New HEP Instance Launch in Sydney Data Center - FAQ
This article was relevant only to the HEP migration from AP01 to AP02 that occurred on July 3rd, 2022.
General
Ex Libris is pleased to announce the establishment of a new instance of the Higher Education Platform in the Australian Data Center located in Sydney. This new instance, entitled AP02, will help support expected growth in the number of customers in the region and enable Ex Libris to continue delivering exceptional reliability and performance.
The AP02 instance in Sydney, Australia, is planned to be established and production-ready in early Q3 2022. As part of this important project, Ex Libris intends to migrate Australian and New Zealand institutions based in the AP01 instance in Singapore to the new AP02 instance in Sydney. This includes the following products:
- Alma
- Primo VE
- Esploro
- Leganto
- Rapido
- Rialto
The move from Singapore to Sydney will benefit the institutions by improving the lines of communication between the Australian and New Zealand institutions and the Data Center in Sydney, providing a better experience for all users of our products and services. In addition, the operational times of system processes and maintenance windows in the Data Center in Sydney will be better aligned with the time zones in Australia and New Zealand.
To facilitate this move, Institutions will need to undertake specific steps and preparations, for example, changes to IP address definitions in institutional firewalls, changes in custom domain name definitions, etc.
Important Links
- Technical Guide:
- The Technical Guide can be found here:
https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Cross-Product/Support/New_HEP_Instance_Launch_in_Sydney_Data_Center_-_FAQ/HEP_Migration_to_AP02_-_Technical_Requirements - The Post Go-Live procedures can be found here:
Post Go Live Procedure - Ex Libris Knowledge Center (exlibrisgroup.com)
- The Technical Guide can be found here:
- Webinars & Recordings:
- On February 24, 2022, at 15:00 (Sydney time) we hosted a webinar.
In this webinar, we presented the migration project and answered many questions.
To watch the recording, please follow this link: Webinar.
Click here to view the presentation from the webinar.
- On June 7, 2022, at 16:00 (Sydney time) we hosted a Q&A session.
In this session, we presented a few slides about the Post Go-Live Procedure and answered many questions.
To watch the recording, please follow this link: Q&A Session.
Click here to view the presentation from the webinar.
- On February 24, 2022, at 15:00 (Sydney time) we hosted a webinar.
FAQs
Why are we making this change?
To support expected growth in the number of customers in the region and enable Ex Libris to continue to deliver exceptional reliability and performance to our customers.
Improving the lines of communications between the Australian and New Zealand institutions data center in Sydney and providing a better experience for all users of our products and services. In addition, the operational times of system processes and maintenance windows in the Data Center in Sydney will be better aligned with the time zones in Australia and New Zealand.
Who is eligible?
All Higher Ed Platform (HEP) customers who reside in Australia and New Zealand are eligible to move to the new data center.
What are the benefits of moving?
Improved network communication for our ANZ customers by moving to a Sydney based data center.
Operational times of system processes and maintenance windows in the Data Center in Sydney will be better aligned with the time zones in Australia and New Zealand.
How do I manage this on my end?
Ex Libris will provide all the necessary information and tools to make this move as seamless as possible. We encourage all our Australian and New Zealand customers to take us up on this offer and enjoy the benefits of our new data center.
If you have concerns regarding the move and would like to discuss it further, please reach out to us via the support channel described below, and we will get in touch with you to assist.
What is changing?
- What are the main changes?
The infrastructure location will be moved from Singapore to Sydney, Australia. This change will entail IP address changes for all HEP products traffic.
- Which products are moving?
All products on the Higher Ed Platform will be transferred. These include: Alma, Primo VE, Leganto, Rapido, Esploro, and Rialto
- Will all my information and configurations be copied over?
Yes, all your information and configuration setup will be included up to and including the date of the move.
- Will my HEP Sandbox move over too?
Only Premium Sandboxes will move to the new Data Center. They will move in August 2022, which is the first bi-annual Premium Sandbox refresh date after the move.
- Will my other non-HEP products move as well, such as Primo (Non-VE)?
No, only the HEP is moving.
- Will the API gateway (developer network) calls to Alma be affected?
No. The API calls to Alma and the HEP products are executed via the API gateway. Ex Libris will ensure all native URL routings point to the institutional CNAME, so there is no need to take any actions.
What do we need to do?
- What is required of my institution?
Due to the expected change in IP addresses, it is essential to engage your department's IT in this process. You need to test all integrations that are configured to work with the system. Detailed information will be provided in the technical guides.
- Will I be able to test the system before the move?
Yes, Ex Libris will provide all eligible customers with a test link to test their settings and information on a limited copy of their environment.
At a later stage, Ex Libris will provide exact instructions and checklists to be carried out during the test period.
- What is my first step?
If you know who will be the primary contact for this project from your institution, we would appreciate it if you help us get started by filling out a short questionnaire.
Contact us via the email listed in the support channel below, and we will send you a link to the questionnaire.
When is this happening?
- When was the communication sent out?
The initial communication was sent out during December 2021.
- When will we be able to start testing?
The Test period is planned to start around the end of Q1 2022 – more information to follow.
- When is the final switch-over planned?
The final switch over is expected to take place during the following timeframe:
Start: July 3rd , 2022 02.00, Sydney time - Regional Time Converter
End: July 3rd , 2022 14.00, Sydney time - Regional Time Converter
- Will there be downtime involved?
Yes, there will be a planned downtime for up to 12 hours around the maintenance window.
General Questions and Support Requests
- How do I request support during this period?
Please see the support channel section below.
- I have Primo (Non-VE) with Alma. How will the HEP move affect my Primo subscription at the Singapore data center?
Primo (Non-VE) will remain in the Singapore Data Center.
To better streamline this move, institutions that have not yet moved to Primo VE are encouraged to do so. This will enable you to both gain from the advanced capabilities of Primo VE as well as have this service provided from the new AP02 instance in Sydney.
For those who will not be able to move to VE, there will not be any effect on performance or functionality. All interoperable operations will remain intact.
Ex Libris has established a high-end, redundant, and secure interconnection between the two data centers to ensure business continuity and quality of service.
- What will be the maintenance windows for the new AP02 instance?
The maintenance windows will be every weekend
Starting on Saturday at 22:00 (Sydney Time)
Ending on Sunday at 06:00 (Sydney Time)
- My institution is not located in Australia or New Zealand; will this move impact me? Do I need to take any action?
No, you do not need to take any action. This move will not impact you.
- Will there be a period before the switch-over start time where we will need to freeze or limit activity on the HEP environment?
No. Alma will be accessible up to the switch-over start time. All modifications to the HEP up to the start time will migrate to the AP02 environment
- Where will I find relevant information and updates?
This page will be your first stop for all relevant information and references for the duration of this project. We will update this page with all the dates, instructions, and support channels.
Support Channel
- What if I have other questions or would like to update the primary contact?
Contact us at ap01-migration-support@proquest.com
- After migration, how do I report migration-related problems that require urgent processing to Support?
Ex Libris will publish a workflow to report issues related to the migration. The Support teams will handle these cases with high priority.
- How can I receive product and hosting updates from Ex Libris?
Refer to the Support Center Mailing Lists where you can subscribe to different product-related email lists.