The Innopac Z39.50 server supports these features

• The Innopac Z39.50 Server will operate with clients that use either version 2 or version 3 of the Z39.50 protocol
• Only Query Types 0 and 1 are supported
• Initialization, Scan, Search, and Present are supported
• Result Set Naming is not supported
• Resource Control, Passwords, and Authentication are not supported
• Item and holdings information is sent to Z39.50 clients when the Innopac Z39.50 Server receives requests for FULL data in the "OPAC" format (OID 1.2.840.10003.5.102). OPAC format requests for BRIEF data returns just Bibliographic and holdings information.

Search Attributes for the Innopac Z39.50 server

When a client formulates a request for a Z39.50 server, the request includes attributes that specify, for example, the type of term (author, title, subject, etc.), whether the term is truncated, its structure, etc. The server is responsible for mapping these attributes to the logical design of the database. The possible database access points and its related information [such as whether a search term can be truncated] has been collected into the Z39.50 standard, and is called the Bib-1 Attribute Set. Unfortunately, the client may request that, for example, an author search be performed in record fields that the target database does not contain. The "attributes" listed below are designed to provide the greatest match between the capabilities of the client and the Boston University Z39.50 server that provides access to the online catalog [Innopac].

Bib-1 Attribute Set Values for the Innopac Z39.50 Server

Author

1. Use Field: Author -- 1003
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: First in field -- 1
4. Structure: Phrase -- 1
5. Truncate: Right truncation -- 1
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

Title

1. Use Field: Title -- 4
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: First in field -- 1
4. Structure: Phrase -- 1
5. Truncate: Right truncation -- 1
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

Subject

1. Use Field: Subject -- 21
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: First in field -- 1
4. Structure: Phrase -- 1
5. Truncate: Right truncation -- 1
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

Word

1. Use Field: Title -- 4
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: Any position in field -- 3
4. Structure: Word list -- 6
5. Truncate: No truncation -- 100
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

ISBN

1. Use Field: ISBN -- 7
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: Any position in field -- 1
4. Structure: Phrase -- 1
5. Truncate: No truncation -- 100
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

ISSN

1. Use Field: ISSN -- 8
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: Any position in field -- 1
4. Structure: Phrase -- 1
5. Truncate: No truncation -- 100
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

INNOPAC Bibliographic Record Number

1. Use Field: Record number -- 12
2. Relation: Equal -- 3
3. Position: First in field -- 1
4. Structure: Phrase -- 1
5. Truncate: No truncation -- 100
6. Completeness: Incomplete subfield -- 1

Notes on how Innopac interacts with client requests

• For record number searches, the user enters the record number without the check digit.
• The Z39.50 standard does not cover Authority records and Z39.50 searches do not return Authority records. Therefore, searches done of INNOPAC databases that contain Authority records will produce different results than the same searches done using INNOPAC's "native" OPAC.
• INNOPAC "native" searches report on the number of "entries" retrieved. Included in this number are entries for cross references -- both "See" and "See Also" references. INNOPAC's Z39.50 server will attempt to filter out these references, hence the Z39.50 server will report a different number of "entries" or "records" retrieved than INNOPAC's OPAC will. However, it is not able to filter out all of these references when the Z39.50 server reports on the entries retrieved, since it may be necessary to physically examine the individual records to determine whether they are references or Bibliographic records. This is particularly true when large numbers of "entries" are retrieved. Thus, a request from a Z39.50 client for entries 1021-1028 out of a set of 1030 entries may not produce the expected eight Bibliographic records.

Return to the Z39.50 page.