This is a catch-page for useful info about SFX. SFX-related files may be found in DRMS(Q):/SFX. For more information,

• SFX documentation may be found at the ExLibris Knowledge Center.
• Help with SFX terms is available at CARLI's SFX glossary.

• SFX Object types: MONOGRAPHS including Book, CD, Dissertation, Document, Manuscript, Proceeding, and Report will not display on the A-Z list. SERIALS including Journal, Conference, Newspaper, Series, Transcript, Wire, and Database do display on the Journal Search A-Z.
• Journal Search A-Z can be configured from the SFX Admin through Configuration>Journal Search and A-Z List (including CitationLinker). Language may be changed through Translation and Display, also in the Configuration section of SFX Admin. This includes language for custom URLs at the top of the page.

Two or more targets may be compared using the Collection Tool found on the SFX Admin. Use “Compare packages/sets of packages”. Choose “All” if you wish to include deactivated titles. Although there is often a warning that the report will take a while, usually if the request is reasonable, it is not worth scheduling a report.

Use the Access tab in the CORAL Resources module to track SFX targets used for eresources. Also track whether content is activated in SFX in the Data Integration note, including individual subscriptions.

The Dataloader is used for uploading multiple changes to object portfolios in an existing SFX target or to add titles to locally created target.

• Prepare a file. Begin with a spreadsheet, perhaps an export of the target you wish to update (using a Custom export allows exporting note fields). The first column is usually print ISSNs (in order); print are used because ExLibris tends to more thoroughly include print ISSNs than eISSNs. The next column on the spreadsheet might be local date thresholds (as they would appear in the object portfolio edit screen), “ACTIVE” or “INACTIVE” in every cell of the column to activate or deactivate titles, target parsers, parse params (jkeys), or notes (general, authentication or internal).
• Save the spreadsheet with only the necessary columns as a Text (tab delimited) file.
• After selecting “DataLoader” in SFX Admin>KBTools, choose the target in “Select the Target + Service”. You may be prompted to drill down to a specific target under a publisher name.
• Set up “Column 1 (Primary Key)” as ISSN if that is your first column, and other columns as appropriate.
• Choose to add, update or remove portfolios.
• A KBART file may also be used.

Creating and maintaining date thresholds SFX provides a tool for composing local thresholds in the object portfolio edit screen.

• Create a local threshold if the dates per our licensed agreement with the publisher/vendor differ from ExLibris global thresholds.
• In the object portfolio edit screen, click “+ Add local” on the “Threshold (global)” line.
• Click “Compose” and add “First Publication” and “Last Publication” information. UMass practice has been to use only years for full year content.
• OR set up “Embargo/Moving wall” dates (see below).
• No other fields need to be filled in on the Compose screen.
• Dataloader may also be used for lists of titles that need local date thresholds in a target (see Dataloader section).

Reporting incorrect date thresholds to ExLibris

• Aggregator date thresholds are maintained by automated vendor loads to ExLibris.
• ExLibris will accept requests to change date thresholds only for content that is not maintained by publishers or consortia, e.g. MISCELLANEOUS EJOURNALS titles.
• Only NERL can submit date threshold change requests to ExLibris for their package targets.

Embargoes and moving walls: Use the composer tool to set up an embargo. For a 1 year embargo use the text below. NOTE: do not use “==” which does not display an embargo on the menu.

• In the edit screen, click “Add Local” beside Threshold (Global), click “Compose”, fill in First Publication (year at least), click down arrow beside “Embargo/Moving wall”. For a 1 year embargo choose “greater than or equal to”, choose time (“1 year” ago). For other time increments, choose one from the drop down and edit afterward.
• Resulting date threshold should look something like this:
  • $obj→parsedDate('>=','2007',undef,undef) && $obj→timediff('>=','1y')

Split date thresholds: Use “||” to separate the runs. For example, holdings from 1999-2002 and 2008 would use the text below. This displays as “Available from 1999 until 2002, Available in 2008”.

• $obj→parsedDate('>=','1999',undef,undef) && $obj→parsedDate('⇐','2002',undef,undef) || $obj→parsedDate('==','2008',undef,undef)

Redundant targets displaying on SFX menus can be reduced by using Display Logic (SFX Admin>Configuration>Menu Configuration>Display Logic. Rules are set up to reflect Target Precedence on the SFX menu (sort services config file). Rules are cascading so rules toward the top of the list take precedence. Thresholds may be set up to exclude sources (such as SFX Admin or EDS) or to only display if date threshold is the exactly the same (“same_threshold”).

From the SFX Admin, choose the Export Tool to download lists of object portfolios (titles) in a target. Choose All, Active or Inactive. You may also download a list of all active targets (used for sort services config checking) or locally created object portfolios, among other choices. Choose “Custom” if you wish to include note fields or customize the download.

SFX images are located at R:\Content&Discovery\Information_Resources_Management\DRMS\SFX\SFX_Project\Images. Images are also available on the CMS for those who have access.

Contact Josh in systems for customizations.

For customizations of full screen and mobile menu headers, UMLinks buttons, multi-object menus and more, see the SFX users guides.

Language changes are made in the “Translation and Display” sections found at SFX Admin>Configuration. This section contains multiple tabs for changing Journal Search A-Z, CitationLinker, SFX menus, relation types, and public names for service targets.

Some targets require flag values to enable the functioning of open URLs. For information about specific target L/P codes see the SFX Target and Alma E-Collection Configuration. L/P values should be added to CORAL Access notes (if there are many databases see main resource, such as EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier).

Past problems have been:

• L/P edit boxes may mysteriously disappear. Go to the target service edit screen, open a local parse param, put in a blank space, submit, go back in and clear local parse param, and the L/P edit box should return.
• L/P flags may appear to be in place but may need to be re-entered after an update to the target.

The Menu Design tab is located at SFX Admin>Menu Configuration. We use the “Simplified Template and Mobile Configuration.”

• Menu Design is where the UMass Amherst Libraries logo is uploaded to replace the SFX Banner.
• Service Precedence. The “Basic” group of “Chosen Service types” should be: getFullTxt, getSelectedFullTxt, getMessageNoFullTxt, getHolding, getDocumentDelivery.
• Target Precedence (the order of targets displaying on the SFX menu). To order targets on the SFX menu, add and remove targets from the ordered list either manually or by importing an edited sort services config file (see below).

Here are steps to request that a resource be added to SFX. Do not create a NERS request if you would like an update of an existing resource. Instead open a Salesforce case.

• Log into NERS (see CORAL/ExLibris). More information can be found at el-una.org.
• Check that no request for the resource exists already in NERS (Request search with limit by Product = Content and Status = Votable).
• Add a new Content request by providing the following helpful information.
  • Name of the Database, Collection or Platform.
  • Name of the Content Provider
  • Link to the database or platform
  • Provider contact information (if available)
  • Short description why this content is important and beneficial to the community
  • Flag the request as Regional if needed and select the appropriate group from the list

Notes can be added to the target service or object portfolio general notes field for public view. For direct linking to publisher sites as a workaround to target problems, format like this (view in wiki edit mode):

Reach an error message? Try searching <A HREF=“https://www.sciencedirect.com/browse/journals-and-books?contentType=JL”>Science Direct ejournals.</A>

Add a General Note in the object portfolio edit screen if it will be helpful to users. Example: “ Content may not yet be available.” Add an internal note if appropriate. Here are formats used.

• General Note fields. Use these notes:
  • Current issues may not be available.
  • Content may not yet be available.
  • Some full text content may not be available.
  • Some years are not available.
  • Additional content may be available.
  • We are working on restoring access.
• Internal Note fields. Use these notes:
  • PA to (dates)
  • Prev title (to…title optional)
  • Accessible (dates)
  • Free for (dates)
  • OA
  • Continues (title)

MARCIt records are no longer being used but this list of object types is still useful. The following object types are considered serials (and generated MARCIt records).

• Journal
• Conference
• Newspaper
• Series
• Transcript
• Wire
• Database (as object)

The following object types are not considered serials (and did not generate MARCIt records).

• Book
• CD
• Dissertation
• Document
• Manuscript
• Proceeding
• Report

Lists all files for which symbolic links to global SFX files have been broken. SFX UNIX side.

• da; ./server_admin_util; 2=Filesystem maintenance; 8=Check for broken symbolic links; Save output in file=N; Recreate symbolic links?=N
• NEVER recreate symbolic links here!!! UMass custom files are included.

Lists targets which lack activations at the target, target service, or object portfolio level. SFX UNIX side. Report is saved in the dbs/scratch directory.

• da; ./server_admin_util; 6=Diagnostics; 6=Report Incomplete Activations.

See SFX users guides.

When target precedence on SFX menus needs a general update, use the sort_services.config file and activate by wizard.

• Export active targets.
• Check active targets against SFX Admin/UNIX File Manager/config/sort_services.config. This config file is organized by most reliable publishers, lesser reliable publishers, aggregators and databases, newspapers, ebooks, open access and free, and target and menu services other than getFullTxt. Do not include bX.
• Go to SFX Admin > Menu Configuration > Menu Design > Simplified Template and Mobile Configuration > Service Precedence – take a snip copy of “Chosen service types” (do not include bX or use getRecommendation for bX), which should be: getFullTxt, getSelectedFullTxt, getMessageNoFullTxt, getHolding, getDocumentDelivery. Make sure these remain when process is finished.
• SFX Admin > Menu Configuration > Menu Design > Simplified Template and Mobile Configuration > Target Precedence. Run Import Precedence Wizard.
  • Select Basic services config.
  • Uncheck all but sort_services_config_ AND basic_grouping.config_ (may need to click through intro screen first)
  • SAVE
• Check sample changes on SFX menus.

Send support cases to Salesforce.

Add cknapp@library.umass.edu to support case “Additional emails” section if you would like Catherine to track the case. As of 2016, dbhelpers are focusing on getting articles to patrons, not reporting metadata problems unless it is worth the time. General guidelines (with plenty of exceptions):

• Report to SFX: Problems with linking (not metadata), SFX functionality, requests to update a target, questions about platform changes and targets, etc. ExLibris is often not interested in metadata problems because they are relying on publisher/vendor data to inform targets. The exception is individual subscriptions, especially in the MISCELLANEOUS EJOURNALS or association targets like Highwire. Do not report metadata problems for databases or NERL targets (contact publisher or NERL to request they send updated files to ExLibris). For journal packages, use best judgement.
• Report to publisher/vendor: Important metadata problems (not single article, supplement, or issue), problems with web sites or title lists, etc.

If we have installed any patched parsers, which are now supplied by the update, you will need to reconnect the symbolic link so we get future updates to the file:

• Login to SFX instance UNIX-side as instance user.
• Go to the appropriate directory for the file you wish to relink (e.g. “tp”) for target parsers and move to the appropriate subdirectory (e.g. “cd filename”)
• Copy the current file for backup (e.g. “mv filename filename.bak” creates backup)
• Reconnect the link using the appropriate path (e.g. for SFX ver.4.1 “ln -s /exlibris/sfx_ver/sfx4_1/sfxglb41/lib/Parsers/TargetParser/Directoryname/filename”)
• To check if symbolic link is restored, “vi filename”, “N” when asked if you want to break symbolic link, “:q!” to quit without saving.
• Restart Apache. Type apachectl restart OR go to the ./server_admin_util menu and restart the Apache instance.
• Example if JSTOR is filename.
  • tp
  • cd JSTOR
  • mv JSTOR.pm JSTOR.pm.bak
  • ln -s /exlibris/sfx_ver/sfx4_1/sfxglb41/lib/Parsers/TargetParser/JSTOR/JSTOR.pm
  • Restart: da, ./server_admin_util, 1=Start Stop Services, 8=Instance Apache Restart, q=quit, exit.
• See p.19 of the SFX System Administration Guide for instructions on restoring symlinks.

AutoUpdate: Usually we want AutoUpdate checked so that ExLibris maintains the target. If AutoUpdate is checked, local target service parser and parse param, as well as local object portfolio parser and parse params, can be changed by ExLibris during an update. Do not check AutoUpdate when we want our local information to remain intact (e.g. ILLIAD), or because we have made changes to the parser (e.g. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) either long term or temporarily.

AutoActive should be checked if we have access to all items in a target and want ExLibris to manage activation. We do not want AutoUpdate checked if we partially activate a target.

Proxy should be checked if we want to run linking through EZProxy. We do not proxy open access or ebrary.

Linking parser problems.

• On SFX menu, use right-click, “View Page Source” to see OpenURL that creates SFX menu.
• To view the URL sent by ExLibris to the landing page, set up Debugging first by SFX Admin > Troubleshooting > Debugging. Use “Debugging in TARGET SCREEN” and after entering ONLY YOUR IP ADDRESS, click to “on”. Click target on SFX menu and at the bottom of resulting page find the URL. Remember to restore Debugging to “off”.

— Primary contact: Catherine Knapp