Using KBManager: Examples and Scenarios

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Using KBManager Overview

When a new SFX instance is installed, the SFX database associated with this instance needs to be customized or localized. All electronic resources that are part of the digital collection of an institution’s library need to be described or represented in the SFX database before SFX linking is possible.

To facilitate this localization, the SFX database of each instance contains a large KnowledgeBase—that is, a comprehensive collection of sources, services, targets, objects, and object portfolios defined by Ex Libris. This information can be used by an institution to define its digital collection.

All information that is part of the original KnowledgeBase is called global. It is globally relevant and is updated by Ex Libris.

An institution can edit existing entries and create or add local information, such as local sources, targets, and object portfolios that are specific to the particular institution.

Localization is performed in three steps:

Activating global targets, target services, and object portfolios that are part of the KnowledgeBase.

Initially, all targets, target services, and object portfolios in the new instance are inactive. Before SFX linking is possible, the targets, target services, and object portfolios to which the institution subscribes need to be activated. Activation can be performed using the KBManager and DataLoader. For details see, Activating Global Targets, Target Services, and Object Portfolios Using KBManager or DataLoader.

Adding local information to these global targets, target services, and object portfolios. To optimize SFX linking, the institution may need to add:
- Authentication information
- Local server information
- Proxy information
- Local threshold information – necessary when local thresholds differ from global thresholds because of subscription agreements. Adding local information can be performed using KBManager and DataLoader. For details see, Activating Global Targets, Target Services, and Object Portfolios Using KBManager or DataLoader.
Creating new local targets, target services, and object portfolios (optional). Creating new targets, target services, and object portfolios can be performed using the KBManager and the DataLoader. For details see, Activating Global Targets, Target Services, and Object Portfolios Using KBManager or DataLoader.

Activating Global Targets, Target Services, and Object
Portfolios Using KBManager or DataLoader

To activate object portfolios in KBManager, you can either activate object portfolios one by one, or click the Activate All button to activate all object portfolios for a particular target service (for institutions subscribing to the whole collection of journals of a particular publisher or host).

To activate object portfolios using DataLoader:

Create a tab-delimited file with ISSNs of all the journals that need to be loaded for a particular publisher or host. For each target service, a separate file needs to be created. The format of the file is: ISSN<tab>ACTIVE.
Run DataLoader to activate the object portfolios. The first field name is ISSN. The second field name is Activation Status. Select the correct target service, then select Update (do not select Create New). For more information, see DataLoader.
After the loading process, check the <datafile>.ok.err file to see whether local portfolios need to be created. If this is the case, additional information needs to be added to these local portfolios to ensure that proper SFX linking is possible.
After loading each file, test the new information using the OpenURL generator and the Test SFX buttons in the List of Portfolios (For more information, see the Using The OpenURL Generator To Test Your SFX Database section of the SFX Advanced User’s Guide.

Adding Local Information

The following section describes how to add local information to your SFX instance. The following types of local information are described:

Adding Authentication Information
Adding Local Thresholds
General Rules When Comparing Local and Global Thresholds
Using DataLoader to Update Different Fields Simultaneously

Adding Authentication Information

The Authentication Note field in the TARGET, TARGET_SERVICE, and OBJECT_PORTFOLIO tables can be used to specify the user name and password information that appears in the SFX menu. You use the Authentication field to present to users logon information that is not configured in the link-to syntax of a parser. HTML tags can be used to make text italic or bold. Adding local information can be performed using KBManager and DataLoader. For details, see Activating Global Targets, Target Services, and Object Portfolios Using KBManager or DataLoader.

The following is an example of logon information in the Authentication field of a target service in KBManager:

Logon Information in the Authentication Field

The result in the SFX menu is:

SXF Result Menu

DataLoader can be used to load authentication information to a large number of object portfolios.

To load authentication information via DataLoader:

Ensure that the format of the data file is:

ISSN<tab>login:bibuser – password:xxxxx

Run DataLoader to add the authentication information:

The first field name is ISSN.
The second field name is AUTHENTICATION_NOTE.

Select the correct target service
Select Update PORTFOLIO information (do not select Add Portfolios).

Adding Local Thresholds

Local thresholds need to be loaded only if the global threshold information provided by Ex Libris differs from your local threshold information (for example, because of subscription agreements).

In general, it is recommended to use the global thresholds Ex Libris provides because:

They enable easier and faster loading.
They are updated automatically when Ex Libris finds that the threshold has changed.

When an institution finds that a global threshold needs to be changed, it is recommended to use the Send to Ex Libris link in KBManager, available in each Edit dialog box. Ex Libris checks the information and updates the central global database. All customers who subscribe to the KnowledgeBase service get the new global threshold as part of the next database update.

General Rules When Comparing Local and Global Thresholds

Check randomly (but extensively) and load all local thresholds if the majority of them differ from the global thresholds in the SFX database.
Afterwards, you can remove local thresholds if you see that they are the same as the global thresholds.
Do not load local thresholds if more than 95% are identical to the global thresholds in the database.

For most full-text targets, the global thresholds can be used. This means the publisher provides access to all electronic issues, even if a library starts subscribing from a later time onward.
Some full-text publishers provide access only to the electronic copies for which a library pays as part of the subscription package. In this case, local thresholds need to be provided.

Adding local threshold information can be performed using KBManager and DataLoader.

The following is an example of threshold information in the local threshold field of an object portfolio in KBManager:

Local Threshold Field

DataLoader can be used to load local threshold information to a large number of object portfolios.

To load local threshold information via DataLoader:

Select the correct target service.
Ensure that the format of the data file is:

ISSN<tab> $obj->parsedDate(“>=”,1997,101,1)

Run DataLoader to add the threshold information:

The first field name is ISSN.
The second field name is THRESHOLD.

For the load type, select Update Portfolios (do not select Add Portfolios).

For more information on thresholds, see Thresholds.

Using DataLoader to Update Different Fields Simultaneously

DataLoader can be used to load the following information simultaneously:

Object portfolio activations
Authentication information
Local thresholds

(For more information, see DataLoader).

To update different portfolios simultaneously using DataLoader:

Ensure that the format of the data file is:

ISSN<tab>ACTIVE<tab> login:bibuser – password:xxxxx <tab>$obj->parsedDate(">=",1997,101,1)

Run DataLoader to add the threshold information:

The first field name is ISSN.
The second field name is ACTIVATION_ STATUS.
The third field name is AUTHENTICATION_NOTE.
The fourth field name is THRESHOLD.

Select the correct target service.
Select Update Portfolios (do not select Add Portfolios).

Creating Local Targets, Target Services, and Object Portfolios

When creating local targets, target services, and object portfolios, bear in mind that Ex Libris does not provide linking information for these elements. Before SFX linking to these targets, target services, and object portfolios can work, an institution must:

Learn how to link to these new local resources
Create linking to these new local resources

In general, creating local targets, target services, and object portfolios requires a thorough understanding of the SFX software.

Loading a New Portfolio to an Existing Target Service

When adding a new object portfolio to the SFX database, the following steps are necessary:

Find information on how to link to the journal (URL). This information may be found in:

The MARC 856 field for this journal entry in your catalogue
A list of electronic journals in the library
The location bar of your Internet browser

Decide how to enable linking to the new object portfolio.

Four methods can be used:

Use the generic target parser (see below and Using the Generic Target Parser for One Object Portfolio for more information).
Use the existing parser and filling in the correct parse param information.
Create a new target parser.

Add a new object portfolio to the SFX database using KBManager or DataLoader.

Using KBManager:

In the list of portfolios, click the Add Portfolio button. Fill in the Target Service and Object fields. To fill in the Object field, enter an ID (ObjectID/ISSN/ISBN) or title and click Find Object to select the object for which you want to create a portfolio.

It is recommended to fill in a threshold and, if necessary, to fill in the Parse Param field (See Using the Generic Target Parser for One Object Portfolio.)

Using DataLoader:

More information on adding portfolios with DataLoader can be found in Section 1: Portfolios in DataLoader.

The portfolios you create using the above instructions are local—that is, Ex Libris has not provided thresholds and parse param information. You must provide this information yourself.

Using the Generic Target Parser for One Object Portfolio

Using KBManager:

In KBManager, the Parser and Parse Param fields of the object portfolio must be filled in.
- The Parser field must contain the value Generic.
- The Parse Param field must contain a valid generic target parser syntax statement (see Target Parsers for more information). For example:
  
  Parser and Parse Param
Using DataLoader:

You can load the parser and parse param information using DataLoader. This is useful when updating or loading a large number of object portfolios. In this case, your data file contains information about the local portfolios only:

<issn><tab>Generic<tab><parse_param>

Where the field names are ISSN, Target Parser, and Parse Param.

For example:

1245-987XGenericIF(ISSN) "http://www.journal.org/"