Frequently Asked Questions from Existing Primo Customers

What is Primo VE?

For details, see About Primo VE.

Who can take advantage of Primo VE?

Any existing Alma-Primo customer can choose to move to Primo VE regardless of their current Primo deployment today.

Will we have SSH/Shell access to Primo VE?

No. Similarly to Alma, Primo VE presents functionality and tools in a manner that suits SaaS solutions.

Are there additional costs with moving to Primo VE?

No. There are no additional costs to move to Primo VE.

Does Primo VE integrate into our current Alma environment, or would we have to migrate to a new Alma-Primo VE environment?

Because Primo VE is part of your current Alma environment, there is no need to migrate to a new Alma-Primo VE environment.

Is there a plan to stop development in Primo?

No. Our Primo customer base consists of Alma-Primo customers as well as Aleph and Voyager customers. Like today, we will continue to develop new features for both Primo and Primo VE. Since Primo VE takes advantage of the platform, there are very specific features developed only for Primo VE and cannot be developed for Primo.

Does setting up Primo VE affect my existing Primo instance? 

Primo VE is set up in parallel to your existing Primo and does not affect the production behavior. Until it is ready, it will be visible only to staff for testing in parallel with the existing Primo. When the migration is complete and fully tested, traffic will be directed to the new Primo VE.

What customization options are available for the Primo VE user interface?

Primo VE uses the same customizations as the new Primo UI. The customization package can be uploaded to Primo VE.

Does Primo VE work with the classic Primo UI?

No. Primo VE supports the new Primo UI only. Customers will need to move to the new UI before or as part of the move to Primo VE.

How do we go live with Primo VE?

When you are ready, we will direct traffic from your existing Primo instance to Primo VE. For more information, see Step 4: Go Live.

Is there system downtime or impacts on the end-users when going live with Primo VE?

There is no system downtime or impacts on the end-user.

Does the previous version of Primo remain active after going live with Primo VE?

Yes. The previous version of Primo will remain active for a period of time and its decommission will be initiated following communication with the customer.

Are Primo VE and Alma on the same server?  

Primo VE is deployed on dedicated servers within the Alma platform.

Will Alma and Primo VE experience concurrent or separate downtimes?   

In cases of general maintenance, both may experience downtime. In cases based on specific components, either Alma or Primo may experience downtime.

How do we monitor system status for Primo VE?

Status can be monitored on the Ex Libris Status Page.

With Primo VE, will our URLs change? Will we need to revise our existing search boxes that are deployed for our Primo instance on our various search pages?

As long as you have a dedicated URL today, you will be able to keep it. If you decide to switch to a new Primo based URL for your institution (such as abc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com), it will provide backward compatibility for users who continue to use the old base URL.

Does the new Alma Certification training include Primo VE certification training? If not, what is the recommended course for Primo VE training?

Primo VE training and certification materials are available online in the Customer Knowledge Center (Primo VE Training).

What actions are needed in Primo VE to update new/updated bib records in Alma?

None. The Primo Index will update in real time.

We currently have pipes to harvest digital (OAI) content into Primo. Will the pipe process in Primo VE be similar to that in the traditional Primo Back Office?

Loading external data is done in a similar manner to the way it is done in Primo. The data is periodically loaded from the external source via OAI/SFTP, normalized, and exposed in Primo. See the following document for more information: Configuring Import Profiles for Primo VE

Are resources managed by Rosetta considered to be external and harvested via pipes as we do for CONTENTdm, bepress, and other non-Ex Libris repositories?

Rosetta can be integrated with Alma-D allowing metadata management in Alma, which seamlessly feeds into Primo VE without any setup or data loading. Alternatively, you can treat Rosetta like other external repositories and import it into Primo as an external data load.

Will our e-shelf records be moved from Primo to Primo VE?

The Alma and CDI E-Shelf saved records are copied to Primo VE. Saved searches are not copied to Primo VE.

Does moving to Primo VE have any implications in relation to Leganto/Primo interactions?

Because Leganto works with either deployment of Primo, there are no implications to moving to Primo VE.

Will permalinks from our current Primo redirect to the new URL in Primo VE?

Yes. For configuration details, see Configuring Redirection for Primo VE Deep Links.

Do we need to have new PCI/bX registrations for Primo VE, and would we need to reactivate our PCI collections?

No. We will update Primo VE with your current PCI / bX keys so that the configuration will remain the same as the one in your current Primo.

Will our Primo Analytics data and reports be retained and visible after we move to Primo VE?

Primo Analytics is accessible from within the Alma menus, including all of the existing folders: reports and data. Saved reports are copied automatically unless there is an issue with the file name (such as a late renaming). Please contact Support if any reports are left behind.

If we are a Primo Total Care customer, will total care continue with Primo VE?

Primo VE is designed to simplify the Primo back-end configuration and processes and is suitable for all customer types and deployments. Primo Total Care customers who move to the Primo VE deployment will get full access to the Primo configuration menus through Alma, which are task-oriented and very easy to use.

Total Care customers who would rather not configure Primo themselves may request Ex Libris to perform periodic changes for them. Although, the feedback received from Total Care customers who have already switched to Primo VE are clearly in favor of handling the configuration and periodic changes themselves.

If we move to Primo VE, do the x-services APIs still function as they do today, or would we need to migrate to other APIs?

Primo VE supports the new Primo REST API Suite, which provides access to Primo search capabilities and results as used by the new Primo interface.

Will existing normalization rules and PNX changes be retained if we move to Primo VE?

In Primo VE an emphasis has been put on streamlining publishing processes, optimizing it for SaaS, and enabling real time discovery of records. As such, a lot of functionality that was achieved by data normalization and data reloads in the past is now done by more streamlined and simpler configuration options. As part of the migration, this configuration may still be needed in Primo VE.

What is the impact on our end-users during the self-switch process?

There is no impact on end-users. Primo and Alma production will continue to function and behave as usual, and in parallel, you can configure and test Primo VE.

What will look different in Alma during the self-switch process?

The Go VE option will become visible to the general administrator. After enabling Go VE, the only difference is the new discovery menu and configuration options for staff that have been assigned the Discovery Admin role.

Is there any functionality in Primo VE that is not available during the self-switch process?

Everything can be tested and made available during the self-switch. There are two specific options that will be available after Go Live since they impact Primo production: GES configuration that affects the mashup in Primo and the use of Primo VE APIs. In case you want to test the GES or APIs during the Go VE process, please contact us at GO_VE@exlibrisgroup.com for alternative methods of testing.

Must Go VE be completed within a set period of time?

Setting the timeline is up to each customer. This is the advantage of Go VE because it enables flexibility and autonomy throughout the process. You can start it and proceed with the switch at your own pace.

Are there any limitations on when Go-Live can occur?

No, there is no limitation for the Go Live date. It can occur during the semester and/or in the middle of the week since the transition is transparent to users.

What is the average time to run this project?

It depends on your configuration and its complexity, but on average, it may take between four to seven weeks. It also depends on your passion and dedication. We encourage you to be focused and eager to complete the transition and go live with Primo VE in a reasonable period of time.

Why don't I see the Go VE option?

The Go VE option is visible to users with General Administrator privileges and is rolled-out gradually to your Alma instance and topology based on the schedule in Go VE: Availability and Primo VE Topologies. For any other case, please contact us at GO_VE@exlibrisgroup.com.

Can I run the Go VE process on Alma sandbox? What is the advantage of running it on Alma production?

The Go VE process is a back-end process on your Alma production server that enables you to test on your full Alma data and configuration. As mentioned above, Primo VE configuration has no impact on Alma or Primo production, which means that you can configure and test Primo VE without fear.

After migrating to Primo VE, where can we develop and test new features? Will we have something similar to the Primo Sandbox?

When you complete the Go VE process and go live with Primo VE, Ex Libris will enable Primo VE on your sandbox (the standard sandbox) for further testing of additional or new functionality. For institutions that subscribed to the premium sandbox, an automatic refresh will copy the full Primo VE configuration to the premium sandbox.  

What is the impact of the move to Primo VE on other products like Leganto?

There is no impact on Leganto when moving to Primo VE. The existing bibliographic lists stay the same as well as the Leganto My collection.