1. Ben Burbridge, Rebecca Jones, Hilary Newman Product Development
The Open System
Ben Burbridge, Rebecca Jones, Hilary Newman
Product Development

2. The Open System
Access to Your Data
Integrate With Other Systems
Reports We Couldn’t Anticipate
Ad Hoc Reports – Unique to You
Write Applications
Partnering for Improved User Services

4. Sierra Back-end Persistence
Sierra uses the PostgreSQL relational database as its “system of record”
Innovative will provide direct access to the database
Technically, libraries will be writing queries and reports against database ‘views’
Sort of a ‘roll your own’ create lists

5. What is a ‘view’?
A view is a ‘façade’ in front of one or more tables that you can query as a single, simple “table”
No data is stored with a view
They are read-only
They can contain any SQL SELECT statement
‘Join’ multiple tables together
Filter the result
Sort the result
and more…

6. View Example Corresponding Underlying tables ‘Helper’ View
SELECT from the view
SELECT from the tables
SELECT a.icode, b.description
FROM icode a
join icode_18n_desc b on b.icode_id = a.id
join language c on b.language_id = c.id
WHERE c.lang_code = {current user’s language code}
SELECT * FROM icode_view_myuser
icode description
b book
c cd-rom
d dvd
both return:

7. View Guiding Principles
Insulate you from changes to the underlying tables and columns so that we don't break your reports
Ease querying for the report
Present multiple tables as ‘one’ (simplify)
Filter the rows
Etc
Expose new data as soon as it is available

8. Types of Views ‘Generated‘ Views ‘Helper‘ Views
One-to-one with the underlying tables
Available for querying at the lowest-level
‘Helper‘ Views
Innovative-developed views that join many tables into one
Simplify a complex (transactional) data model for reporting purposes

9. Challenges in managing and documenting
Sheer volume
300+ tables and growing
2500+ columns and growing
Constant change
New tables (or new columns on existing tables) appearing all the time!
Tables, columns get renamed occasionally...
Tables, columns can disappear(!)
Multiple releases will be in play simultaneously in the future

10. Sierra Views ‘Behind the Curtain”

11. Internal Tool: LookingGlass

12. LookingGlass: View management

13. LookingGlass: View Documentation

14. LookingGlass: Documentation Detail

15. SierrraDNA: Details

16. SierraDNA: Entity-Relationship Diagrams

17. PgAdminIII

18. Working out the SQL

19. iReport Example

20. .pdf Result

21. View Configuration and Support
Versioning
Security
Dedicated direct SQL access ‘role’
Dedicated accounts setup via the Admin App
Access control via Postgres configuration and firewall

22. Dev partners’ SQL Views webinar:
View Links
SierraDNA
Dev partners’ SQL Views webinar:

23. Sierra APIs
Sierra Phase 1: Architectural Review
Sierra Phase 2: RESTful Services

24. Sierra Phase 1: Architectural Components
Review -- Postgre Database -- Services Layer -- SQL Access
Encapsulate database – Consistent business rules

25. Dashboard
OpenSocial container. Allows you to plug in gadgets.

26. Sierra Phase 1: Architectural Components
Took it one step further. Dashboard.

27. REST Endpoint Already had a data access layer
Tightly coupled, fine grained
Loosely coupled, course grained

28. WebCirc and beyond
As we build gadgets, applications such as WebCirc, RESTservices are create. Sierra Partners can leverage those same APIs in their apps.

29. RESTful Services What is REST? Authentication Versioning Support
We will be using these same business services

30. What is REST?
Architectural style
Based on http, used by browsers
Understood by machines
Resources (nouns)
Methods (verbs)
Format

31. URL for everything a machine needs to talk about Nouns for machines
Resources
URL for everything a machine needs to talk about
Nouns for machines
Examples
(list of holds)
(hold2 in list of holds)

32. Methods (REST is CRUD)
POST Create a resource
GET Read a resource
PUT Update a resource
DELETE Delete a resource

33. Format XML JSON /bib/b100123/holds.xml /bib/b100123/holds&format=xml
/bib/b100123/holds.json
/bib/b100123/holds&format=json

34. XML Response Example <bib>
<record_key>b100123</record_key>
<holds count="2">
<hold>
<hold_key>hold4</hold_key>
<record_key>p </record_key> …
<links><link rel="self" href="
</hold>
<hold_key>hold27</hold_key>
<record_key>p </record_key>
<links><link rel="self” href="
</holds>
<links><link rel="self" href="
</bib>

35. JSON response example { "record_key" : "b100123", "holds" : {
"count" : 2,
"list" : [ {
"hold_key" : "hold4",
"record_key" : "p ",
...
"links" : [ { "href" : " "rel" : "self" } ],
}, {
"hold_key" : "hold27",
"record_key" : "p ",
"links" : [ { "href" : " "rel" : "self" } ],
} ] },
"links" : [ { "href" : " "rel" : "self" } ] }

36. Add one hold to a list of holds Get all holds on bib Update all holds*
CRUD holds
Add one hold to a list of holds
POST /bib/b100123/holds
Get all holds on bib
GET /bib/b100123/holds
Update all holds*
PUT /bib/b100123/holds
Delete all holds
DELETE /bib/b100123/holds

37. Create something on a hold* Get one hold Update one hold
CRUD one hold
Create something on a hold*
POST /bib/b100123/holds/hold2
Get one hold
GET /bib/b100123/holds/hold2
Update one hold
PUT /bib/b100123/holds/hold2
Delete one hold
DELETE /bib/b100123/holds/hold2

38. Authentication with OAuth2
Oauth is an open authentication protocol
Ability to run a rest service granted to a User using Auth/Auth
Token is like a temporary library card
Diff between OAuth1 and Oauth2 is SSL for return of the token and subsequent request

39. Add /v1 to the beginning of every request In the future, we’ll add /v2
Versioning
Add /v1 to the beginning of every request
/v1/bib/b100123/holds
In the future, we’ll add /v2
/v2/bib/b100123/holds
Later, end of life all of /v1

40. We use the APIs to build Sierra Automatically exposed Documentation
Support
We use the APIs to build Sierra
Automatically exposed
Documentation
Deployment
Developer Keys
Eat our own dog food

41. Which APIs? And When?
Patron Facing: Place & Cancel Holds, Renew Items
WebCirc: Check Out, Check In
Item Availability
Set Item Status
Create Orders
Create Pull Slips
Tell Us!

42. Questions?

43. Thank You!