MeLCat Technical Requirements

Local Online System

Local Systems Other Than Innovative Interfaces

If you have a local online catalog and circulation system from a vendor other than Innovative Interfaces, your system will need to have these capabilities:

  1. Ability to export bibliographic and holdings records in MARC format, preferably with circulation status information.
  2. Ability to export patron records, until the NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (NCIP) is operational.
  3. Ability to frequently update both holdings and patron records.
  4. (Desirable but not mandatory) In 2005 or later, NCIP implementation in your local circulation system, using Direct Consortial Borrowing (DCB) Profile 3 for a Broker Application.
For NCIP DCB Profile 3, go to: http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/NCIP-DCB-3.pdf

MeLCat does not require that your local system have Z39.50 capability.

If your bibliographic records need to be upgraded, your holdings records need to better reflect what is actually on your shelves, or your patron records are out-of-date or need email addresses, now is the time for you to get them updated and ready for MeLCat.

Innovative Interfaces Local Systems

Local systems from Innovative Interfaces need to be running the INN-Reach interface on Millennium Release 2006 software.  Release 2005 or earlier is not compatible.

Un-automated Libraries

Libraries that have no local catalog or circulation systems will need to have staff workstations with a connection to the Internet to access the MeLCat servers to add their holdings with a Web browser and create patron records with client software.

Telecommunications Requirements

For All Libraries

Access to MeLCat servers needs to be possible through any local firewall software. Information about which ports to open for communication with the MeLCat servers is provided during the MeLCat orientation sessions.

For Non-Innovative Systems and Un-automated Libraries

For dedicated connections, the minimum bandwidth recommended is 56 KBPS.

Staff workstations must have dedicated or static IP addresses, i.e., they must not change each time you access the Internet. Because the MeLCat servers are behind a firewall, access to them is controlled by password and limited to known IP addresses for staff workstations.

To check the IP addresses on your staff workstations, go to:www.whatismyip.com . The IP addresses should be the same every day.

Software For Secure Transmission Of Information

Non-Innovative Local System Staff Workstations

Participating libraries will use Secure Shell (SSH) security protocol on their staff workstations to transmit patron and bibliographic records from their local servers to the MeLCat server. For a tutorial about SSH, go to: How to use SSH? SSH version 2 is required for MeLCat.

Here are links to three free SSH client software packages for Windows staff workstations. MeLCat staff are providing support for ssh.com.

  1. PuTTY, an SSH client that does secure file transfer as well as secure Telnet.
  2. ssh.com, a non-commercial version that does secure file transfer as well as secure Telnet and requires accepting a license to use.
  3. WinSCP, open source client for secure file transfer using SSH.

For Macintosh workstations, here are two free SSH packages:

  1. MacSSH, open-source Telnet Terminal emulation with SSH2--version 2--protocol support.
  2. Fugu, a Mac OS X SFTP, SCP and SSH frontend.

Innovative Local Systems

To ensure secure transmission of patron information between local Innovative servers and the MeLCat server, libraries with Innovative local systems will use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security protocol for data encryption. Innovative's software is compatible with all SSL certificates. Encryption strength of 40-bit is acceptable. Libraries should use a "trusted" certificate authority.  Internal certificates do not meet the security requirements.  For information about SSL, Innovative libraries can go to CSDirect to read the SSL FAQ.

Library Staff Workstations

For minimum specifications for library staff workstations capable of using the MeLCat Java client software, go to: MeLCat Library Staff Workstation Requirements

Patron Workstations

Workstations for patrons to use MeLCat must have current Web browser software capable of handling Java script.