1. The Synchronization of Alma with Primo and Primo Central
Yoel Kortick
Senior Librarian
Alma Product Management

2. Copyright Statement
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3. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

4. Introduction and overview
The purpose of this document is to provide an explanation of when and why changes in Alma are reflected in Primo and Primo Central searches
This is not intended to be a document describing “How to set up and configure your publishing profiles in Alma and Primo”
The specific focus here is on the timing and mechanisms of the synchronization.

5. Introduction and overview
The presentation will give an overview of how the synchronization between
Alma
Primo
Primo Central
is triggered regarding the following:
Bibliographic records in the institution for Primo search
Physical and electronic inventory in the institution for Primo search
Electronic inventory in the institution for Primo Central search

6. Introduction and overview
As we will see:
Some of the synchronization is done via an actual “file” which is exported from Alma and harvested by Primo
Other parts of the synchronization are done ‘on the fly’ via RTA (Real Time Availability)
There is a dependency between Alma, Primo and Primo Central
The full cycle is complete only after the files produced in Alma are harvested and then indexed in Primo

7. Introduction and overview
First we will provide a “general overview” of the times and processes
Next we will drill down to each section and provide details of the times and processes.

8. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

9. General overview of the times and processes for Primo
In the case of Primo we will take the following situation:
Every six hours records are published from Alma to Primo.
It is possible to choose less frequency but this is the configuration that will be used for our demonstrative purposes
Every six hours the data is Harvested and indexed by Primo
Again it is possible to choose a differently – this is merely for our demonstrative purposes.
It is also typically done in coordination with Alma so that it will begin after the Alma publishing completes.

10. General overview of the times and processes for Primo
Let's consider the following situation:
Alma Publishing runs every six hours and takes about one hour to complete.
The Primo Harvesting and indexing begins one hour after the Alma Publishing completes and takes one hour.
That would mean that the time between a record is updated in Alma and appears in Primo would be anywhere between 3 and 9 hours.

11. General overview of the times and processes for Primo
For example:
Alma publishing runs every 6 hours: 06:00, 12:00, 18:00, 24:00
Publishing starts for example at 12:00 and completes at 13:00.
Primo Harvesting and indexing begins at 14:00 and completes at 15:00.
That means that
A record updated at 11:59 in Alma is available in Primo at 15:01 (3 hours)
A record updated at 06:01 in Alma is also available in Primo at 15:01 (9 hours)

12. General overview of the times and processes for Primo
Note: another “popular” method would be to publish once a day from Alma in the “evening” and have Primo index and hotswap at “night”.
This way any change done in Alma one day would be available in Primo the next day.

13. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

14. General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
In the case of Primo Central:
Any inventory change done by Tuesday night will be available in primo central by the following Monday morning.
Here is why:
The file is published from Alma to Primo central via the job “Publish electronic records to Primo Central” either Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning
The specific time depends on the data center.
The files from each institution are picked up by the Primo Central Back Office each Friday morning (in time zone GMT + 2)

15. General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
The files are harvested every Friday morning.
The file are uploaded to Primo Central each Friday to Saturday in a process called "availability"
When process “availability” completes a hotswapping process is required to swap between old availability files and new ones. The hotswapping process runs every Sunday.
Each institution will see updated availability status on Monday morning local time
In summary: every “Publish to primo Central” file that is ready Thursday morning (GMT +2) will be visible to the institution the following Monday.

16. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

17. Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Bibliographic records are published from the institution to Primo via the publishing profile ‘Publish bibliographic records to Primo’
This profile is accessed via: Alma Menu > Resource management > Resource Configuration > Configuration Menu > Record Export > Publishing Profiles
Note: In the case of a consortia this publishing is done from the network institution and is called ‘Publish bibliographic records from Network Zone to Primo’.

18. Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
The profile ‘Publish bibliographic records to Primo’ defines many aspects of the publishing process. What is of interest to us here is the ‘Scheduling’

19. Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
As seen in the previous slide this particular library has chosen to publish to Primo ‘Every 6 hours, starting at 12:00 AM’
Several other options also exist, and should be chosen (as we will soon see) in coordination with the Primo configuration

20. Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Via the ‘Monitor Jobs’ we see that the publishing is submitted every 6 hours

21. Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
This means that the publishing file to Primo will include any record which was, in the last 6 hours:
Updated
Deleted
Created

22. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

23. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Harvesting and indexing in Primo can also be run multiple times a day
The data must first be ‘loaded’ into Primo and then ‘indexed’ in Primo. The official jargon is:
Execute (or run) the “pipe” (load into primo)
Execute (or run) the “process” for “indexing and hotswapping” (index new and changed records in primo)

24. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Here is a sample pipe
Here is a sample indexing and hotswapping process as seen in Primo Back Office

25. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
The scheduling of the Primo back office “Pipe” and indexing and hotswapping “Process” are defined in the “Schedule Tasks” of the Primo Back Office

26. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Here we can see that the Pipe is defined to run every six hours
Here is states that it will run every six hours and start at 07:00. The specific time may not be your local time and depends on the server or data center time. What is important is that it will start after a typical Alma publishing completes and that the ‘indexing and hotswapping’ will start at least an hour later so that the Pipe can first complete

27. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
And if we look at the Pipe history we see that it does in fact run every six hours

28. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
In the scheduled tasks we can see that the indexing and hotswapping “Process” is also scheduled every six hours
This is an hour later than the Pipe started leaving time for the pipe to complete before the indexing

29. Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Viewing the indexing and hotswapping “Process” history we see that it does run every six hours

30. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

31. Availability for inventory in Primo
When changes are made to the availability of inventory in Alma this does not require a new publishing to be reflected in primo.
The changes to Alma inventory are immediately available in Primo

32. Availability for inventory in Primo
For example item barcode AU36596 “Lean in” is available in Alma:
And it is available in Primo:
The inventory availability update for physical inventory is done via the RTA real Time Availability.

33. Availability for inventory in Primo
Now the item is loaned in Alma:
And it is immediately (with no publishing required) no longer ‘available’ in Primo:
The inventory availability update for physical inventory is done via the RTA real Time Availability.

34. Availability for inventory in Primo
Electronic inventory updated in Alma is also immediately updated in Primo without the need to republish.
Here we have electronic portfolio for “Mr. Rabbit at Home” and it is available

35. Availability for inventory in Primo
In Primo the full text is available

36. Availability for inventory in Primo
Now in Alma we change it to “not available”

37. Availability for inventory in Primo
And immediately (with no publishing required) it is no longer available in Primo:

38. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

39. Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo central
A file is produced for Primo Central via the job “Publish electronic records to Primo Central”
This profile is accessed via: Alma Menu > Resource management > Resource Configuration > Configuration Menu > Record Export > Publishing Profiles
Note: In the case of a consortia this publishing is done from both the network institution and from each member institution

40. Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo central
Here is the profile ‘Publish electronic records to Primo Central’. What is of interest to us here is the ‘Scheduling’.
The job is sent once a week, either late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The specific time will differ depending on the data center of the library, but it will always be once a week.

41. Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo central
Via the ‘Monitor Jobs’ we see that the publishing is submitted every Wed. morning at 01:00

42. Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo central
This means that Primo Central will receive the electronic inventory information from Alma up to Tuesday night / Wed. morning.
This is the information that is used by Primo Central to determine if an article or other resource is accessible by the institution

43. Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo central
Here is a sample electronic inventory file published from Alma for Primo Central
In this case it means that the library has:
Access to E-Book ‘Drug Abuse’
Access to Journal ‘World Journal of mechanics’ from 2011

44. Agenda Introduction and overview
General overview of the times and processes for Primo
General overview of the times and processes for Primo Central
Publishing Bibliographic records from Alma for Primo search
Harvesting and indexing in Primo
Availability for inventory in Primo
Publishing Electronic inventory from Alma for Primo Central
Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central

45. Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central
The harvesting and indexing of Primo Central is coordinated by the Ex Libris Primo Central Data Services team.
As a result there are no activities for the library to do themselves.
As already stated: The electronic inventory is published from Primo Central Tuesday night / Wednesday morning local time of the institution.
The resulting file is later “picked up” by the Ex Libris Primo Central Data Services team for processing.
The schedule in the Primo Central back office is as follows (on next slide)

46. Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central
The files from each institution are picked up by Primo Central Back Office each Friday morning (in time zone GMT + 2)
The files are harvested every Friday morning.
The files are uploaded to Primo Central each Friday to Saturday in a process called "availability"
When process “availability” completes a hotswapping process is required to swap between old availability files and new ones. The hotswapping process runs every Sunday.
Each institution will see updated availability status on Monday morning local time
In summary: every “Publish to primo Central” file that is ready Thursday morning (GMT +2) will be visible to the institution the following Monday.

47. Harvesting and indexing in Primo Central
For example is this were updated by Tuesday Night in Alma:
File from job “‘Publish electronic records to Primo Central’ which states that the ‘ACM SIGMICRO Newsletter’ is available from 1972 (2:4) to 1992 (23:2)
Then this would be visible with “Full text available” Monday morning in Primo Central
Primo Central article from ‘ACM SIGMICRO Newsletter’ 1991 (22:1)