p_file_20: Input file lacking SSN or other ID types

• Article Type: General
• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 20, 21, 22, 23

Description:
We have a problem loading PLIF records from our HR and Registrar’s files into Aleph if the records are lacking certain data. If the record lacks either an SSN or the LDAP user ID, the PLIF won’t add it as a new record or update a current record. An error message is written to the patron_update_log:

System can not generate login for login-type "04" or
Error (b_file_20_chk_edit_record) : Errors in Z308. Record No 017226

System can not generate login for login-type "99"
Error (b_file_20_chk_edit_record) : Errors in Z308 Record 017226
Number of Errors = 01

SSN: We are in the process of converting from SSN to university ID. The university ID has been added to all records but we are also continuing to add the SSN. Some of our student and faculty records lack the SSN.

Is it possible to load the records with these fields missing?

The PLIF matches on barcode.

Here are the values in tab_bor_id.eng.
00 L System number 00 Y Y Y N
01 L Barcode 00 Y Y Y N
02 L Additional 00 Y N N N
03 L Userid 00 Y Y Y N
04 L LDAP 00 Y Y N N
07 L ALT BARCODE 00 Y N N N
20 L Banner ID 00 Y N N N
99 L SSN 00 Y N N N

Resolution:
The only type of ID record which can have blank data is the type 01 (barcode). If you include ID records for other types where the patron doesn't have an SSN, a type 99 ID, etc., the system can not create a z308 of that type because there is no data.   {Note also that the ID's must be unique and that you can NOT put all zeros in the case where the patron doesn't have a particular type of ID.  When the patron lacks a particular type of ID, that ID segment needs to be omitted -- and the count of  IDs (USER-REC-NO-ID) at the end of the main, USER-REC, segment needs to be adjusted accordingly.  OR, simpler, you can just ignore these messages (since they're just indicating that the segment wasn't created).}

Since you have multiple types of ID's (all the ones with "Y" in column 6) which can be used as the OPAC log-in, it doesn't matter if some of the ID types are missing -- as long as the user has one which s/he *can* use.

[Later:]

I took a PLIF record that did not have an SSN and did a test. I removed all of Z308 lines from the PLIF record for type 99 and type 03.. The records loaded correctly. Our IT staff indicate they are able to do the programming to provide a PLIF file that omits the appropriate z308 lines for records lacking an SSN.

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013