Data Collection Best Practices

Follow data collection guidelines to verify the STA is receiving up-to-date library data.

Test the Library Connection

Certain activities performed in STA or on a monitored library may cause the library connection to drop. To minimize the dropped connection time and prevent the loss of large amounts of data, perform a connection test at the following times:

After the initial library connection between STA and a library has been configured
After any STA SNMP client settings have been modified
After any connection settings for a monitored library have been modified
After a monitored library has been rebooted or experienced a redundant electronics switch
Any time the library engine ID field is blank on the Library Connections – Monitored Libraries screen
After STA has been upgraded

Perform initial library data collections

After configuring STA, you should perform a manual library data collection on each library configured to the STA server. It is recommended that you perform these initial data collections while library activity is low or stopped.

Configure automatic daily library data collections

STA relies on automatic daily library data collections to gather key information for processing exchanges and evaluating the state of the library. Ideally, the daily data collections should be scheduled for times when the library is less busy. It is recommended that you choose the best time for your organization.

Perform manual data collections as-needed

For STA to receive library data, you must perform a manual data collection at the following times:

After a new library connection has been configured
After connection settings in STA and on the library have been modified
After a redundant electronics switch has occurred
After there have been any hardware configuration changes to the library, including moving drives