This trial is due to run from 24 July 1995 until 24 November 1995.
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 95 10:53:00 GMT
From: Julie Stevens <julie@bronnie.aldis.com.au>
Subject: Rolling trial databases - ERL pilot project
The 'rolling trial databases' on the ALDIS/SilverPlatter/ERL pilot project are to be changed from early next week. The following databases are to be mounted:
The following databases will be removed:
As an introduction to Internet subscription services and ERL technology, SilverPlatter and ALDIS are collaborating to provide access by Universities around Australia to twenty bibliographic databases to be installed on a national server.
This service is a co-operative venture of CAUL, the Council of Australian University Librarians, the Australian Vice-Chancellor's Committee (AVCC), ALDIS - A Division of Geac Computers, and SilverPlatter.
In summary, this pilot project is designed to provide CAUL members with an introduction to Internet subscription services and ERL technology. The pilot will give access to up to eight concurrent users to each of twenty SilverPlatter databases over a period of four months, with access made available to any properly accredited user of any CAUL member university library throughout Australia, including dial-in users.
Each institution may have one or more IDs assigned to it, depending on the institutions' requirements for record-keeping. There is no limit to the number of simultaneous users per ID; the only limit is the 8 users per database. Return to top of page.
Access is via the ERL client-server software. If you already have the client software it will only be necessary to add the new server's telnet address. If not, the software will be made available either on cdrom or via ftp. ERL Version 1.1 for Sun Solaris is now available in General Release. Software is retrievable by FTP from SilverPlatter's Boston Server.
Search software is available for Macintosh, Windows, and Dos based PC's, as well as VT100 terminals. Full functionality of SPIRS is supported with ERL. The UNIX client allows downloading by e-mail. Other clients permit local printing, downloading, search saving, etc. The defaults for this are set in the client's configuration software. This means that defaults can be changed by the user on their own workstation - they do not need to have individual user names to do this.
WebSPIRS 2.0 provides you with access to version 2.0 of WebSPIRS, the ERL-Web Gateway.
From 27 July 95 the VT100 client e-mail facility was fully operational. We are currently working on the VT100 function key emulation in an attempt to simplify the use of this client.
1. When you attempt your installation/configuration, please use the ALDIS installation instructions, rather than those supplied by SilverPlatter. Our instructions are included in the Systems packs previously distributed, and are titled Accessing ALDIS' ERL servers'.
2. Please use the institution specific logins provided by ALDIS via Diane Costello. Some people have attempted to use the 'example' logins included in the ALDIS instructions and have of course, had no success!
When telneting to Silver.aldis.com.au for access to the ERL Unix client you will be prompted for a login and a password to gain access to Silver. The login and password are:
Login erl
Password erl
After completing this process you will then be prompted to login into Unix Spirs with the login and password previously supplied for your institution by Aldis.
Problems with the Unix SPIRS version . The common problems experienced by CAUL are described below :
1. Function keys not functioning adequately or as expected.
2. Printing / Downloading / Email of results.
3. No support for 'my' terminal type.
4. Clumsy LOGIN procedure for the client.
Answers to these (from Jim Koutoumis, ALDIS) are :
1. Users have been experiencing problems with the implementation of the escape sequences to which the client responds. TCP/IP and internet timing/delays are resulting in 'sequences' not being recognized as such at the client end, hence resulting in peculiar results. This problem is amplified the further/slower the remote user is from our site here in Melbourne. We had been investigating a replacement 'control' sequence to be used instead of the 'escape' sequence.
This is now available. The key problems have been with F1 thru to F4, these can now be implemented with the following :
Function VT100-keystroke(s)
Help Ctrl-W
Find Ctrl-U then F
Guide Ctrl-U then G
Show Ctrl-U then S
[For example] I changed the VT100 client here to respond with HELP when it receives the 'code' Ctrl-W. For help a user can now use Ctrl-W, if possible they'd do better to program the function key equivalent, F1, on their terminal, to issue Ctrl-W, because visually the client still displays something like [F1] - Help, I cannot change this :-(
The remaining functions being as previously defined.
2. Downloading has been disabled within the client, this is due to the data being accumulated on the host's hard drive which users do not have access to. Printing via Email is currently the only 'usable' option.
With the current release of UNIX-SPIRS, printing is only possible to UNIX queues or via Email. For the purpose of the CAUL pilot project it is impracticable to configure remote printing for each and every site, requiring major reconfiguring at this site and configuration and ALL other sites. It is expected that the next release of UNIX-SPIRS will have the ability to print remotely via a printer directly attached to the AUXiliary port of a VT100 terminal.
3. A number of users have been informing us that their terminal types are not being recognized by the client. Response to this has been that this is a VT100 client hence it expects VT100 emulation.
4. The clumsy login procedure is required for the security of our host, this is no different to any UNIX account an administrator makes available to a user. We have attempted to simplify this by choosing a relatively simple combination of user and password of erl & erl which ALL participants can share.
The secondary login for the access to ERL is required for the meaningful collection of any STATS from this project. If this were automated through a generic login to ERL then any STATS collected would not be a TRUE indication of the system's usage, hence its requirement.
We are investigating an alternative solution whereby users can simply TELNET into the host and are greeted with an ERL login screen. When/if this option becomes available then ALL participants will be notified appropriately.
I hope this has explained the current problems and solutions as seen by me, I'd also like to point out that the majority of these problems can be resolved by locally installed VT100 servers as these can then be 'tailor-configured' for operation within the site.
Please ring the hotline if you have any problems.
Communications will be by a 192 kb link to AARNet, and the database hosting service will be run on two multi-processor systems running SilverPlatter's ERL software. Provision has been made to support up to 40 users of VT100.
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The databases are:
Databases awaiting approval:
Rolling trial databases (available for 30 days):
Requests for specific databases should be directed to ALDIS.
July 24 - August 23
August 24 to September 23.
From: Julie Stevens <julie@bronnie.aldis.com.au> Subject: Rolling trial databases, and further information packages Date: Tue, 29 Aug 95 13:21:00 GMT
all five databases previously listed as new databases for available on rolling trial basis for the month of August will be accessible by the close of business today. These titles have been gradually added over the last couple of days In addition, I would like to advise that by post tonight I am despatching three documents to each contact person. These packages include:
ALDIS are still working on other databases for the remaining two months of the trial, so keep those suggestions rolling in. All currently received suggestions are being negotiated.
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From Julie Stevens Academic Library Consultant ALDIS - A division of Geac Computers Pty Ltd Email : aldis@aldis.com.au Voice: 61 3 268 7687 Fax: 61 3 268 7689
An active marketing schedule planned to encourage the use of the CAUL/SilverPlatter/ALDIS pilot project.
To put it simply, this program is set to begin with distribution of information about the project prior to the service commencing, and will continue at regular intervals through the project hopefully leading to a progressive uptake of internet subscriptions by CAUL members!
The items to be included in this campaign are:
1. Despatch of introductory information to CAUL members (planned for despatch week beginning June 19) including:
2. Information sessions in each capital city
These sessions will be half-day sessions for attendance by key personnel from each institution. It is planned for a session to be held in each capital city, and will be conducted by both technical and marketing personnel from ALDIS. The purpose of the session is to provide as much information about the pilot project as possible to those responsible for use and marketing of the trial within the member institutions. Additional information packs will be available at this time upon request.
3. Statistical reports by institution
It is intended to distribute a statistical report of database use by each participating institution, by log-on, at the end of each month of the trial. This report will be copied in entirety to CAUL, with each institution's use levels being made available only to that institution.
4. Follow-up and support
Through-out the trial, I will be monitoring each institution's activities and liaising on ways in which we can further help with use of the trial. I also plan a mail-out later in the trial with information about latest details of ERL software enhancements, pricing for internet subscription services, etc.
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While the office trial start date is July 24, 1995, the service will be made available from July 10, 1995 to all CAUL members. During the two weeks between July 10 and July 24, ALDIS in conjunction with SilverPlatter are conducting a roadshow visiting all capital cities and Townsville. This roadshow is designed to provide each academic institution with the opportunity to gather as much information as possible about the trial and ERL software prior to the trial starting. Roadshow information seminars will be approximately 3 hours in duration, on the morning of each day, and will cover both the logistics, marketing and technical aspects of the trial.
The sessions will be presented by ALDIS representatives, including myself, and a SilverPlatter technical representative. There will be opportunity for questions to be asked (and answered!).
We would like to keep these sessions as informal as possible to enable all questions to be addressed. We are asking for a maximum of four representatives from each institution. We would like to request that this group of four include the person responsible for co-ordinating the project at your institution, and a representative from the library's systems support group (or the person most likely to provide users with technical support).
Dates for the roadshow are as follows:
Melbourne July 11
Canberra July 12
Sydney July 13
Brisbane July 14
Townsville July 17
Darwin July 18
Perth July 19
Adelaide July 20
Hobart July 21
An information pack will be forwarded to the contact person from each institution next week, with further information about the seminars (including venues) and the project as a whole. Further copies of this information pack will be available at the seminars.
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Statistics from ERL are generated to user name level. We are requesting each institution to provide the number of user names that they will require to generate usable statistical groupings for their institutions. Each user name has its own password, but all user names can have the same password if desired.
Statistical detail can be obtained according to use of individual databases by user names. These figures can be combined to provide institution level statistics. The statistics which can be retrieved include: start and end date of use; the number of records retrieved; the number of records retrieved with abstracts; the number of characters retrieved; the number of logins made. This means that we can provide statistics on how often each database is accessed by each user name, and much more.
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Subject: Hosting charge changes (23 November 1995)
Dear CAUL member
There has been a change to the pricing structure for remote access to SilverPlatter databases via ALDIS' ERL servers. I apologise for the late notice, but have only today received notification from the CAUL executive committee that the revision has been accepted.
The modification results from some concern by ALDIS of the best way to implement the 160 reduced rate hosting slots included in the original proposal. We wish to operate the remote service in a fair manner, and to distribute any special offers equally across the institutions.
As a result, ALDIS are offering CAUL members a hosting charge price of $375/simultaneous user/database for databases subscribed to over the Internet to ALDIS ERL server. There is no limit on the number of hosting slots that may be subscribed to at this rate. This price bracket will be available for uptake during the first 12 months following the trial only, and will be valid for a 12 month subscription only. From January 1997 prices will revert to those of non-CAUL members.
No discount will be offered for access to the Unix-SPIRS client server, making access available at a cost of $500/simultaneous user/database per year. The Unix-SPIRS access fees are payable in addition to the ERL server hosting charges.Should you have any queries about this change, or require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Julie Stevens Voice: Melb. (03) 92687687 Sales Consultant Sydney (02) 99787492 ALDIS e-mail: aldis@aldis.com.au A division of Geac Computers Pty Ltd A.C.N. 002 862 295Return to top of page.