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    Java error "Error fetching patrons" when using the -i flag with a list of patrons for XML Patron Purge

    • Product: Voyager
    • Product version: 10.1.0

    Symptoms

    -i flag used with XML patron purge, regardless of the inclusion of the -z flag, does not run and does not create a log file. The audit file contains what looks like the start of the run and the patronPurge.log shows "Error fetching patrons"

    Defect Status

    VYG-7027 is resolved in Voyager 10.1.0

    Replication Steps

    1. Create a file of patron_ids with expired barcodes in /m1/voyager/xxdb/local
    2. Run PpatronPrg -i<filename> in sbin
    3. See /rpt for job files: see that no output file was created, and audit file should show something like this:

    PatronPurge start
    Database server: localhost
    User name: voydb
    Audit file: /m1/voyager/voydb/rpt/audit.patpurge.20160622.101810
    Output file: /m1/voyager/voydb/rpt/xml.patpurge.20160622.101810
    Exception file path: /m1/voyager/voydb/rpt/
    Purge date: null
    Expire date: null
    Patron ID file: /m1/voyager/voydb/local/izzie_barcode
    Running in commit mode - records will be updated

    1. Check in the /log directory for patronPurge.log; find this error:

    2016-06-22 10:18:11,945 0 [main] ERROR com.exlibris.voyager.patron.purge.PurgeTask - Error fetching patrons: java.lang.NullPointerException
    at com.exlibris.voyager.patron.purge.PurgeTask.run(PurgeTask.java:211)
    at com.endinfosys.voyager.util.SimpleClient.doTasks(SimpleClient.java:217)
    at com.endinfosys.voyager.util.SimpleClient.execute(SimpleClient.java:264)
    at com.exlibris.voyager.patron.purge.PatronPurgeClient.execute(PatronPurgeClient.java:125)
    at com.exlibris.voyager.patron.purge.PatronPurgeClient.main(PatronPurgeClient.java:208)

    Workaround

    Use the other parameters for purge.

    Additional Information

    Workaround example

    1. Use same patron ID file to run XML Patron Export by patron_id: PpatronExpX -f/m1/voyager/patdb/local/delete_patrons.txt
      1. This will automatically populate the matchID as VoyagerID (patron_id)
      2. This will automatically populate action with Add (update existing records and add only if no match is found)
    2. Open XML patron file and update 2 fields:
      1. purgeDate - replace all values for purge date with a date that precedes all other purge dates for patron records. Example: 1999-12-31
      2. institutionID if there are duplicate records with same IID - the import will recognize that there is a duplicate record with the same IID when you try to import; remove this parameter it so the import does not error out
    3. Save changes.
    4. Run XML import with the file in test mode: PpatronImpX -p/m1/voyager/xxxdb/local/purge_date_update.xml -t
    5. Run in production/update database after reviewing audit file of test run and addressing any concerns/issues.
    6. Review audit & error files, and patron records (spot check in Circulation or query db), to ensure the update was successful.
    7. Run patron purge in test mode to capture the new purge date in these records & remove them: PpatronPrg -p2000-01-01
    8. When ready to run in production, add -z to execute the database update.

    • Article last edited: 17-Jan-2019
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