System/component down communication path

See Best Practices for Decision Pages and Tags for groups

Legend: not started IN PROGRESS STALLED decided

Recommendation

Campuses have the option to use this communication path as a guide for effective communication with stakeholders during a system/component down event.

Impact

Reasoning

The use of this path is targeted for IZ-specific system/component down instances which affect the entire consortia. 

If you suspect a local SILS issue is also happening at another campus, this document is NOT for you. Please contact the Operations Team listserv and Slack. In this case, the OT works on this together and may communicate out as a team.

Be proactive! Communication sooner rather than later is best.

Background

Following the UC Berkeley experience with NRLF requests not passing through successfully to CAIA (NRLF inventory management system) as a result of a stuck request in Alma, UC Berkeley had to determine a pathway for communicating to both local and UC SILS Cohort stakeholders regarding the status and impact of this issue.

By default the Operations Team rep should be the one coordinating Level 1 and 2 communications (as outlined below), but if you have a local staff member who is more appropriate by all means delegate or share the work. Communications may occur via email, UC Shared ILS Slack, or both.

Guide for tiered technical communications 

Level 3 - Initial issue report: Very technical communication

• Intention: targeted communication with those actively involved in the issue; highest level of specificity

• Audience:

  • ExL support

  • Staff involved in troubleshooting issue (local and/or SILS cohort)

• Information to include:

  • date of issue/occurrence

  • case number(s) with Ex Libris

  • description of issue, including external systems/jobs/error messages (if applicable)

  • MMS IDs (if applicable)

  • specific file names

  • PIDs, job IDs, request IDs

  • server paths

  • specific staff (if relevant)

• Information to omit:

  • None! Be as specific as possible

• Example situations:

  • ExLibris support cases

  • Email/slack with those actively involved

  • Meeting minutes/notes

Operations Team Rep duties:

Level 2 -  Consultation with specific stakeholders: Technical communication

• Intention: inform stakeholders about an issue; likely a request to share with others

• Audience: 

  • local Alma/Primo VE team

  • SILS SysOps

  • SILS OST(s)

  • SILS Operations Team (via OT Rep)

  • Ex Libris support managers

• Information to include:

  • date of issue/occurrence

  • case number(s) with Ex Libris

  • description of issue, including external systems/jobs/error messages (if applicable)

  • MMS IDs (if applicable)

  • timeline of next communication or, if known, proposed resolution

  • request to share with appropriate groups

  • any other requested action

• Information to omit: 

  • specific file names

  • PIDs, job IDs, request IDs

  • server paths

  • specific individuals involved (unless relevant)

• Example situations:

  • Email/Slack to OT outlining issue

  • Email to local Alma/Primo VE team outlining issue

  • Request to local OT representative to escalate issue with ExLibris support

Level 1 - FYI to broad audience: Least technical communication

• Intention: inform the widest audience about an issue; likely informational only

• Audience: 

  • library staff (ex: all staff listserv)

  • SILS all-cohort

  • Local administration

• Information to include: 

  • date of issue/occurrence

  • high-level description of issue

  • timeline of next communication or, if known, proposed resolution

  • who to contact if questions arise

• Information to omit: 

  • Ex Libris case number(s)

  • specific processes/programs/files

  • specific individuals involved (unless relevant)

• Example situations:

  • Campus-wide listserv email

  • Addition to local “known issue” for staff

Checklist of groups to inform

Local:

• Local all-staff listserv (Level 1)

or

• Local Alma users (Level 1)

    and

• Local Alma/Primo VE team (Level 2)

or

• Local functional area team(s) (Level 2)

• Systems admin/troubleshooting staff (Level 3)

UC-wide:

• SILS all-cohort (Level 1)

• SILS Operations Team (Level 2)

• SILS OST(s) (Level 2)

• SILS SysOps

• SILS troubleshooting partners (Level 3)

External:

• Ex Libris Support managers (Level 2)

• Ex Libris on-ticket support (Level 3)

Example timeline of issue reporting (SF#06284390)

2/17/2022 - Issue reported locally: Send request to remote storage job failed (Level 3)

2/17/2022 - Local stakeholders informed (NRLF, Fulfillment, Library IT staff (Level 3)

2/17/2022 - Case submitted to Ex Libris (Level 3)

< 3 day weekend, 2/18 - 2/22 > 

2/23/2022 - Case escalated from Medium to High priority with Ex Libris (Level 2)

2/23/2022 - Issue communicated to Ex Libris Support managers and SILS SM (Level 2)

2/24/2022 - Issue reported to Operations Team Slack channel (Level 2)

2/25/2022 - Issue reported to all library staff at UC Berkeley (Level 1)

2/25/2022 - Issue reported to SILS all-cohort Slack channel (Level 1)

3/1/2022 - Workaround identified and implemented (Level 3)

3/1/2022 - Workaround communicated to local Alma/Primo VE team (Level 2)

3/1/2022 - Workaround communicated to Operations Team Slack channel (Level 2)

3/1/2022 - Workaround communicated to SILS all-cohort Slack channel (Level 1)

3/2/2022 - Workaround communicated all library staff at UC Berkeley (Level 1)

Stakeholder and issue trigger table