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Dartmouth Sync

PBS Knowledge integrates with Dartmouth systems to synchronize people, courses, and enrollment data.

Overview​

What Gets Synced​

Data TypeSourceFrequency
PeopleDartmouth Directory APIDaily
CoursesORC/BannerWeekly
SectionsBannerDaily
EnrollmentsBannerDaily
TermsAcademic CalendarAs needed

Data Flow​

Dartmouth APIs → Sync Service → Matching → Merge/Create → Database

People Sync​

Faculty and Staff​

Faculty/staff records include:

  • Name and title
  • Department affiliation
  • Contact information
  • Office location
  • Dartmouth ID (NetID)

Students​

Student records include:

  • Name and class year
  • Major/minor declarations
  • Enrollment status
  • Dartmouth ID

Sync Process​

  1. Fetch updated records from Dartmouth
  2. Match against existing PBS records
  3. Merge updated information
  4. Create new records as needed
  5. Flag removed/departed people

Course Sync​

Course Data​

Synced from ORC/Banner:

  • Course code and title
  • Description
  • Prerequisites
  • Credit hours
  • Offering pattern

Section Data​

Section information includes:

  • Section number
  • Term offered
  • Meeting times
  • Room assignment
  • Instructor(s)
  • Enrollment cap

Running Syncs​

Automatic Sync​

Syncs run automatically:

  • People: Daily at 3 AM
  • Courses: Weekly on Sunday
  • Enrollments: Daily at 6 AM

Manual Sync​

Trigger sync manually:

  1. Go to Admin → System → Sync
  2. Select sync type
  3. Choose options:
    • Full sync vs incremental
    • Specific department
    • Date range
  4. Click Run Sync
  5. Monitor progress

Selective Sync​

For targeted updates:

  1. Search for specific records
  2. Select items to sync
  3. Preview changes
  4. Confirm sync

Matching and Merging​

Person Matching​

System matches on:

  1. Dartmouth ID (exact match)
  2. Email address
  3. Name similarity (fuzzy match)

Conflict Resolution​

When matches are uncertain:

  1. Flag for review
  2. Administrator confirms match
  3. Or creates new record

Merge Behavior​

For matched records:

  • Dartmouth data takes precedence for official fields
  • PBS-specific data is preserved
  • History is maintained

Configuration​

API Credentials​

Configure Dartmouth API access:

  1. Go to Admin → System → Settings
  2. Enter API credentials
  3. Test connection
  4. Save

Sync Settings​

Configure sync behavior:

  • Departments to include
  • Record types to sync
  • Conflict handling
  • Notification settings

Filtering​

Control what syncs:

  • Only PBS-affiliated people
  • Specific course prefixes
  • Active terms only

Monitoring​

Sync Status​

View sync health:

  1. Go to Admin → System → Sync
  2. See last sync times
  3. View success/failure counts
  4. Review error logs

Sync History​

View historical syncs:

  • Sync date and time
  • Records processed
  • Changes made
  • Errors encountered

Alerts​

Configure alerts for:

  • Sync failures
  • Large change counts
  • Connection issues
  • Data anomalies

Troubleshooting​

Sync Not Running​

  1. Check job queue status
  2. Verify API credentials
  3. Check network connectivity
  4. Review error logs

Missing Records​

  1. Verify person exists in Dartmouth system
  2. Check sync filters
  3. Look for matching errors
  4. Manually trigger sync

Incorrect Data​

  1. Check source data in Dartmouth
  2. Review merge logic
  3. Look for manual overrides
  4. Contact Dartmouth support if source is wrong

Duplicate Records​

  1. Review matching criteria
  2. Merge duplicates manually
  3. Update matching rules
  4. Run deduplication

Best Practices​

Regular Monitoring​

  • Check sync status daily
  • Review errors promptly
  • Monitor change patterns
  • Address duplicates quickly

Before Major Events​

  • Run sync before registration
  • Verify instructor assignments
  • Check enrollment data
  • Clear any pending errors

Communication​

  • Document sync schedules
  • Notify users of data refresh
  • Coordinate with Dartmouth IT
  • Report persistent issues