Implementing a StandAlone Continuous OPAC

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Implementing aStand-Alone Continuous OPAC

• EndUser Session 41
• Michael Doran
• University of Texas at Arlington
• http//rocky.uta.edu/doran/scopac/

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What is Continuous OPAC?
"Continuous OPAC" is Endeavor's solution to
making a library's Voyager database available to
patrons (and staff) in read only mode during
system upgrades. The officially sanctioned
approach requires multiple channels connecting
the database (on a mirrored disk array) to both
the Voyager database server and the Continuous
OPAC server. Endeavor Support Web
http//support.endinfosys.com/cust/voy/upgrade/c
opactheory.html
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Continuous OPAC using a mirrored disk array(per
Endeavors guidelines)
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How is Stand-Alone Continuous OPAC different?
Stand-Alone Continuous OPAC is the same thing,
but with less complexity and fewer hardware
prerequisites. As the name implies, the
stand-alone approach dispenses with any hardware
connection between the Continuous OPAC server and
the Voyager database server disk array. This
tutorial explains how to configure such a setup.
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Stand-Alone Continuous OPAC
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Prerequisites Continuous OPAC

• At least two independent servers must be
  available during the upgrade.
• The alternate OPAC server must be large enough to
  support the expected OPAC load during the upgrade
  period.
• Both the production server and the alternate OPAC
  server must be running the same version of the
  operating system.
• The production server must maintain at least one
  mirrored copy of the system which can be
  physically detached from the production server
  and cabled to the alternate OPAC system.
• The alternate OPAC system must contain an
  appropriate controller capable of interfacing
  with the detached mirror of the production
  server.
• The site must complete the Endeavor Information
  Systems certification classes.
• The production server must be left with enough
  disk space to accommodate the upgrade. The
  typical Voyager upgrade will consume disk space
  equal to 4.0 times the size of the largest
  tablespace. Since the space normally available
  from the detached mirror is now in use on the
  alternate server (supporting the OPAC) other disk
  space will be needed for the operation.

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Prerequisites Stand-Alone

• At least two independent servers must be
  available during the upgrade.
• The alternate OPAC server must be large enough to
  support the expected OPAC load during the upgrade
  period.
• Both the production server and the alternate OPAC
  server must be running the same version of the
  operating system.
• The alternate OPAC server must have sufficient
  disk space (preferably a spare disk) to
  accommodate the Voyager database.

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A third way?
Could Continuous OPAC be implemented by doing a
Network File System (NFS) mount of the offlined
Voyager database submirror? According to
Endeavor, NFS mounting the Voyager database is
problematic and is not recommended.
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Target Audience
Mid-sized academic libraries are likely to find
Stand-Alone Continuous OPAC a viable alternative
since their database can fit onto a single spare
disk. Academic libraries with huge databases (and
big budgets!) may also find this a viable
alternative if they have a Voyager test server.
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Important Note
This tutorial is for system administrators with
significant Solaris and Voyager experience. Some
steps are described in general terms with the
expectation that the sysadmin will be able to
fill in the details and also understands the
ramifications involved. Care should be exercised
when editing Unix system files and restoring data
from backups.
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Acronyms
The following acronyms will be used in order to
avoid repeating these two mouthfuls. VDBS -
Voyager Database ServerSCOPAC - Stand-alone
Continuous OPAC Server
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Requirements

• Separate server (e.g. application server) to
  serve as SCOPAC
• Same operating system as VDBS (e.g. Solaris)
• Sufficient disk space (preferably a dedicated
  disk)
• Apache web server software installed and
  configured

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Create Users and Groups

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Prepare a Disk
The Voyager files must reside on one file system.
It is highly recommended that you dedicate a disk
to this purpose. Our database of approximately
1,000,000 records fits comfortably on a 35GB
disk, and could probably be shoe-horned onto a
20GB disk. In calculating your disk
requirements, keep in mind that the /m1
filesystem tends to get bloated over time with
non-essential files. Not everything is needed for
a SCOPAC instance.
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Install Voyager Database
There is more than one way to get the needed
files where you want them. I recommend restoring
the required Voyager files from your most recent
VDBS backup to the SCOPAC disk. Doing so not only
accomplishes the task at hand, it also gives you
real-world, verifiable practice restoring from
backup.
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Required Voyager database files
/m1/oracle /app/ /data/
/oradata/ /tmp/ /m1/voyager
/bin/ /imagedb/
/xxxdb/ /utility/ /tmp/
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Configuration on SCOPAC

• Unix system files
• Oracle system files
• Voyager configuration files

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Unix system files

• /etc/inet/inetd.conf
• /etc/inet/services
• startup scripts
• /etc/init.d/dbora
• /etc/init.d/voyager
• /etc/system

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/etc/inet/inetd.conf
Voyager Entries -- PRODUCTION
DATABASE Popacsvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Popacsvr
Popacsvr Pcatsvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pcatsvr
Pcatsvr Pacqsvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pacqsvr
Pacqsvr Pcircsvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pcircsvr
Pcircsvr Prptsvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Prptsvr
Prptsvr Pmediab stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pmediab
Pmediab Pfilesvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pfilesvr
Pfilesvr Pkeysvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pkeysvr
Pkeysvr Psysadminsvr stream tcp nowait
voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Psysadminsvr
Psysadminsvr Pcallslipsvr stream tcp
nowait voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pcallslipsv
r Pcallslipsvr Pscansvr stream tcp
nowait voyager /m1/voyager/imagedb/sbin/Pscansvr
Pscansvr Pzrouter stream tcp
nowait voyager /m1/voyager/xxxdb/sbin/Pzrouter
Pzrouter Don't forget to send the inetd
daemon a hangup signal so that it will reread the
edited config file ps -ef grep inetd
root 162 1 0 Feb 13 ? 003
/usr/sbin/inetd -s -t kill -HUP ltpidgt
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/etc/services
Popacsvr 7000/tcp OPAC
Server Pcatsvr 7010/tcp
Cataloging Server Pacqsvr 7020/tcp
Acquisitions Server Pcircsvr
7030/tcp Circulation
Server Prptsvr 7040/tcp
Reporting Server Psysadminsvr 7050/tcp
System Administration Server Pkeysvr
7060/tcp Keyword
Server Pfilesvr 7070/tcp
File/Abstracts Server Pcallslipsvr 7080/tcp
Request server Pscansvr
7081/tcp Scandoc server Pmediab
7085/tcp Media Scheduling
server Pz3950svr 7090/tcp
Z39.50 Server Pzrouter 7091/tcp
Z39.50 Client Router Piasock
7090/tcp Image Server File
Manager
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/etc/system
Memory settings for Oracle for Voyager
Continuous OPAC set semsysseminfo_semmap10 set
semsysseminfo_semmni400 set semsysseminfo_semmn
s4000 set semsysseminfo_semmnu400 set
semsysseminfo_semmsl400 set shmsysshminfo_shmma
x2047000000 set shmsysshminfo_shmmin1 set
shmsysshminfo_shmmni400 set semsysseminfo_semum
e10 forceload sys/semsys forceload
sys/shmsys set slowscan600 End of memory
settings for Oracle for Voyager Continuous OPAC
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Oracle system files

• Create a symbolic link
• ln s /m1/oracle /oracle
• Copy over from VDBS
• /usr/local/bin/oraenv
• /usr/local/bin/dbhome
• Edit
• listener.ora
• tnsnames.ora
• initLIBR.ora

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listener.ora and tnsnames.ora
cd /m1/oracle/app/oracle/product/8.0.5/network/adm
in/ diff listener.ora.scopac
listener.ora.vdbs 10c10 lt (ADDRESS
(PROTOCOL TCP)(Host scopachost)(Port
1521)) --- gt (ADDRESS (PROTOCOL
TCP)(Host vdbshost)(Port 1521)) diff
tnsnames.ora.scopac tnsnames.ora.vdbs 14c14 lt
(ADDRESS (PROTOCOL TCP)(Host
scopachost)(Port 1521)) --- gt (ADDRESS
(PROTOCOL TCP)(Host vdbshost)(Port 1521))
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initLIBR.ora
diff initLIBR.ora.scopac initLIBR.ora.vdbs 89c89
lt spin_count 2000 2000
((CPUS -1) 1780) or 2000 if only one CPU --- gt
spin_count 10900 2000 ((CPUS
-1) 1780) or 2000 if only one CPU 91,92c91,92 lt
log_simultaneous_copies 2 2 CPUS lt
db_block_lru_latches 2 2 CPUS --- gt
log_simultaneous_copies 12 2 CPUS gt
db_block_lru_latches 12 2 CPUS Note
that these CPU-dependent parameters are obsoleted
in Oracle9i.
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Merge files from WebVoyage server
If you maintain a separate WebVoyage server, then
the VDBS WebVoyage configuration files may not be
the ones you want to use. If this is the case,
you would want to copy over the WebVoyage
configuration files from the WebVoyager server to
the SCOPAC.
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Voyager config files opac.ini

• /m1/voyager/xxxdb/etc/ascopac/opac.ini
• diff opac.ini.scopac opac.ini.vdbs
• 2c2
• lt Serverscopachost
• ---
• gt Servervdbshost
• 5c5
• lt FileServerscopachost
• ---
• gt FileServervdbshost

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Voyager config files voyager.ini

• /m1/voyager/xxxdb/etc/webvoyage/voyager.ini
• diff voyager.ini.scopac voyager.ini.vdbs
• 7c7
• lt Serverscopachost.yourdomain.edu
• ---
• gt Servervdbshost.yourdomain.edu
• 10c10
• lt FileServerscopachost.yourdomain.edu
• ---
• gt FileServervdbshost.yourdomain.edu

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Ensuring read-only access

• Method 1   Turn off any WebVoyage buttons that
  patrons would use to access their information by
  commenting out the appropriate lines in the
  opac.in file. If you have implemented MyOPAC,
  this method may be more complicated and may
  involve additional configuration files.

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Ensuring read-only access

• Method 2   Set the Oracle xxxdb tablespace to
  read-only within the Oracle Server Manager
  utility. This is what Endeavor recommends so
  contact support for more information.
• SVRMGRgt alter tablespace xxxdb read only

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Ensuring read-only access

• Method 3   Mount the /m1 filesystem disk
  read-only. This method is only mentioned so that
  it can be ruled out as a possibility. It should
  not be used, since it may cause Oracle to abort
  on start up.

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Testing
You definitely want to test SCOPAC functionality
before it is actually needed. Because WebVoyage
is designed to easily access an Oracle database
on another server, it is sometimes difficult to
determine just where it is getting its data.
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Switching over
If you use an alias for your WebVoyage server,
you simply have to delete the alias from the DNS
entry for your production WebVoyage server and
add it to the DNS entry for your SCOPAC server.
Do the same for your VDBS server alias if you
will be allowing staff module access to SCOPAC.
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About aliases
A server on a network typically has an IP address
and a hostname. In TCP/IP networking, a name
service such as DNS resolves the hostname to the
server's IP address. An alias is an additional
name that also resolves to that IP address. Why
use an alias if the server already has a
perfectly good hostname? By associating a
particular alias with a service, that service
(and all client requests for that service) can
then be tranferred from one physical server to
another simply by changing two DNS entries. (And
assuming that the service runs on both servers,
naturally!)
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Before (and after) the upgrade
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During the upgrade
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One last thing
It is a good idea to add a short blurb to the
WebVoyage header file (or a link to page
explaining about the upgrade) so that users are
alerted to the fact that the data may be stale.