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Home > Minerva > Support > How to Handle System Emergencies

How To Handle System Emergencies

A system emergency is a situation in which Minerva becomes inoperable for circulation, cataloging and/or the public access catalog, at a particular participating library site. Follow these steps in analyzing and reporting the situation.

1. Assess the situation:

a. Test general Internet access by trying to reach the following sites:

If none of these is reachable, you  probably have a telecommunications problem and should contact your provider directly and immediately to report the problem.  MSLN sites can reach technical help toll-free at 888-FOR-MSLN.  If you use another provider, that firm doubtless maintains a help desk as well.  If you have established that the network connection is the problem, you probably don't need to follow this procedure any further.

b. If the network checks out, launch QVT-Term or another telnet client, enter the character-based system at minerva.maine.edu,  and check to see if "control is down" on the server, as indicated by any backlog in the internal processing of record changes (the transaction file).

From the main menu, this area is reached by choosing Management Information, Information About the System, File Information, System Status (M-I-F-S). At about the middle of the screen, you should see: "Transaction file has xxxx blocks, xx not processed." The second number should be 0 or very close. If it is not 0, Quit, then select System Status again (Q-S). The Not Processed number should have decreased or gone to 0.

If the count only increases, it is likely that "control is down" and that IMMEDIATE action is necessary. Call the system coordinator right away.  Innovative Interfaces will be contacted and asked to debug the problem and restart processing.

c. If you can log onto the system with neither telnet nor a graphical client program, check whether the web OPAC at http://minerva.maine.edu is also non-functional.

2. Contact the System Administrator.

Call Deb Hensler, 592-1825, and explain the nature of the emergency. Report what you discovered in the diagnostic steps described above and how long the system has been down.

If she is not immediately available, leave a brief voice mail message describing the nature of the failure, the steps you've already taken to diagnose the problem, how long the system has been down, and your contact information.

Generally an announcement of problems and fixes is made to the Minerva-L mailing list.

3. If Deb is not immediately available, a designated person from your library may contact the appropriate party directly.  This is to be done only as a last resort.  Contact the iii helpdesk by going to the CSDirect website and using the toll-free # on the left side of the screen.

a. Where the system is accessible (the OPAC works) but not processing transactions (as viewed through telnet), contact Innovative Interfaces.

As libraries go live on the system, someone from each should be added to the list of those authorized to initiate support calls:

  • Andover College Library: Martha Ott
  • Auburn Public Library:  Brian Usher
  • Augusta Schools: Jennifer Lewis
  • Bailey Public Library: Colleen P. Crowley
  • Baxter Memorial Library: Deb Buker
  • Belfast Free Library: Shandi Daigle
  • Bigelow Laboratory: Pam Shepard-Lupo
  • Boothbay Harbor PL: Betty Hughes
  • Calais Memorial Library: Marilyn Sotirelis
  • Camden Public LIbrary:  Jared Ledbetter
  • CMCC: Judy Frost: Judi Moreno
  • Curtis Memorial Library: Marian Dalton
  • Edythe Dyer Community Library: Debbie Lozito
  • EMMC: Cindy White
  • EMCC: Karen Reilly
  • Falmouth Memorial Library: Lynda Sudlow, Linda McConnell
  • Gardiner Public Library: Janet Bolduc
  • Gray Public Library: Marie Morey
  • Husson University: Amy Averre, Diane Hanscom
  • Jesup Memorial Library: Kathy Woodside
  • KVCC: Stephen LaRochelle
  • Lewiston Public Library: Rick Speer
  • Lithgow Public Library:  Nelson Eubanks
  • Ludden Memorial Library: Peggy Malley
  • Machias High School:  Arlene Porter
  • Maine Historical Society:  Nancy Noble
  • Maine General Medical Center: Cora Damon
  • Maine State Library Outreach Services:  Chris Boynton
  • McArthur Public Library: Vicki Smith
  • NMCC: Kim Ferguson
  • Norway Memorial Library, Ann Siekman
  • Patten Free Library: Anne Phillips
  • Rockland Public Library: Nikki Maounis
  • Rockport Public Library: Molly Larson
  • Rumford Public Library: Karl Aromaa
  • Saint Joseph's College, Natalie Hutchinson
  • Scarborough Public Library, Susan Winch
  • Skidompha Public Library, Pam Gormley
  • So Portland Public Library: Charlotte Spear
  • South Portland Schools  Connie Burns
  • SMCC  Dot Mosden, Carin Dunay
  • Thomas College: Lisa Auriemma
  • Thomas Memorial Library: Jay Scherma
  • Topsham Public Library, Cyndi Burne
  • Unity College, Melora Ranney Norman
  • WCCC, Joline Cook
  • Walker Memorial Library, Jen Leo
  • Warren Memorial Library, Wendy Hysko
  • Waterville PL: Cathy Perkins
  • Wells PUblic Library  Kristi Bryant
  • Wells Reserve Library  Laura Lubelczyk
  • Witherle Memorial Library: Anne Romans
  • YCCC: Amber Tatnall
  • York Public Library: Sudie Blanchard

(Contact Deb to designate a different Innovative contact person for your library.)

b. Where the server is completely unresponsive, contact UNET, the University of Maine System's computing and telecommunications service.  First, try John Grover at 561-3510. If he is unavailable, try MSLN support at 1-888-FOR-MSLN.

Note: Please let Deb know if you have contacted either III or UNET.

4. Watch for Outage Report.

Subsequent to the event, an Outage Report will usually be posted on the Minerva-L mailing list, explaining what happened.

For suggestions for improvements in this procedure, contact us.