Astra Schedule Release Notes

7.5.8.36

7.5.8.36

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7.5.8.36

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Release Notes

 

Release 7.5.8.36

1/22/13

 

Key Bug Fixes & Enhancements

Various bug fixes and Major enhancements may be included in this release.  The following is a list of key enhancements.  

 

*Institutions with Astra Schedule or SIS Oracle database platforms: Due to driver differences in versions 7.4.13 and above, verify that your Oracle Database has the latest patch upgrades (10g and 11g)

Enhancements

Detect Student Change Triggers on Import: The student import process is updated to recognize and flag student program, status, and/or academic history changes that could invalidate future schedules created with Sectioning.

ProgramVersion,Rule & Template updates: The Program Version and Rule database structure and interface is updated to allow for complex rules. Program Templates are updated to accommodate complex rule interaction and are dynamically associated to students based on student attributes.

Auto-Generate Program Templates: The system will automatically generate program templates to make the configuration process faster.  This process can occur when the system is generating the predictive base data and use historical data to infer bracketing and associated students. Alternatively, this process can be kicked off manually from the program template list page to auto build templates using only program and course data from import.  Bracketing, likelihood and student association would be configured manually.

During auto program template creation, the system will evaluate the program rules within a template to determine which students are associated based on rule controls.

The additional configured template controls (properties) PLUS the rule controls aggregated together define the students that are associated with the template.

Student properties are configured within Program Templates to map students to program templates.  Students are not manually applied to templates, but are instead automatically associated with templates based on their student properties.  Student properties available would include any data in the student properties table as imported from the institution's system.  These associations are used in a similar way within rules themselves.

Course Campus Association: a course-campus table has been created that maps all of the distinct course-campus combinations to their respective SIS keys.  Any distinct combination of course-campus plus configuration would become a unique record in the course table.  On import and export the SIS keys would map through the course-campus table to get the correct course.

Simulated Students: Platinum Analytics and Sectioning processes need to account for estimated new, incoming students per program when calculating course demand and/or registering students for sections.  Simulated student values can be automatically calculated based on user-provided "like" and "prior" term configuration to determine the trend in new enrollments across previous terms.  Simulated student data is provided along with the attributes of the new students that are estimated to be starting for a given term.  In other words, the system will need to know the programs, majors, minors, test codes, attributes, etc, with which the simulated students should be associated, so that demand can be shown for the correct courses.

Base Predictive Data: The Base Predictive Data sandbox performs statistical analysis of student progression through programs.  Both Simulated Registration and Predictive Program Analysis require base predictive analysis data as a foundation.  The Base Predictive Data Sandbox type is a way to generate and save copies of this base analysis data for re-use in these processes.  When either process is performed, the system will require the selection of a base data sandbox to feed the analysis calculations.

Simulated Registration: The simulated registration process provides a “sandbox” pre-registration and informs the system of seat, time, and student conflict issues in the existing schedule.  This information can then be used to make schedule re-alignment decisions.  They may choose to add new sections, change times, delete sections with enrollment below the minimum, etc.  These actions can be performed manually using ad hoc section and move student tools

Program Analysis: Program Analysis provides an objective statistical summary of demand by program fulfillment. Looking at student-by-student program requirements and degree progress, Program Analysis helps to determine the likelihood that a student will take a specific course, highlights courses that are in the critical path to graduation, and identifies students at-risk for not being able to get needed courses. (Note that for program electives, likelihood is simply based on historical demand, as many combinations are possible to satisfy requirements.)

Predictive Program Analysis: Predictive program analysis is a way to combine the value of program analysis with the value of historical trend analysis to determine a more realistic projected demand for courses for certain institutions.  Predictive program analysis uses the predictive base data and calculates the probability that a student will take a course based on historical trends.

Complex Meeting Patterns:  As we work with more institutions that are utilizing our sectioning and timetabling features we are learning that some institutions have a legitimate need to define meeting patterns that do not conform to the typical repeating pattern rules.

For example, some meeting patterns may not repeat at all, and instead need to be defined on a meeting-by-meeting basis.  Other patterns may repeat, but on an every-other-week basis.  Further, total contact hours may not divide evenly into the term length, so contact hour definition must be able to be configured at the entire pattern level as opposed to only at the meeting time level.

Student Availability Template: Student availability templates are used to apply default student time of day/day of week availability to groups of students.  This information informs the system about when groups of students are available to attend classes per campus and term type.  Once configured, the system will use the default availability information to determine common availability for sectioning and simulated registration.

Student Load Template: Student load templates are associated with students and inform the system of velocity (min/ideal/max credits) per term type, per campus, per delivery method.

 Note that the student load template information was originally included as part of program templates but was split out as its own template to reduce the number of program templates that would be required to represent all of the possible combinations.

Student Planned Course Sandbox: A new sandbox type is available that generates future term planned courses for students.  These courses can be used for administrative reporting, academic plan messaging to students, and future term modeling.

Known Limitations

High Impact Issues

This section contains notes from the Product Managers on specific high-level issues or feature restrictions that are known in the most recent build of Astra Schedule.  These issues are slated for upcoming themed product maintenance releases, but could potentially impact customers that upgrade to this build of the scheduling system.  Please review any issues listed under headings that impact your use of the product prior to installation.

Academic Scheduling:

Exam meetings may be double-booked with other exams – (#00033440) The Ad Hoc Scheduling tool is not showing exam meetings as conflicts allowing the scheduler to double-book.

Avoid the issue – There is no way to avoid this issue if utilizing exam functionality.

Fix the issue – Be sure to check the double-booked report once exam scheduling is complete to avoid complication.  This is scheduled to be corrected in version 7.5.7.

Section Room Assignment – (5870) Schedulers with request only rights to a room are actually scheduling the room.  The selected room will be labeled as requested on the section meeting however the room usage will appear on the calendar and will be imported back to the student information system as if scheduled.

Avoid the issue – It is important to acknowledge that request room rights and schedule room rights work exactly the same way in the current version.  If a user must be restricted, remove access from both the schedule and request areas in security.

Fix the issue – There is no current fix for this issue.  It is currently on the product road-map for version 7.7.

Unable to delete a large Room Optimizer Run – (#00032450, 00036165) Attempting to delete a large optimizer run may time out before completing.  This is especially evident on Oracle based systems.

Avoid the issue – It is not possible to avoid the issue if deleting optimizer runs.

Fix the issue – Contact technical support for help deleting the run if necessary.  This is currently scheduled for repair in 7.5.7.

Double-booking at the section meeting pattern level in the Ad Hoc Scheduling tool does not update all of the meeting instances – A room assigned via the Ad Hoc Scheduler to force a double-booking is displayed as assigned in the Meeting Info, but does not propagate down into the meeting instances

Avoid the issue – If double-booking a section at the meeting pattern level, expand the meeting instances in the Ad Hoc Scheduling tool and manually update each meeting instance to be double-booked.

Fix the issue – This is currently scheduled for repair in 7.5.7.

Scheduling Calendars:

 

IE 8 and Windows 7 browser issue with Mini Calendars – Please note: this issue only occurs in IE 8 where Compatibility View is off. Elements (divider bars, etc.) can bleed through the Mini Calendar (date selection tool) on the Scheduling Calendars Day: Grid view.

Avoid the issue – Turn on Compatibility View.

Fix the issue – This issue will be addressed in a future version of 7.5.

Activity Calendars:

Embedded Calendars do not show hovers correctly - The activity calendars now have iframe code that may be used on external websites to show an embedded calendar of the activity calendar. The hovers in these calendars currently do not render correctly on the web page. Information may be cut off or a user may be unable to sign

Event Management:

Incorrect conflict warnings are appearing with Setup/Teardown windows after Sliding meeting times – These conflict warnings are invalid.

Avoid the issue – Save the event. The Event goes to a scheduled state without issue.

Fix the issue – This issue will be addressed in a future version of 7.5.

Cloned Events can schedule over Holidays – Cloned Events can be scheduled over Holidays that do not allow event scheduling. A conflict warning is given, but users without rights to override holidays (that restrict event scheduling) can override without issue.

Avoid the issue – Notify users that only a warning will be given in this situation.

Fix the issue – This issue will be addressed in a future version of 7.5.

Issues with User Defined Calendar Filters Not Displaying for Individual Users – The User Defined Calendar Filters did upgrade correctly, but there will be additional configuration (by the Astra Administrator). A functionality change (with Scheduling Calendars) has made calendars more reliable and predictable but unfortunately necessitates additional configuration. A Calendar, that is setup to ‘Allow Custom Filtering’ must be defined (and Role level view permission granted)  in order for User’s to be able to create/edit ‘Edit Search Filter’ and ‘Manage Filters’.

Avoid the issue – There is no way to avoid this issue if, prior to version 7.5.6.65, Users were allowed to define individual calendar filters.

Fix the issue – Astra administrators must create new Scheduling Calendar definitions (under Manage Calendars) that grant ‘Allow Custom Filtering’ functionality. Once defined, these calendar definitions should be applied to appropriate roles. For each role that requires restricted Scheduling Calendar permissions, create a Calendar definition that: 1) correctly restricts by Location and Resource; 2) contains any appropriate Pre-defined Filters; 3) Allows Custom Filtering

Event Notes cannot be deleted in 7.5.x - In previous versions of Astra Schedule users had the ability to delete notes added to an event or an event meeting. This functionality is no longer available in 7.5.6 or 7.5.7.

Avoid the issue - There is no way to avoid this issue, prior to 7.5.5, Users were allowed to delete notes.

Fix the issue - This issue will be addressed in a future version of 7.5

Attendee Management

Cannot limit the number of Attendees by Event or Event Meeting - Currently there is no prevention of how many attendees can register for an event. There is also no validation around unique email addresses, so duplicate attendees can occur.

Avoid the issue - Event schedulers must manually monitor the event or event meeting attendee list. Once the maximum amount of attendees have been reached for the event the scheduler must turn off the attendee sign up check box in the event form.

Fix the issue - This is scheduled to be corrected in version 7.5.9.

Import/Export:

Interface issue on job creation in IE7 browser – (#00036018) Creating or editing a batch SIS job in IE7 will result in an error message.

Avoid the issue – Upgrade the browser.

Fix the issue – This is scheduled to be corrected in version 7.5.7.

Installation/Upgrade

Upgrade from versions prior to 7.4.9 will error – Error Restoring Tables: TaskAgentJobRuns and TimeSchedules

Avoid the issue – There is no way to avoid this issue.

Fix the issue – The upgrade may be repaired after completion using a script provided by technical support.  This error is scheduled to be corrected in the next maintenance release of 7.5.6.

Import/Export:

Interface issue on job creation in IE7 browser – (#00036018) Creating or editing a batch SIS job in IE7 will result in an error message.

Avoid the issue – Upgrade the browser.

Fix the issue – This is scheduled to be corrected in version 7.5.7.

User Interface:

 

 

Additional Known Issues

Calendars

Available Room and Resource Tool: Search dates are allowed to be entered for weekly meetings without selecting a day of the week.

 

Default calendar does not hold the first time Calendars is loaded (#00033812)

 

Declined room requests appear on the calendar, event list hovers and unable to schedule another event in that room (Case # 00039184, 00039376)

Buildings and Rooms

If you have multiple configurations with images the default image is what appears throughout the application (#00029373, 00031208, 00032454, 00032573, 00037850, 00037711)

 

When adding a new region and assigning it to effective dated rooms the region is being assigned to the oldest effective date. (#00036440)

 

Add Description column, filter text box errors when you enter text (#37263, 00037263, 00038623)

Customers/Contacts

Cannot associate a contact to more than one customer - error occurs

 

Equipment/Services

No available Equipment/Services are appearing in the search results on the scheduling form

 

Resource conflict checking is not happening in the ad hoc scheduler.

 

Cannot cancel resources either

 

Unable to view images for Collections. (#00033817)

 

Event Create/Edit/Schedule

 

Event Meetings Modal for Recurrence doesn't validate on N-day and Weekday in Month and Year selections

 

Event Form: Incorrect conflict warnings are appearing with setup/teardown windows after sliding the meeting times

 

Available Room and Resource Tool: Allowed to create an event with the same exact start and end time.

 

Event List: Cannot replace existing saved filters - SQL only

 

Event Meeting Grid: Start and End times are displaying incorrect times on a group level

 

Event Form: Multi-editing custom fields does not save changes

 

Selecting the Featured or Private checkboxes on the event form does not cascade the selection to the event meetings (#00032645)

 

If you have double book rights, When editing an event that is double booked with another event the prompt says it will go to incomplete but it still keeps event in scheduled status (#00036278)

 

Unable to cancel an event meeting if "room required" is not checked (#00035641)

 

Cannot override room controls in the advanced event form

 

Cloned Events: User can create an event meeting over a holiday that does not allow event/section scheduling.  

 

Event Form: Adding an ad hoc contact to an event does not require a valid email address  

 

Spanning Time Selection only accepts times After the Start Time and saves what you didn't choose (1 hour after start time)

 

If a user has a limitation on scheduling rooms but can request and view all rooms in the request form can only request rooms they can schedule in (#00032980, 00033873, 00034953, 00036023, 00036659, 00036831, 00037070, 00037340)

 

Unable to delete event meetings (#00033892, 00036705, 00037778)

 

Event Form: Required custom fields in the event meeting form do not give required warning before saving the event

 

Creating breakout meetings and assigning them partitions with the Ad-hoc Scheduler shows erroneous conflicts

 

Event Form: End time is missing from the event form

 

An Event cannot be both Private and Featured, but it is possible to configure it as both

 

Cannot override a room control when using the advanced form from the quick event form

 

Event Form: Wrong warning message is being received when trying to enter in a duplicate email address

 

First and Last name are not being validated when adding a new customer contact. Error occurs when trying to save

 

Cannot cancel out of editing a customer contact

 

Cannot assign a room to a spanned meeting over 2 weeks

 

Applying changes during muli-edit does not make changes to the entire group as the message indicates

 

Need to remove ability to multi-edit SISkeys in the event meeting

Event Request

Can no longer preview the event template when editing or creating a new template

 

Duplicate templates may be entered if different letters are capitalized

 

Cannot use the type ahead in the feature filter when adding a room filter, error occurs.

 

In the Event Request form the application is presenting us with drop downs with cutoff information  (Case # 39368, 00039368)

 

Font color and highlighters cannot be used in IE (8 and 9)

Exam Scheduling

Creating Crosslisted Section Exams is not working(#00037941)

 

Exam Meetings are allowed to be Double Booked with other Exam Meetings (#00033440)

 

Cannot add an exam preference rule at the course level (#00033483)

 

Exam meeting creation: Exams need to have both Section Cap and Enrollment values available for scheduling and optimization

 

Need scroll bar on Associated Courses modal (#00037832)

 

Exam Meetings are created for Arranged Sections (#00033500)

 

Associating too many courses will cause a timeout error during exam type creation

Import/Export

Datatel SIS: cancelled sessions not coming in through real time process (#00035867, 00035868)

 

Receive error message when editing or creating batch jobs in IE7 (#00036018)

 

CampusVue real-time imports needed for section days, times and rooms. (#00035349)

 

Test Engine Results - SectionsMeetinginstancesWithincorrectRooms Error (#00038891)

Installation/Upgrade

Upgrading version below 7.4.9 to 7.5.6  gives an error restoring tables: TaskAgentJobRuns and TimeSchedules

Instructor Assignment

Instructor Type and Education Level dropdown fields obscured and uneditable in IE (#00038371)

 

Edit Instructor Details - Instructor Notes field does not expand to display entered notes

 

Edit Instructor Details - Instructor Notes fail to save final row of notes

Reporting

No way to reset a failed report back to a default blank state (after entering a parameter that causes an error) (#00032363, 00033283, 00034867, 00035423, 00035591)

 

In Oracle the Double Booked Activities Report is not displaying the date criteria on its output (#00034083, 00034104, 00034287, 00034541, 00036473)

Room Optimization

When setting Preference via Scheduling preference Regions are not identified by Campus (#00032717)

 

Character String Buffer Error when adding 50 subjects to new rule (#00033146)

 

If you add a building pref set then delete it in rule area the next time you click add for building it populates the deleted building rule (#00033650)

 

Unable to delete a large Room Optimizer run (#00032450, 00036165)

Section Edit/Schedule

Section List (filters)Keyword filter option "does not equal" not functional (#00035359, 00035557)

 

Unable to delete sections when "view sections" is selected, have to delete the meetings from the list first (#00034906)

 

Room Assign button shows conflict and won't allow the room to be assign to crosslisted sections on meetings edit tab (#00037230, 00037548)

 

Saved search filters in the ad hoc scheduler get stuck on 'Loading' (#00036381)

 

A room assigned via the Ad Hoc Scheduler to force a double-booking is displayed as assigned in the Meeting Info, but does not propagate down into the meeting instances

 

Preference doesn't get crossed out when selecting delete option and comes back if you save. (#00033393)

 

After assigning a partitioned room to a newly created meeting, the room gets dropped

 

Same Time Info - using the Add/Edit button causes the deletion of Delivery Method and Meetings data

Security

Role that has create private events unchecked can check this option in event meetings (#00035927)

 

Deleted Security roles are still applied to rooms (#00035419, 00037045)

 

View Only Permissions prevent Users from editing their Notification Schedule

User Interface Components

Cannot save changes to a customer contact after editing within the add new customer form - apply or save button does not exist.

 

Font color and highlighters cannot be used in IE (8 and 9)

 

Notification History: "Show" number font color needs to be changed to something other than white

 

Notification History: The pages are not displayed correctly to coordinate with how many notifications are actually there

User Help

The application user help is not currently context-sensitive