We’re preparing to add a new member to our consortium this fall. Since we’re now at 99% Leap usage at some locations, we’re expecting some members would prefer to use Leap Offline during this time.
We’re aware of the limitations that it can only be use for CKOs and the challenges of storing the data in the browser’s cache, but is there anything else we should be aware of for those libraries that plan to use Leap Offline?
Hopping in on this one… We are moving to dedicated hosted mid-October and would love to know how folks are leveraging offline LEAP in a real world setting.
The limitations of storing the data in the browser cache is really the primary issue. Other than that, I can offer that our circulation folks typically use one login for the offline period to cover the changing of shifts etc. as it simplifies the upload process. Once they’ve done the upload, we ask them to notify us so we can immediately run the job allowing them to start checking in materials.
Our computer policies remove the cache each night. So offline using Leap isn’t something we can do. We still use the client through a VPN tunnel to do Offline circ. Also the cache can be removed by many other means.
After having gone through this with our migration, I would say using a shared login during offline should be a requirement for any multi-day outage (like for migrations). We ended up with a delay because the person who had done the offline transactions called off sick on the go-live date. We ended up resetting the account password so we could continue going online. Using a temporary shared account for offline would have prevented this issue.
Never a fan of restarting old threads BUT we just moved to the hosted environment and Leap seems to be the option for offline. Trying to wrap my head around it, if the browser clears out each time my folks close how can we install the offline stuff, then save the offline shortcut, and say our connection goes down a few days later, the files were cleared by the browser and now we are offline and cant reinstall?
Am I overthinking it?
We still use the client version of offline; we obtain a client from Support and deploy it to the workstations designated for offline support. Staff still follow the same process as they did when we hosted. The only option with that client install is offline, and sometimes staff try to login to the local Polaris client with host creds, and it fails for obvious “to us” reasons 
, to help with this we retitle the local app as “Offline Polaris”.
Does your browser clear cookies every time you close it? If not, I wouldn’t be too concerned about having to reinstall when you’re down.
We are hosted and use Leap Offline and I would say that while it’s definitely worth having staff review installation procedures/know how to check that their browser has Leap Offline set up correctly, we’re not regularly getting complaints about people trying to use Leap Offline during an outage and finding it’s not installed. Although it could be that this is happening more than I think it is and people are just adapting…
I would like to add that it’s not just the offline install to be concerned with, but that your offline transactions will also be removed. There would be nothing to upload to Polaris when the ILS is back online if your system is set to clears browser information.
Hmm, I did not know this was an option - may have to investigate.
I think this is part of my issue - I set mine to clear each time. I doubt frontline staff do so maybe I need to alter my test scenario.
My greatest fear - losing transactions.