Advanced Configuration of SIS Integrations

The Advanced Configuration settings allow you to fine tune your integration by adjusting how your data is handled by setting the field mapping options for Student Information System (SIS) integrations.

View the advanced configuration

Follow these steps to view the Advanced Configuration for an existing SIS integration. You must select Set Active on your configuration before you can edit Advanced Configuration. 

  1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, select Data Integration.
  2. Select Student Information System Integrations.
  3. Open the integration's menu and select Advanced Configuration.

Set field mapping for the Learn object type

Field mapping messages data after it has been received but before it has been imported into Blackboard Learn. This allows you to create an integration file with column names of your choice so that you can identify to the integration what is in each column. Follow these steps to edit the field mapping for an existing SIS integration.

  1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, select Data Integration.
  2. Select Student Information System Integrations.
  3. Open the integration's menu and select Advanced Configuration.
  4. Open the Learn Object Type's menu and select Field Mapping. Each Learn Object Type has different fields available for mapping.The Learn Object Types are determined when the SIS integration is created. You can edit the integration to add or remove an existing Learn Object Type for the integration.
  5. Select an option from each of the available columns for the individual Learn Object Type field. This table describes the available columns and options.
    Learn Object Type Options
    Column Option
    (Learn Object Type) Field The field name as it is displayed in Blackboard Learn. This cannot be modified.
    Required For Insert Indicates whether the particular Learn Object Type field is required for insert. Displays Yes or No. This cannot be modified.
    Change on Update Select the check box to change the Blackboard Learn field information on update. Clear the check box if the Blackboard Learn field information should not be changed on update.
    Unique Indicates whether the particular Learn Object Type field requires or contains unique information. Displays Yes or No. This cannot be modified.
    Invalid Data Rule Indicates what should be done if the system encounters an Invalid Data Rule during the integration. The available options depend on the other fields. Not all options are available for all fields.
    • Use Learn default value. Not available if Blackboard Learn does not have a default value.
    • Skip the record.
    • Set this field to NULL. Not available if the field cannot be NULL..

    The Invalid Data Rule option may already be set and unable to be edited, such as in the case of a Batch UID.
    Source Field

    The location of the source information that is carried into Blackboard Learn and associated with the Blackboard Learn field. Depending on the field, the available options include:

    • Do not populate this field with feed data. Not available if the information is not or cannot be stored in the feed file.
    • Always set this field to NULL. Not available if the field cannot be NULL.
    • Use a custom script. A text box is made available for adding the custom script.
    • Set to Current Date/Time.
    • SIS Fields. Available SIS Field names are listed for the Learn Object Type Field.

    The Source Field option may already be set and unable to be edited, such as in the case of a Batch UID.
  6. Select Submit.

SSHA password encryption for IMS learning information services

Authorization is based on methods used by Ellucian Banner. If you set the encryption type in the field mapping to SSHA, it will prepend {SSHA} if not already there. In addition to the SSHA prefix being set and embedded, pwencryptiontype is also set and embedded as shown in the following example:

<userid useridtype="SCTID" pwencryptiontype="SSHA" password="{SSHA}OMMjWPR+6fM/iQ+ZvpWHEVGxoAEFT0JUQUE4Qz==">N00013021</userid>

Limit passwords to 400 characters.

Create custom headers for a Snapshot Flat File integration

Follow these steps to create custom headers for a Snapshot Flat File integration. This is useful, for example, if you want to rename some fields for clarity when troubleshooting feed file data issues.

  1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, Select Data Integration.
  2. Select Student Information System Integrations.
  3. Open the Snapshot Flat File type integration's menu.
  4. Select Advanced Configuration.
  5. Open the menu and select Custom Headers.
  6. Type the header from your feed file to the corresponding default header.
  7. Select Submit.