In the course of normal ILL operation, OCLC Updates will be run on a schedule from the ILLiad server. Any items for which an update was attempted, but for any reason failed, will be flagged as Connection Manager Errors on the Connection Manager Log. If errors occur during the update that could be fixed by allowing another institution more time to update the transactions to any prerequisite OCLC statuses, the ILLiad Connection Manager will automatically attempt to update them a second time, during the next scheduled ILLiad Connection Manager update, before designating them in the ILLiad Client as Connection Manager Errors with the Items Need Attention icon.
You may notice the following error on your ILLiad server in the Windows System Event Log each night between midnight and 3am: "The ILLiad Connection Manager service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 1 time(s). The following corrective action will be taken in 0 milliseconds: Restart the service." This is normal as the service resets itself. The ILLiad Connection Manager Service is set to restart automatically after stopping. As long as you use the ILLiad Auto Updater or the InstallConnectionManager.bat file provided with it to install the service, it will be set to restart automatically. For more information, see the Microsoft Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Identifying the Error
Connection Manager Errors generated by a failed attempt to update an OCLC transaction will display by Process Type and Error Category in the Transactions grid. The ILLiad Transaction Number for the transaction is displayed in the left column. These are just two possible update error messages. For further information about the various types of update errors and their causes, consult OCLC's documentation. It can be found online at https://help.oclc.org/Resource_Sharing/ILLiad/Troubleshooting/.
- Record Not Found means that the ILL number for the specified ILLiad transaction(s) does not exist in OCLC, and thus cannot be updated. For whatever reason, the ILL record has been deleted from OCLC by either the Borrowing institution or by the Lender.
- Receive not allowed here means that the ILL number does exist, but the item in question is not at the appropriate OCLC status to update to Received. The most likely explanation for this is that the Lending institution has not yet updated the item to Shipped.
Different errors may require different responses from the ILL staff. Some errors may safely be ignored, while others should probably be dealt with in some way. Make your response determination based on the error message and the likely causes of such a message.
If The Error Requires Action
Open the ILLiad Request Form
If action is required, open the ILLiad Request Form for the transaction by double-clicking it in the Transactions grid. The ILLiad Request Form will display a Manage Errors Ribbon with a Connection Manager Error icon. This ribbon is outlined in red to call attention to the error. The History tab, located directly below this ribbon, displays information associated with the Connection Manager Errors in addition to the other information about the transaction that is stored in the History table.
Determine the OCLC Status of the Transaction
When the Request Form is opened, the system performs a search of the OCLC system for the record. The OCLC Status is displayed in the System/OCLC Information pane.
Usually, you will be able to determine the reason for the Connection Manager Error from the information displayed on the OCLC record. For example, an item to be updated to Received was not updated to Shipped by the lender. It is still at a Pending status in OCLC and thus cannot currently be received by the Borrowing institution.
Note: The automated searching feature may be enabled/disabled in the Customization Manager under System - OCLC by changing the AutoCheckOCLCStatus key from Yes to No. To update the OCLC Status value by performing a manual lookup of the current OCLC Status, you may do so by clicking the refresh button next to the OCLC Status field. This button also serves as a manual means of looking up the OCLC Status for those institutions that decide to disable the automatic OCLC Status Lookup feature. The current status of the transaction in OCLC will display in the OCLC Status field when found. There may be a several-second delay between opening the form and displaying the OCLC Status value while this search is being performed. This search is performed in the background and will not prevent you from performing any other actions from the Request Form.
Determine and Implement the Appropriate Action
Typically a phone call or an email to the other institution will inform them of the problem and give them an opportunity to correct it.
If The Error Does Not Require Action
If the error message does not require action, you may clear the error from the ILLiad Client. For the Record Not Found error, for example, the problem is that the ILL number for that transaction has been deleted from OCLC.
The ILL number record for the request in OCLC cannot be recreated. The easiest method of dealing with this problem is to ignore the error message, clear the error, and proceed with processing the transaction as normal. In such an event, it is usually a good idea to contact the other institution anyway and inform them of the situation. This is especially important if charges/fees are involved.
Clearing Connection Manager Error Statuses
Clearing an Entire Error Status
To clear all Connection Manager Errors associated with a specific error status, select all of the errors to be cleared by using the shift-click keyboard command, and click the Clear Selected Errors icon. This will clear the selected error category and all associated transactions. When all errors are cleared, the Item Needs Attention Button next to the Connection Manager in the Systems Group will no longer be visible.
Clearing Transaction-Specific Connection Manager Errors
There are two ways to clear Transaction-Specific Errors. These methods will clear the error for ONLY that specific transaction.
- Select the specific Connection Manager Error you want to delete in the Transactions Log and click the Clear Selected Errors icon on the System Information Ribbon.
- Double-click on a Connection Manager Error in the Transactions Log to bring up the Request Form for the transaction. From the ILLiad Request Form, after dealing with the error for that specific transaction, select Connection Manager Error from the Error Clearing section of the Manage Errors Ribbon.