HomeMy WebLinkAbout0467.093~ • •
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september 2, 1993
Honorable City council
Palo Alto, california
....
STA1US OF !.zl5R/ltRY COMPUTER 0PERATIQfi
Members of the Council:
REPORT IN BS;EF
This is an informational report
Division's computer hardware.
report and recommendation to
replacement of this equipment.
this time.
HISTORY OF LrBRARY'S AUTOMATION
about the condition of the Library
Staff plans to brinq a detaile.d
Council later in the year for
No action by Council is required at
The Palo Alto libraries were first automated in 1977 with a CLSI
circulation syste~~ The CLSI hardware and soEtware were replaced
in 1985 with Dynix-software, operating on an Ultimate based
Honeywell aainfra~e. The Dynix software now provides support f~r
circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, magazine records, the public
catalog (including dial-up access) and community resources
services~ Until recently, hardware operating the software has been
completely reliable.
To date, citizens and the Library staff haVe enjoyed slightly
longer and qreetly i~proved service from the Dynix system than from
the CLSI syst.em. It became clear, hoW'ever, that. the equipment was
beginning to be superseded by new te~hnology and that t.he hardware
could not accommodate neW' products and servicec; becoming
commonplace in the information carketp!ace. Therefore, in 1991,
staff established a goal .for the 1992-94 b1.ldget to prepare a report
of Library automation development needs for the next ten years. ~
The report was to include a long-term plan, as well as an analysis
of the .life expect.ancy and cost effectiveness of the
Ultimate/Honeywell system. A completion date of November 1/ 1993
was ect, so that the report's findings could serve as a basis for
a proposal in the 1994-96 City budget, in particular fer inclusion
in the city's capital improvement process.
CKR:467~9J
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~TANT WORK AND poWN~
Due to the ra~id developments in the libra~y automation field and
the highly technical nature of the issues to be incorporated into
~ plan~ staff opted to hire a consul cant to a~sist in the plannin9
~rocess~ An RFP vas issued and the consultant, Joseph Ford and
Associates, ~as hired this spring. His first site visit occurred
in June, coincident with the Library's c~mputer suffering a flrst
ever, substantial and l'3ngthy pe:ic--jj of do;.;rntirne, stretchinq o .... er
ten days. Mr. Ford had firsthand ~xperience vith what he called
~recurrin9 problems .•. symptomatic of elderly computing equipment.
These included 1) the lack of fresh spare parts (as the new parts
are new out of production). 2) no refurbishing capability for some
so1id-state parts, 3) dependence upon a decreasi1l9 number of
qualified maintendnce personnel, end 4) the advanced age and design
of" the processor. As time goes by •• e can expect increO!ls.ing
maintenance costs for less and less service.
Furthermore~ While a conditioned computer power circuit is
installed at the Main Libra~y where the ccmputer is located, the
Ultimate system is particularly susceptible to relatively sm.all
ehahqes in electrical current. The June downtime was extended as
a result of power outages in Palo Alto near the Hain Library, which
might have ~en avoided if an Uninterruptible power 3upply (UPS)
had been installed.
In response to this p~ecarious situation, Mr. Ford adapted his work
plan and prepared an interim report in July. The report
recollUDended that the City proce~ with immediate purchase of
replacement hardware to continue support of current operations
instead of delaying a decision until the next fiscal ye~r~ Mr.
Ford projects that the present computer is 0p2ratinq on borrowed
time; that maintenance efforts, despite best efforts by staff and
computer maintenance field statf~ may not be able to restore
re.liable. service after iI prolonged downtime period; and that public
confidence in the reliability of Library recordkeepinq ~ould be at
risk, should this scenario occur. Further. Mr. Ford has confirmed
that there is no residual value ill the eqlJipmet".t~ i.e., the city
has gotten all the value it can from this equipment.
Mr. Ford's final report. with a
to the city by November 1;
considered in the usual ~ay.
n .. ,.ERIH STEPS
long-term plan, ~ill be presented
and its reco!lU'llendations will be
Given the fragility of the Library computer hardware mainframe and
the "fact that there is nothing that can be done to prolong' tbe life
of the e~lip=ent. st""ps f'le'!'d to begin immediately to procure
replacement equipment rather than 'Waiting until the next budget
cycl~. ~s c~iqinally planned.
CMR:467:93
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In preparation for replacement, staff will:
1) Purchase a UPS to avoid repetition of the pO~gr outaqe
problem that occurred in JurJE.~. Sufficient funds tor this
purchase are available in an oI:uthorize-d Informat1~n
Resources Department capital budget.
2) Prepare appropriate doc ... me.nt~ t.o r'!'quest price qu.:'ltes
from a variaty of vendors for replacement hard~are.
3) DetenDine an. llppropriate funding SOUl".c.::e for this purchase.
When items 2 and 3 are complet~d~ staff .111 return to Council vith
:s report, including a erp request, and dgencJize the matter for Finance Committ~9 discussion.
Respe~tfully submitted~
?:::7J:'~
Director o~ Libraries
~'r!~r-
Thiltgen
or of Community Services
CMR!467:93
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