Background

In order to use a mod-kb service from OKAPI, you need a supporting backend service. That backend service will generally be a proxy for separate holdings management service, and in order to make proxy calls to that service, a user will need to configure the backend mod-kb service to so that it can function properly

Approach

Let's say that a user installs the e-holdings app. The first thing that they need to know, if they don't have an appropriate backend, is that it is missing, and that they need to have one installed. Rather than throwing some random error that's not related, the main screen of the eholdings app should helpfully inform them that they need a backend, and provide some direction as to where they can get one.

The frontend can see if there is an appropriate backend by querying the interfaces endpoint.

Once the backend mod-kb-* module has been added, then it needs to be configured. For example, the backend that we're using for the first implementation of eholdings is mod-kb-ebsco which proxies the RM API from EBSCO in order to manage the folio tenant's holdings. It needs

• EBSCO_RM_API_BASE_URL: This specifies which EBSCO environment the services will be talking to. For example, there is a different url for production than for the sandox.

• EBSCO_RM_API_CUSTOMER_ID: Each subscription to the EBSCO RMAPI service is assigned a unique customer id that can be used to identify a set of holdings. There is a 1:1 mapping of OKAPI tenant to customer id.

• EBSCO_RM_API_API_KEY: A swappable token that is used to authenticated api requests against a particular customer id.

Once again, the eholdings app should not throw some random error, it should be aware that the settings are not configured properly, and should report that from the main e-holdings screen, and provide a link to the settings for the backend module.

This means that part of the kb interface will be a way to discover if the configuration is valid.

With a valid module installed, it can be configured from the settings page. The settings pane lets the user understand these key components:

1. What backend are they using
2. what are the current settings
3. what does each setting mean.
4. If I apply these settings, will they be valid. A user will want to know this before they try and save them.

> Note that mod-kb-ebsco is just one of many possible implementations of the backend, and so the eholdings app needs to be able to detect which configuration parameters the backend needs to run.

Open questions

Only certain users will have the permission to tweak the settings for the e-holdings application. But which ones?