Setting Up Offline Circulation for Manual Uploading

If your library is not using automated offline processing, the offline transaction files (.TRN) files must be copied manually from the offline workstations and uploaded to the appropriate directory. You can upload transaction files to any directory, anywhere on the network share. But you must first create the appropriate Polaris\[version]\offline folder in that directory, before you upload the files. Administrators can specify the filepath for offline transaction files on the workstation during staff client installation.

When staff members are done using offline Polaris, the transaction files from each offline client must be copied to the online staff client workstation, located by default at:

Local Drive:\ProgramData\Polaris\[version]\OfflineTransaction
or
Local Drive:\ProgramData\Polaris\[version]\datalink\OfflineTransaction)

When you upload the files, a report (log file) is created. The file extension changes from .TRN to .LOG. For example, the file name PTF 2017 06 01 0913 _workstation name.LOG consists of the following elements:

PTF is an abbreviation for Polaris Transaction File
2017 is the year the file was created
06 is the month
01 is the day
0913 is the time (using the 24 hour clock)
workstation name is the machine name of the offline client
LOG is the extension

Under certain conditions, warning messages appear in the upload report. This generally occurs when an item was checked in or checked out offline, but the circulation status is not In or Out when uploaded to online Polaris. The item that circulated offline would have caused a block or alert if it had circulated online; for example, a patron exceeds the overdue item limit at check-out, or an item that fills a hold request is checked out. The warning messages in the upload report alert the staff that some follow-up action or an automatic update by Polaris may be necessary. See Upload Report Warning Messages.

Holds Processing at Upload

When an offline file with check-in transactions is uploaded, eligible items are trapped An item is said to be trapped for a hold when an item that fills a request is scanned at circulation and the system links the item to a specific request, either automatically or by displaying a message that prompts you for a decision. for holds by default. This may be a problem for some libraries, where staff might overlook the upload report indicating that an item has been trapped, and reshelve the item instead of holding it. In this case, set the Patron Services parameter Offline: Trap holds at check-in to No to suppress any holds processing when offline check-in transactions are uploaded. The default setting is Yes, which allows holds processing at upload. The parameter is available at the system, library, and branch levels.