Astra Schedule Help (8.0)

Text File SIS Interface

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Text File SIS Interface

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Text File SIS Interface

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Overview

Text file imports and exports are available as an interface solution for institutions using a Student Information System (SIS) for which Astra Schedule does not have a canned, or direct database interface, or for institutions for whom allowing a direct database connection is not possible.

 

The text file import into Astra Schedule requires that a data extract from your institution’s SIS be created that will generate a text file with the appropriate academic section data in a specified format.  This file can be generated manually and used for occasional batch data imports into Astra Schedule, or scheduled to run automatically and used for more frequent updates of Section data within Astra Schedule. The text file export from Astra Schedule will generate a text file with room scheduling and/or other section data as desired.  The generation of import/update files and the utilization of Astra Schedule exported data are the responsibility of the institution configuring the interface.  Astra Schedule imports from delimited source text files (tab is the default; CSV is not supported), and can export a data file to a specified location.  Import and export jobs can be configured to run on a schedule or can be executed manually.

 

The text file interface requires the following components:

 

1.A text file extract prepared by the institution that will reliably and consistently create an academic section text file from the institution’s SIS.

 

2.A process created by the institution for updating academic section data in the SIS with information provided in a text file from Astra Schedule.

 

3.An Astra Schedule import map file representing the structure of the import SIS text file data.

 

4.Astra Schedule import and export xml spoke files configured to match the format of the map files.

 

NoteNOTE: During implementation, Ad Astra staff will confirm that the text import layout map and xml files are configured appropriately to match the format of the data files provided and expected by the institution.  The following base sample files for both are provided by default by Ad Astra during implementation.
 

TextSectionImport.xml

TextSectionExport.xml

 

Additionally, templates are available for Banner, PeopleSoft, and Jenzabar CX institutions that need to utilize the text interface instead of a canned interface for technical connectivity reasons. These SIS-specific text imports can be used in place of the direct database connection used by the standard imports.  The template file includes all of the information imported with the direct connection as well as the logic used in the queries.  If the data extract and resulting file is created based on the template, then there should be no loss in the data being imported or any data changes required when switching to or from the direct database connection.
 
See Text File Section Import Configuration for more information and sample templates.

 

If any changes are made to the default versions of these files, the files must be saved under a different name.  Default files are overwritten during application updates.  The map file name is referenced within the xml configuration file.  The xml configuration file names are referenced from within the import or export jobs created in the Astra Schedule application.  The map file and the xml configuration files must remain in the same location.

 

It is simplest to base the format of the section text file being generated from the SIS on the sample layout map file provided by Ad Astra. The order of the fields must match, and the file must be tab delimited. If changes must be made to the format of either file, or if more advanced actions are required (i.e. reading a part of field, building a field from multiple values, specifying deleted records, etc) it is best to work with Ad Astra staff to verify these changes.

 

See also...

Text File Interface in the Cloud

Text File Section Import Configuration

Text File Import Settings