions would be made to answer questions that arise. And, if there aren't questions then it was assumed that no one is using the test system...in that case then assignments will be passed out.

Jackie and Cathi

Moving Ahead

We were pleased that our new Koha project was passed by the City Council. This gave us the funds needed for a new server, the consultant's maintenance charge, and training on the new system.

Once July came we were all ready to start... we had the funds, the energy, and enthusiasm. We had discussed the needed server requirements with ByWater Solutions and then we asked our City IT staff to purchase one for us.

The requirements were:

• A Linux server: Debian is what most people use.
• Apache
• MySQL
• Perl
• Root on the server
• A reasonable level of comfort with the command line
• Database administration skills

This photo shows all five of our servers. Our new server is the third black box on the left on the lowest shelf. Cathi's workstation is on the other side of the room.

We received our new server this week from Dell. This included:

• PowerEdge T310 Chassis w/ up to 4 Hot-Plug Hard Drives & LCD Diagnostics
• 4GB Memory (2x2GB) 1333MHz Dual Ranked RDIMM, Memory for 1CPU Platform
• X3470 Xeon Processor, 2.93 GHz8M Cache, Turbo,HT PowerEdge T310
• HD Multi-Select
• No Operating System
• On-Board Dual Gigabit Network Adapter
• iDRAC6 Enterprise
• 16X DVD-ROM, SATA, Internal
• 146 GB 15K RPM Serial-Attach SCSI 3Gbps 3.5 Hotplug Hard Drive
• RAID 5 - Add-in PERC6i/H700 , 3-4 Hot Plug Hard Drives
• Power Supply- Redundant, 400W

Of course, various cables, monitor, and keyboard were included. Now we need the software. We will be working with ByWater Solutions staff on this.

Jackie

We're On Our Way

Good News! We just signed our contract with ByWater Solutions for the migration, installation, training, and maintenance of our new Integrated Library System--Koha. But... Wait! Wait! Perhaps I need to tell you a bit about our Library first.

Arcadia Public Library is a small city library in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County. At this time, we have 161,145 bibliographic records, 200,216 item records, and our annual circulation for 2009-10 was 729,000. We have 61, 025 borrowers, and a staff of 27 full-time and 16 part-time employees.

We have had three different ILS systems in the past 20+ years. We started with Inlex, migrated to DRA's Taos in 2000, and then migrated in 2002 to SirsiDynix's Unicorn. Our current version of Unicorn is Symphony 3.3.0. Our needs for an ILS are minimal. We are a one building library, so no branches. We have only the basic modules...cataloging, circulation, reports, OPAC, and collections. We had considered adding more modules (acquisitions and serials) but never could afford them and, in fact, we felt since we were so small we could do without them.

The past two years have been financially tough for public libraries; Arcadia Public Library is no exception. We had been asked by the City to either hold the line in costs or to reduce as much as feasible. We ended up freezing a couple of positions. Costs for our ILS maintenance, hardware, and content enhancement continued to climb, even though we pleaded poverty to SD. In 2008-09 that we started investigating open source software.

Our intention in writing this blog is to document our project, from the decision to go with Koha and every step along the way to our goal of "going live"...and perhaps beyond.

There will be at least two contributors to this blog, Jackie Faust-Moreno, Library Services Manager, and Cathi Wiggins, Information Systems Specialist. There maybe additional bloggers as we go along. Each blogger will give their name at the end of the blog so you know their perspective. Enjoy the story of our journey...

Jackie and Cathi