Integration Insight: New Features Part 1

Allison Davis — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Integration maps fields and relationships between two databases. The synchronization process looks at the database with the most recent update on these linked records. If the records in both programs were updated since the last synchronization, the most recently updated record wins and overwrites the other program's record.

To keep your data accurate, you should synchronize often. We recommend synchronizing, either manually or automatically, from a single workstation every 15 minutes. When your databases have not been synchronized in more than a day, you can experience issues such as overwritten data.

In version 7.78, you will notice some new prompts appearing when you manually synchronize data. This message informs you of the last time synchronization ran and our recommendations for synchronization. This will help to ensure data changes are accurately reflected in both databases.

The longer you wait to synchronize, the more likely you will lose record changes in one or both databases. Synchronization does not keep track of changes in the order in which they were made. The issue especially occurs with the sharing of address and phone data. For example:

Let's say you run synchronization twice a day, at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. At 9:00 a.m. you change an address from 123 King St. to 123 King Street in The Raiser's Edge. At 2:00 p.m. the Registrar changes the Zip code from 29403 to 29402 on the King St. address in The Education Edge. At the 5:00 p.m. synchronization any changes will come from the database last updated; in this case, The Education Edge. This means the synchronized address will be 123 King St. with a Zip code of 29402.

Here are some important tips to keep synchronization running smoothly:

To manually synchronize data, click Synchronize Data on the Integration page.
To automatically synchronize data, you can establish settings in your Microsoft Scheduled Task Wizard application. For more information on setting up a scheduled task, see Knowledgebase solution BB211850.
We recommend that you automatically synchronize data every 15 minutes.
All of this is explained in Knowledgebase solution BB604658.

Stay tuned for the next post on new Integration features!

Hide and Seek with Fields

Katie Infinger — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:48:00 GMT

After playing numerous games of hide and seek with my nieces and nephews over the holidays, I realized you can play this game in your Education Edge database. If fields are hidden on records, you can find them without looking behind the sofa or in a cupboard. You can also hide any unused fields to declutter your records' tabs. So cover your eyes, count to ten, and get ready to hide (and seek) unused fields!

In Configuration, click fields and highlight the appropriate record type or section on the record.
To hide the fields, mark the Hidden checkbox beside the field. Note that checkboxes highlighted in yellow can't be marked.
In Records, open the record to the tab where the field used to be and is no longer there.

Ready or not, here I come! To find the field, unmark the Hidden checkbox beside the field.

Other fun things you can do on the Configuration, Fields screen

Mark the Required checkbox to ensure the field must contain an entry before the record is saved.
Rename fields on records by entering a new name in the Display as column. Renaming a field changes the name in all areas of the program.
Make fields into lookup fields by marking the Lookup checkbox. Lookup fields allow users to select from values you enter which standardizes data entry and increases database consistency.

The Book Bag : Fields

Integration Insight: New Features Part 1

Hide and Seek with Fields