04-15-2025: Working Group on Remote Storage

Date

Jan 14, 2025

Agenda

• Housekeeping (5-min.)

Homework and Pre-Reads

• None!

Useful Resources

Recording

https://recordings.openlibraryfoundation.org/folio/implementation-group/2025-01-14T10:55/

Attendees

• @Thomas Trutt@David Jones @Pennington Jr, Buddy @David Bottorff @Hinman, Wes @Justin Barnett @Darsi Rueda @Wilhelmina Randtke @Katie Motush @Wayne Schneider Ken Rettinger Lev Rickards Mary Anderson @Dale Arntson

🗣️ Discussion Points:

1. Introduction and General Remarks (11:00 - 11:02)

   • Participants greeted each other and discussed the transition between meetings.

   • Light-hearted comments about the meeting setup and personal preferences.

   • [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] mentioned the challenge of switching gears between meetings, indicating a busy schedule.

2. Remote Storage and Middleware Interaction (11:02 - 11:14)

   • Interaction between UChicago's FOLIO system and ASRS via middleware:

     • [[ Wayne Schneider (person) ]] explained that UChicago's FOLIO system does not interact directly with ASRS but uses a locally developed middleware application.

     • This middleware manages the communication and prevents issues like infinite loops caused by items without barcodes.

   • Sierra's list-based approach:

     • [[ Mary Anderson (person) ]] mentioned that Sierra used lists to add items to ASRS, which required minimal staff time.

     • This approach was contrasted with the current system, highlighting the efficiency of Sierra's method.

   • Proposal to change criteria for accession queue:

     • [[ Wayne Schneider (person) ]] suggested changing the criteria for the accession queue to simplify the process.

     • The idea was to have a single queue with modified criteria rather than multiple queues, which received positive reactions from other participants.

3. Error Handling and Status Codes (11:14 - 11:30)

   • Handling error codes in inventory add and confirmation processes:

     • [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] and [[ David Jones (person) ]] discussed the various error codes returned during inventory add and confirmation processes.

     • They explored the implications of different error codes and how they should be handled by the system.

   • Issues with infinite loops caused by items without barcodes:

     • [[ David Jones (person) ]] highlighted the problem of infinite loops when items without barcodes are added to the system.

     • This issue occurs because the system keeps trying to send the same transaction repeatedly, causing a loop.

   • Suggestions to use remote storage API:

     • [[ David Jones (person) ]] proposed using the remote storage API to mark transactions as completed, which could prevent infinite loops.

     • This approach would involve directly interacting with the API to resolve the transaction status.

4. Barcode and Remote Storage Location Issues (11:30 - 11:45)

   • Challenges faced by UChicago in managing items without barcodes:

     • [[ David Bottorff (person) ]] explained the difficulties UChicago faces with items that do not have barcodes.

     • These items are often on order and do not have barcodes until they are received, causing issues with remote storage.

   • Need for middleware to prevent fatal error loops:

     • UChicago uses a custom middleware to manage item records without barcodes and prevent fatal error loops.

     • This middleware ensures that items without barcodes are not sent to EMS, avoiding errors.

   • Proposal to change criteria for sending items to remote storage accession queue:

     • [[ Wayne Schneider (person) ]] suggested changing the criteria for sending items to the remote storage accession queue to include both barcode and remote storage location.

     • This change would ensure that only items with both criteria are sent to the queue, preventing errors.

5. Kafka Events and Item Updates (11:45 - 12:00)

   • Use of Kafka events for item updates and remote storage interactions:

     • [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] and [[ Wayne Schneider (person) ]] discussed the use of Kafka events for real-time item updates and remote storage interactions.

     • Kafka events are used to publish changes in item records, which are then processed by the remote storage module.

   • Suggestions to extend Kafka event listening:

     • [[ Wayne Schneider (person) ]] suggested extending Kafka event listening to include more types of item updates.

     • This extension would allow the system to handle updates more efficiently and reduce manual intervention.

   • Concerns about noise and complexity:

     • Participants expressed concerns about the noise and complexity of processing Kafka events.

     • [[ Wayne Schneider (person) ]] mentioned that listening to all Kafka events could be noisy and challenging to manage.

6. Alternative Solutions and Workflow Improvements (12:00 - 12:30)

   • Exploration of alternative models like Sierra and Kiasoft:

     • [[ David Jones (person) ]] and [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] explored alternative models like Sierra and Kiasoft for remote storage management.

     • Sierra's model involves using a specialized app for inventory adds, while Kiasoft pulls information from FOLIO during the storage process.

   • Benefits and drawbacks of different approaches:

     • Participants discussed the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches, including automation and manual control.

     • Sierra's model provides more control but requires additional steps, while Kiasoft's model is more automated but less flexible.

   • Proposal for hybrid solutions:

     • [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] proposed hybrid solutions that balance automation and manual control.

     • These solutions could involve settings in the remote storage module to allow for both automatic and manual actions.

7. Final Remarks and Next Steps (12:30 - 12:58)

   • Agreement on the need for further discussions and ticket creation:

     • Participants agreed on the need for further discussions and the creation of tickets to address the issues raised.

     • [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] committed to writing up tickets for the discussed issues.

   • Acknowledgment of the complexity and educational value of the meeting:

     • [[ Thomas Trutt (person) ]] acknowledged the complexity of the topics discussed and the educational value of the meeting.

     • Participants appreciated the detailed discussions and insights shared.

   • Plans for follow-up meetings:

     • Plans were made for follow-up meetings to continue addressing the issues and monitor progress on action items.

✅ Decisions Made:

• Change criteria for accession queue to include barcode requirement.

• Extend Kafka events to listen to more item changes.

• Log errors and close transactions in Edge-damatic without reverting item locations.

📌 Action Items:

• [[ Thomas Trutt (person)]] to write up tickets for discussed issues.

• [[ Wayne Schneider (person)]] to explore extending Kafka events.

• [[ David Bottorff (person)]] to review middleware handling of item records.

📊 Data & Insights:

• Middleware at UChicago prevents fatal error loops by managing item records without barcodes.

• Kafka events are used to handle item location changes but may need extension for better error handling.

🔄 Follow-Up:

• Next meeting to discuss more item statuses and FOLIO's expected actions.

• Review progress on tickets and Kafka event extensions.

🐝 JIRAs:

• JIRA:UNKNOWN – Feature: Change criteria for accession queue:

  • This JIRA will detail the changes needed to include both barcode and remote storage location in the accession queue criteria.

• JIRA:UNKNOWN – Bug: Infinite loops caused by items without barcodes:

  • This JIRA will address the issue of infinite loops caused by items without barcodes and propose solutions.

• JIRA:UNKNOWN – Spike: Extend Kafka event listening for item updates:

  • This JIRA will explore the feasibility and impact of extending Kafka event listening to include more types of item updates.