Description

For Primos hosted by Ex Libris, the New UI of Primo was designed from day one to support SSL and https:// out of the box, however despite our best efforts and intentions, occasionally issues arise.

For example, occasionally a secure (https://) Primo session will request an insecure resource (using http://), causing the content to be blocked by the browser and a mixed content error to be thrown in the Browser's console. 

The intention of this article is to provide helpful tips to prevent mixed content and other errors from occurring in sites transitioning to https and Primo's New UI.

Resolution

The changes necessary to prevent mixed content in SSL mode involve effort both on the Ex Libris side and on the customer side. You will need to verify that a link that was added by the customer can be changed to HTTPS or will open in new window.

1. Base Urls in Institution Wizard should be converted to use https://.

   API Base Url is changed first in ILS API Configuration mapping table, save and Deploy, then change API Base dropdown in Institution Wizard. This Base Url is used by Alma Services Pages.

2. UPDATE- As of Late February 2017, Ex Libris Cloud Engineering has implemented a reverse proxy technique to anonymize the thumbnail requests sent to Google.

   Google and Syndetics thumbnail templates now begin with https://proxy-na.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/..., and do not need to be changed.

   Amazon thumbnail templates have been removed from OTB list of templates.

   The original instructions for Step 2 (below) may now only apply to Local Primo customers.

   Template Code urls in Templates mapping table should be converted to use https:// whenever possible, especially for:

   • google_thumb,

   • PCgoogle_thumb 

3. Make sure that all of the resources that might use static links with http:// prefix open in a new window by setting their Availability/Service link value in the GetIT! link 1 Configuration mapping table to Out@@display. This will include, for example, all items with Online Resource Delivery Category Code, and items with Remote Search Resource Delivery Category Code + fulltext_linktorsrc Availability Status Code. 
   
   For more information review the Restrictions and Delivery Configuration Wizard.

4. Add an institutional row to the URL Attributes mapping table for "OpenInNewWindow" that matches Url Prefix http://. (This will cause any remaining links in local or PC records using http:// to open in a new Browser tab, and avoid throwing mixed content errors.)

5. If PDS is used for Authentication, check for the existence of the pdsroot/conf_table/<institute>_primo.tags file, where <institute> is the same as that used in corresponding tab_service.<institute> file. The content of the file maps an Alma institution code to a Primo Institution Code as follows:

   [ATTRIBUTES_VALUES_MAPPING]
   institute,<ALMA_INST> = institute,<PRIMO_INST>
   [END]

   Most SaaS customers will not have server access and will need to submit a Case to have Primo Support to check on this for them.

   See also New UI not loading correctly after login using PDS.

6. Submit a case with Primo Support so that Auto Complete settings on the Ex Libris side are checked and verified for SaaS customers.

7. Hosted Primo customers using a custom CNAME alias to access Primo (for example searchlib.myuniv.edu), should complete the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) process so that the customer's SSL certificated and work with Ex Libris' SSL certificates.

Please see this knowledge article for details:  https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/...s_environments

Local Primo customers may want to set up a Load Balancer to handle https requests. This technique is described in the following Guide:

https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Primo/Implementation_Guides/Configuration/Setting_Up_SSL_for_Local_Primo_Customers

• Article last edited: 22-Oct-2020