Note: Importing/Exporting Exams in Database vs. API LYNX Installations
This information is mainly applicable to database-based LYNX installations (Banner, Campus Solutions, Colleague, etc.), but Series25 LYNX for Workday can also take advantage of the "Assessments" feature in Workday to import and export exams. See LYNX for Workday - Assessments/Exam Import/Export.
LYNX keeps a record of all import and export processes. You can use this as a log when troubleshooting errors or you can track an import's progress as it's happening right in front of you.
There are a few ways to reach the Details page for an import or export:
- After clicking Yes to confirm a manually triggered import or export, you automatically visit the Details page
- Clicking the ID number for an import/export process will take you to its Details page
- Each import/export process has its own unique URL which can be entered directly in your browser or shared in an email
Lists of Import/Export Processes
The best way to find process IDs to click on is to view them in a list. Reach these lists by clicking one of the following menu options:
- Import to 25Live > 25Live Import Processes
- Export to SIS > SIS Export Processes
All import and export processes are summarized in a table. We'll examine the list of import processes as an example.
Image: View a summary of recent import processes in a list before seeing a single process's details.
This table has the following columns:
- Process ID: Click here to see the Process Details page (described below).
- Type: Corresponds to the type of extract set associated with the import.
- Manual: Indicates whether the import was initiated manually rather than triggered automatically by changes in the SIS.
- Chunk Count and Total Size: This indicates the total number of objects included in the import and how many "chunks" they are divided into. (See What are "chunks"? below for more information.) Typically, manual imports have a much larger size since automatic imports happen every 60 seconds and updates are made almost as fast as they occur in the SIS.
- State: Indicates whether the process is complete, in progress, or waiting for connection with the SIS to resume.
- Last Updated: The date and time when the process was completed.
What are "chunks"?
To facilitate the regular and orderly transfer of data, LYNX breaks up import and export data into discreet chunks of 500 objects. The chunks are then processed independently of each other rather than. Chunking ensures that even large amounts of data can be optimally processed.
For example, an import of 173 sections would be brought into 25Live in a single 173 section chunk. A 2,256 section import, on the other hand, would be brought into 25Live in 5 chunks—the first 4 chunks containing 500 sections each, and the 5th containing 256 sections.
Import/Export Process Details
When you manually initiate an import/export process or click on the Process ID from a list, you'll see the Process Details page.
This page gives you a summary of everything that was imported or exported in this process, broken up into "chunks". If the process is still ongoing, you can see the status of each individual chunk.
Image: Follow an import's progress on the Process Details page.
Most of the information in the Process Details section is the same as the columns in the list above, but there are a few that are new:
- Sections Excluded is the number of sections that are removed from the import during "pre-processing" for reasons that make them unsuitable, such as not having any valid meeting patterns.
- Sections Processed is the number of remaining sections that will be imported (or exported) after any exclusions
When a chunk is fully processed, you can click View Details to see the import messages for the 500 sections that were part of that chunk. Once all chunks are finished, click the View All Messages button in the top Process Details section to see all the messages at once.
Image: View the details of the sections imported in a single chunk.