Automating Banner Financial Aid Dataload - San Jacinto College

Complete Automation of
the Impossible,
Financial Aid Dataload.
November 2, 2015
Mark Deaver

3 Property of Automic Software. All rights reserved
Agenda
+ Background
+ Benefits
+ Requirements
+ Financial Aid Dataload Automic Example

• The Financial Aid Office would manually download ISIR files via
EdConnect.
• Financial Aid Office downloaded files for a given aid year once a week.
• ISIR Files are merged into one file.
• The concatenated file is transferred to the dataload directory.
• The financial aid staff manually processed RCPTPxx, RCPMTCH and
RCRTPxx Banner jobs.
Background

• Increased productivity.
• No manual intervention required.
• Daily processing of student aid record files.
• Streamlined processing ensures:
– No Duplication
– No Omission of files
• Notification of all automated processes.
• Output can be immediately emailed as text files or PDF files.
Benefits to Complete Automation.

• The Applications Manager internal user id will need read/write access to
various directories on the server.
• TDClient – Department of Education mainframe communication software.
– Does not replace EdConnect.
– Method to transfer and receive files via a mainframe or server.
– Proper Setup is key –
• Password Initialization
• Secfile Initialization
• Advanced Scripting knowledge.
• Automic Applications Manager.
• A Documented Process.
Requirements

• The Applications Manager internal owner user id will need read/write
access to the following directories:
• TDClient directory
• Automic directory
• Dataload directory
• Various jobs within Applications Manager require access to various
directories.
• Dataload process transfers files to and from various directories.
Requirements – Applications Manager server level access

• TDClient
– Mainframe communication software for sending/receiving files via the SAIG
mailbox network.
– Uses existing TG number and password.
– Software needs to be installed on the same server as the Application Manager.
– EdConnect is still used to download non-automated files.
– Software is provided free of charge by the Department of Education.
– Instructions to install are provided on the Department of Education website.
Requirements - TDClient

• Applications Manager can process different types of script files.
• Applications Manager can process PERL (pl), SQL and SHELL scripts,
etc.
• Script files can handle specific functions and greatly enhance automation.
• Jobs within Applications Manager can process a script file as it would any
other normal job.
Requirements – Advanced Scripting Knowledge

• Applications Manager – Automic automation software.
Requirements – Applications Manager

• A documented process is a must.
• A detailed step by step process that explains the steps, the jobs and the
parameters.
• A documented process will need the following:
– A static set of parameters.
– A list of sequential jobs to be accomplished.
– List of requested output.
– List of email recipients.
– List of email verbiage.
Requirements – Documented Process

Financial Aid Dataload – Automation Example using
Applications Manager.

• The PERL script for the TDClient job is simple yet complex.
• The script will be executed by Applications Manager and use parameters
in calling job to build a transmit or receive subscript.
• The PERL script will process the parameters and execute the subscript.
• The subscript is a series of specific commands that tell TDClient what to
do with the incoming or outgoing file.
• The commands that are required to transmit or receive a file are located
in the SAIG Host Communication Guide provided by the Department of
Education.
• Script is stored in the EXEC directory on the server of installed instance
of Applications Manager.
PERL script for the TDClient job.

• Example of full receive command:
– tdclientc network=saigportal ftpuserid=TGxxxxx reset
“transfer=(name=yourname receive=./path/to/the/file/to/receive.txt
receiveuserid=TGxxxxx receiveclass=xxxxxxxx)”
• The receive command explained:
– Starts the FTP tdclientc process.
– Network to log onto.
– User ID (password is stored during the initialization)
– Message Class to receive
– Path
PERL script for the TDClient job – Cont.

• The TDClient Job will call the TDClient script.
• The script is executed using the parameters within the job.
• The TDClient job has the following parameters.
– Reset Option: Defaulted to Y
– Transmission Command: T(transmit) or R(receive)
– Path & File Name: The download path.
– Message Class: Message class for filetype.
– TG Destination Number: TG destination Number.
Job for the TDClient Script.

Job for the TDClient Script – Cont.

• A PERL script was written to issue one command with path & file name.
• The PERL script will strip out the header and trailer records.
• The Header and Trailer records are annotated with special characters
that are explained in the SAIGHostCommunicationGuide.pdf provided
from the TDClient documentation.
– Header Records are defined as O*N05
– Trailer Records are defined as O*N95
PERL script to Remove Header and Trailer Records.

• All files downloaded through TDClient will have a header and trailer
record.
• Banner will not process or understand these records.
• Applications Manager will call the script using the parameters configured
in job
• The script will remove the header and trailer records.
• The Remove Header job will have the following parameters.
– Path & File Name: The file path.
Job to remove Header and Trailer Records.

Job to remove Header and Trailer Records – Cont.

• The Dataload process has three email notifications.
• Three different job statuses will trigger email notifications.
– Aborted – Notification that a job has aborted.
– Finished – Notification for a job that has finished.
– Completed – Similar to finished however sends a different email.
Notification Development.

• Abort Notification uses the Generic Abort Message.

• Finish Notification uses custom text to notify for no files.

• Completed Notification uses custom text to notify for completion of job.

• Process Flow Level Prompts
– Variables stored at the top level and referenced throughout each component.
• The Financial Aid Dataload process flow has the following components:
– TDCLIENT_PROCESS
– REMOVE_HEADER
– COPY_FILE
– RCPTPxx
– RCPMTCH
– RCRTPxx
– WPAALTD
Financial Aid Dataload Process flow.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. - Prompts

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. - Prompts
• The Financial Aid Dataload process flow uses substitution variable stored
under the prompts tab.
• These prompts are assigned to following values:
– #1 = Aid Year Code Default value: 1516
– #2 = File Name Default value: igco16op.dat
– #3 = Message Class Default Value: IGCO16OP
• The shortcut prompts are used throughout the process in each job to
reference the value.
• Changing the prompts are easier to manage as opposed to changing all
non-referenced values in each component.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – TDClient
Component.
• The first job in the Dataload Process calls the TDCLIENT_PROCESS.
• The TDClient script is executed and use the follow parameters:
– Reset Option: Y
– Transmission Command: R
– Path & File Name: /u02/TDC/TDAccess3.2/incoming/{#2}
– #2 substitution variable is referenced and will substitute igco16op.dat
– Message Class: {#3}
– #3 substitution variable is referenced and will substitute IGCO16OP
– TG Destination Number: TGXXXXX.
• This script will download all IGCO16OP files to the incoming directory on
the server where the TDClient is installed.

Component.

Component.
• The TDClient process has a condition that will send an email notification
to the financial aid staff if there was no files downloaded.

Component.
• Questions regarding the downloading by Message class.
– What about multiple IGCO16OP files stored on the SAIG mailbox?
• Example: IGCO16OP.dat
IGCO16OP.001
• All files with the associated Message Class are downloaded and merged
into one file.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – REMOVE_HEADER
Component.
• The second job in the Dataload Process is to call the
REMOVE_HEADER.
• The Remove Header script will be executed and supply the following
parameters to the script:
– Path & File Name: /u02/TDC/TDAccess3.2/incoming/{#2}
– #2 substitution variable is referenced and will substitute igco16op.dat.
• The process will strip the header and trailer records from the file.
• Example of Header and Trailer record:
O*N05TGxxxxx ,CLS=MSGCLASS,XXX,BAT=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
data in file
data is file

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow.

Component.

Component.
• The REMOVE_HEADER has conditions on the component.
• The condition will cancel the entire process if no file exist.

Component.
• Questions regarding multiple files with multiple header and trailer records.
– What about multiple header and trailer records?
• Example:
data in file
data is file
data in file
data is file
• The script will remove all instances of header and trailer records.
• The final file will resemble one complete larger file.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – COPY_FILE
Component.
• The COPY_FILE component will copy the file from one directory to
another.
• The COPY_FILE has two parameters
– File Source & File Name.
– File Destination & File Name.
• This instance will copy the file incoming file from the
/u02/TDC/TDAccess3.2/incoming directory to /u02/sct/banner/dataload/.
• The job will also rename the file to the required naming convention for
Banner usage, example {#1}esar.tap.
• #1 substitution variable is used to reference the 1516 value.

Component.

Component.
• The COPY_FILE has a condition to make an archived copy of the
incoming file.
• The condition will run a HOST command to copy the file to the archive
directory.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – RCPTPxx
Component.
• The RCPTPxx is a job in dataload process that loads the incoming ISIR
records into the Temporary tables.
• The RCPTPxx job can store the job parameters internally without the
need to save a parameter set.
• RCPTPxx has two conditions assigned to the job.
• The first condition runs a host command to remove the {#1}esar.tap file
from the dataload directory after the process is finished.
• The second condition sends an email notification is the job aborts.

Component.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – RCPMTCH
Component.
• The RCPMTCH is the next job in the dataload process and attempts to
match each temp record with an actual record in the Banner database.
• The RCPMTCH job can store the job parameter internally without the
• RCPMTCH has two conditions assigned to the job.
• The first condition sends an email notification if the job aborts.
• The second condition sends an email notification for the job completion.
• The email notification attaches all output in the email notification for
completion.

Component.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – RCRTPxx
Component.
• The RCRTPxx is the job that loads the matched records to the Banner
database and loads unmatched records to a suspense table.
• The RCRTPxx job can store the job parameter internally without the need
to save a parameter set.
• RCRTPxx has two conditions assigned to the job.
• The first condition sends an email notification if the job aborts.
• The second condition sends an email notification for the job completion.
• The email notification attaches all output in the email notification for
completion.

Component.

Financial Aid Dataload Process flow. – WPPALTD
Component.
• The WPPALTD is a custom built Banner process that loads the actual
SSN into the alternate ID.
• The WPPALTD job can store the job parameter internally without the
• WPPALTD has no parameters assigned.
• WPPALTD has one condition assigned to the job.
• The condition sends an email notification if the job aborts.
• No other notifications are necessary because no output is generated.

Component.

Conclusion.
• Can the complete automation of dataload be done?
• YES.
• The process is duplicated for other ISIR data files.
– IGSA16OP
– IGSG16OP
– IDSA16OP
• The only time ISIR files are manually processed during the initial load during
new aid year setup, the remainder of the year the dataload process is 100%
automated.

Conclusion.
• Transitioning from year to year is simple.
• Requires no human interaction, unless job aborts.
• Return on Investment:
– Daily import of ISIR files covering all available aid years, instead of being done
weekly.
– Freed up time for the Financial Aid staff to focus on other processes.
– 416 yearly man hours were saved by automating this dataload process, which
amounts to around $10,000 a year saved from one process.
– The process has been automating dataload going on 4 years.
– I have created over 50 process flows are currently being automated through
Automic Applications Manager.

Thank you.

Automating Banner Financial Aid Dataload - San Jacinto College

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