Table of Contents
Library Update via XML Export
Why do you have to update the database from time to time and what exactly happens when you follow the instructions given here? The working environment for the VLP mainly consists of two interfaces: The FileMaker database and the VLP-website. The website displays the content that FileMaker provides but does not communicate directly with the FileMaker database, only indirectly. Therefore the FileMaker database (with its own data structure and graphical interface) into which the VLP team enters data has to be synchronized with another database, called PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL is a different database language and grammar than FileMaker, and it is again used by the institutes content management system Zope, with which the VLP website is built.
This how-to contains two parts: The main part describes the three simple steps to update the library 1)with the help of buttons in FileMaker and the VLP's Intranet-environment. But do not ignore the footnotes: They contain “technical details” that help you to understand what happens “under the surface”of those buttons. The footnotes provide a more complicated and alternative way to update the library (used also for an update of all other databases or in case, the button-based way is broken).
1. Data export from FileMaker
Export all records from the VL-Literature database into an XML file:
choose XML_export from the menu in FileMaker/Scripts. The script will create a file vl_literature.xml in your FileMaker application folder (HD/Applications/FileMaker/vl-literature). This will take some time (~ 20 min.).
2)
2. Database update (data import into the PostgreSQL database)
Open a browser and go to the VLP's Intranet section (Username: vlp, password: Standard) and choose “Site administration” from the list on the left.
NEW: Please use this link http://vlp.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de:8080/vlp/vlp_coll/intranet/admin for accessing the site administration. Note that the link says “8080” in it: You thereby access the site administration through a special port and avoid timeouts while updating.
Upload the xml-file “vl_literature” you just exported from FileMaker with the help of the first button (“Choose”) on that page. Then make sure that you chose the right database from the popup menu to apply the exportfile to: You can only update the literature database vl_literature with the exported file vl_literature.xml, vl_images only with vl-images.xml … and so on. If you try to update one of those databases with the wrong exportfile, serious data loss will be the result, so take care! After having chosen the right database, you can click “Update the database”. A list will appear and it will take its time (up to an hour!) until it is is fully loaded. The browser will display the status of the update in the bottom to the left (Firefox), do not close the window until it displays “Done”. 3)
3. Zope Update
The last step before you will be able to view the results of the update (Latest Entries) lies behind the last button on “Site administration” called “Rebuild the Zope library repository”. When the PostgreSQL-database update is done, then press this button. This will open a new window and will again take some time, approximately 20 minutes. Have a look at the Latest Entries in the VLP and test if everything functions as it should. 4)
1. Copying the XML export file to the xserve02 server: Mount the xserve02 server using your MPIWG standard user name (your email name) and your standard password and choose your account from the list of shares. Copy the XML export file to your home directory on the xserve02.
2. Importing the data to the PostgreSQL database (Terminal): Use the Terminal application to connect to the xserve02:
ssh -l yourUsername xserve02
You will be asked for your standard MPIWG password when connecting for the first time, please agree to add the server to your local server list. When connected, call the import script with the export file name as the only argument:
/usr/local/bin/vlp-updatedb.sh vl_literature.xml
The script will start the import of the records, indicating the progress with INFO messages.
Important: Please do not close the Terminal window during this process, this will stop the import.
