MLS callings updates to lds.org temporarily not available

[jonesrk]

Well, they are messed up AGAIN! I now have random duplications, Custom positions being duplicated in the custom callings list. And several callings that can't be removed because the remove link is missing in MLS.

If they are duplcated in MLS, then it is a known bug between MLS and CDOL for new custom positions. One workaround is to request a unit data refresh. That will straighten them back out. You will want to make sure CDOL is looking good first, or print out your list from MLS so that you can fix any that you need to.

[genman]

Well, they are messed up AGAIN! I now have random duplications, Custom positions being duplicated in the custom callings list. And several callings that can't be removed because the remove link is missing in MLS.

I had something similar. After doing a Unit Data Refresh, there were redundant calling types in the custom callings list for that organization. And after deleting just one of a redundant calling type, then one of the people with that calling no longer had a Remove option. The way I resolved it was to delete ALL of the custom calling types involved in the redundancy. That got rid of all of the callings, even the one with the Remove link gone. Then press Send/Receive. Then just manually add back in a new custom calling type and add back in the calling. The press Send/Receive again. I don't know why you have to remove them all and not just the extra one. But it seems that you have to remove them all. This is why you need to have printed out the Callings By Organization list prior to doing all this so you have it as reference when you manually add things back in after the Send/Receive.

By the way, most of these problems appear to be with custom callings types. So it is best to avoid the custom calling types or minimize their use. In my experience we use custom calling types too often, when there is a standard calling already defined.

[rpyne]

By the way, most of these problems appear to be with custom callings types. So it is best to avoid the custom calling types or minimize their use. In my experience we use custom calling types too often, when there is a standard calling already defined.

I tried telling the Relief Society President that, once.

[genman]

In my experience we use custom calling types too often, when there is a standard calling already defined.

I tried telling the Relief Society President that, once.

Probably didn't go over too well. All kidding aside, I don't necessarily mean we have too many "creative" callings. But I've seen in MLS where a custom calling is defined when there is already a standard calling that matches. For example, a custom calling "Temple Prep Class Instructor" when there is already a standard calling called "Sunday School Teacher - Temple Preparation", which is really the same thing. No need to define a custom calling in that case when a standard one is really the same thing. It is good practice to minimize and whittle down your list of custom callings defined in MLS. This bug is additional reason to do so.

[johnled]

I have a out of sync issue and have followed the instructions in Correcting Duplicate or missing callings. The duplicate callings for the same person are still showing up after a unit refresh in CDOL. After the refresh in MLS the callings still show correctly in MLS and duplicated in CDOL. Not sure how to get the duplicates to come off of CDOL.

[genman]

After the refresh in MLS the callings still show correctly in MLS and duplicated in CDOL.

Immediately after completing the "unit data refresh", the callings shown in MLS should look identical to CDOL. That's the point of doing a unit data refresh: to get the duplicates into MLS, so that they can then be deleted. Are you saying that immediately after doing a unit data refresh (UDR), you don't see the duplicate callings in MLS? Are you sure that you did a Send/Receive (S/R) after selecting Unit Data Refresh, and that 4 hours later you did another Send/Receive? If you do that (i.e. select UDR, then S/R, then wait 4 hrs, then another S/R) then you should see the duplicate callings in MLS.

[jonesrk]

I have a out of sync issue and have followed the instructions in Correcting Duplicate or missing callings. The duplicate callings for the same person are still showing up after a unit refresh in CDOL. After the refresh in MLS the callings still show correctly in MLS and duplicated in CDOL. Not sure how to get the duplicates to come off of CDOL.

One option is to remove the one you have in MLS, then send/receive and see if that makes a difference in CDOL (after just a few minutes). If so then a unit refresh should get you the remaining one that is still in CDOL.

[johnled]

One option is to remove the one you have in MLS, then send/receive and see if that makes a difference in CDOL (after just a few minutes). If so then a unit refresh should get you the remaining one that is still in CDOL.

I did do the unit refresh correctly. I am a DBA developer by trade and beleive I was able to follow the unit refresh instructions correctly. I will try deleting the calling as you suggest and see what happens. Our clerk was entering in these back in November when you were having the syncing issues. I believe he did it few times trying to get it to show up now it has 3 of the same calling on CDOL. Thanks for the replies.

[genman]

Our clerk was entering in these back in November when you were having the syncing issues.

Actually the syncing issue were not limited to November. It can be duplicated on demand today, as shown in this post: Orphaned callings at LDS.org that are no longer in MLS. When trying to work around this problem, after doing the UDR to get MLS to look identical to CDOL, you pretty much need to then delete all related callings in MLS, and especially delete the custom callings and callings types, then S/R to get all of the deletes up to CDOL again. Warning: at this point, do not try to add back in any callings or callings types in MLS until you have verified that the commanded deletes have made it to CDOL. I learned that the hard way. It is very tempting to fix the issues and then add them all back in in one step. But it only works reliably if you do it one step at a time, with no efficiency shortcuts. It is a slow painstaking process. Make sure that you start by printing a full Callings by Organization report so that later, after the orphaned callings are verified gone from CDOL, then you can add them all back in. Note: for future maintainability, avoid custom callings definitions, if possible; use standard calling names where possible. Custom callings seem to make it more likely for MLS/CDOL to get out of sync.

[johnled]

To correct the issue I was having with the 3 duplicate callings listed on CDOL.
I deleted the calling from MLS did a send and receive. This removed one of the duplicated callings from CDOL.
Then I did a "Request Unit Refresh Data" in mls. Did a send and receive. Waited about 15 minutes and did another send and receive to get the Unit refresh data. The calling that I had previously removed showed back up. So I repeated the process by deleting the calling and starting the process over again until only one shows up on CDOL.

Thank you all for your help.