How does one create RSS feeds from SDI records / populate the z323 table?

Last updated
Save as PDF
Share
1. Share
2. Tweet
3. Share

Article Type: General
Product: Aleph
Product Version: 18.01

Description:
In order to create RSS feeds from SDIs, a new z323 table had to be created that will be used as a pointer to the Oracle blob object that contains XML data. I have changed a z325 record to send both an email and have an RSS URL created. But, after updating the SDI and updating some items, I am still not seeing any data created in the z323.

Resolution:
SDI updates are sent to the end users (registered patrons) by e-mail and by RSS. The service that is producing these updates is p-sdi-01, available from the Services menu in the Circulation client.

Workflow and setup pre-requisites
In order to get the standard Aleph SDI updates a patron has to
(a) have an SDI permission in his/her z61 profile attached to his/her z303 record;
(b) to log in to the system.
When these requirements are met, the patron may create a query that can be stored in the system as an “SDI-Profile” – Z325 record. Patron selects delivery type he wants to get a result: email, RSS, both. If RSS was selected system fills z325_rss_url field. The text should be copied by a patron into the RSS aggregator (URL from which the specific RSS feed should be retrieved). In order to see a Z323 record, the patron should have installed RSS Viewer.

Running p-sdi-01 (either from the CIRC module, or scheduling it as a regular job using the daemon mechanism) will search for a new records in a database answering a query of the patron. If results are found system creates z323 record in the XML format with the RSS aggregators’ standards.

Changes in Oracle tables.
A new field has to been added to Z325 table in the USR library – z325_delivery_mode.
This field accepts 3 alternative values:
“M” – assuming that the SDI notices will be sent as previously – via e-mail, “R” – as an RSS feed, and “B” – both as e-mail notices and RSS feeds.

“M” – works in conjunction with the Z304-EMAIL-ADDRESS or
Z325-DESTINATION-MAIL-ADDRESS or – if both of them are present – with both of them. “M” is a default value.

“R” - RSS compliant XML created for the resulting records.
“B” – both steps (“M”and “R”).
If either “R” or “B” mode is chosen, a new z325 field - z325_rss_url populated with the text to be copied by a patron into the RSS aggregator (URL from which the specific RSS feed should be retrieved).

The delivery mode field is also added in the www_f_eng/bor-sdi-update page.

The z325_rss_url field works in conjunction with another new Oracle table - Z323, that has a rec_key identical to that of the Z325 (patron ID and the sequence), but encrypted. It has the following structure:

01 Z323-RSS.
02 Z323-RSS-REC-KEY PICTURE X(16).
02 Z323-RSS-XML-PTR PICTURE X(8) VALUE SPACES.

This table contains the XML contents to which the z325_rss_url field is pointing.

See also the attached Powerpoint "How_to_use_the_SDI_RSS_feed_18+_yk.ppt".

Article last edited: 10/8/2013