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Disaster Recovery Plan for ISO ILL libraries
1. Background
From time to time ISO ILL libraries experience problems with their ILL system, or with the server on which their system runs. Such problems also occur from time to time on the Libraries Australia Document Delivery Gateway, through which many ISO ILL libraries interoperate.
While some problems have minimal impact, others have a more profound impact - not only on the library experiencing the problem, but on other libraries interoperating via ISO ILL with that library. Examples include: system crashes, system downtime, lost data, corrupted data etc.
How can we, as a community of ISO ILL libraries, best deal with these disasters?
2. Purpose
The aim of this document is to raise awareness of the effects of critical system or server problems on other ISO ILL libraries, and to outline a collective approach to disaster recovery planning, in order to minimise the damage and expedite solutions.
The document does not aim to present specific practical solutions to disaster recovery since each situation is different and requires a different solution.
3. Communication
Effective communication is paramount when a disaster occurs.
If an ISO ILL library experiences a problem, it is important that the library notify others as soon as possible in order to minimise the damage and expedite possible solutions.
Notifying Libraries Australia Document Delivery Administration at the National Library of Australia (NLA) is important because NLA staff can then take action such as:
- suspending the affected location on the NLA Gateway so no ILL requests can reach that location;
- advising other ISO ILL libraries of the suspension so they can suspend the affected library on their system;
- assist in data recovery (if required) based on ISO ILL messages recorded on the NLA Gateway.
If the problem occurs on the NLA Gateway, NLA staff will send an email to the relevant e-lists (LibrariesAustraliaDocDel-l, VDX-l, ISOlibs-l) advising users of the problem. If NLA staff cannot post to these e-lists (e.g. due to internet/email problems), they will contact another ISO partner and ask them to post to these e-lists on behalf of the NLA.
4. Disaster recovery
a. Role of vendor
It is not the role of ISO ILL software vendors to inform other ISO ILL libraries of system or server problems experienced by their customers. Therefore, they cannot be expected to instruct their customers when to notify other libraries of system problems - this is the responsibility of the affected library.
b. Role of affected library
It is the role of the library experiencing the system or server problem to communicate the problem to other libraries where that problem affects other libraries interoperating with them via the ISO ILL protocol. It is understood that some problems are of a sensitive nature, therefore publicising details of the cause of the problem is at the discretion of the library concerned.
When communicating the problem to the NLA or other libraries (see Section 2) it is useful to:
- advise the date the problem first occurred;
- detail the nature of the problem e.g. system or server problem;
- advise the affect of the problem e.g. lost data or creation of duplicate requests;
- estimate the extent of the problem e.g. number of libraries affected;
- be as specific as possible;
- advise of steps toward resolution of the problem;
- advise when the problem has been resolved.
c. Role of NLA
In the event of ISO ILL partner libraries experiencing system or server problems, NLA staff can assist with:
- communication (see Section 2);
- problem resolution (e.g. extracting information from the NLA Gateway and providing it to a library whose system has ‘lost’ that data).
Disaster recovery in the event of data lost on the NLA Gateway due to Gateway system or server problems will present a difficult challenge for all ISO ILL libraries using the NLA Gateway. As outlined in Section 2, NLA staff will advise ISO ILL partners should such a situation arise.
5. Conclusion
Some system or server problems are difficult to resolve and made more complex by ISO ILL interoperability. However, as a community we can act collectively to take steps that will minimise the damage and expedite possible solutions.

