Callings dropped or replaced during sync

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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gregorg
New Member
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:03 am
Location: Washington DC

Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#1

Post by gregorg »

Our clerks have been reporting that callings are randomly disappearing during sync. They must be cross-checked against a hard copy and keyed in again by hand. Occasionally, an out-of-date calling will replace the current calling during an an update. This, too, must be checked manually against a hard copy.

They've been told by the tech support staff to simply re-enter callings data. Upon escalating a recent tech support call, we heard this was "a known bug" that is being addressed in a future update to MLS.

1) Is this the case, and what can be done about it? I've looked through the forum threads here and don't see any reports of similar behavior in other units.
2) When is this bug scheduled to be addressed? We're glad to escalate the issue or lend support to its resolution if it's useful to do so.
3) What workarounds or interim solutions might people suggest for managing this issue of randomly disappearing data? Are there optimum ways of maintaining a local/hard copy, or of perhaps automatically cross-referencing changes, or at least for logging/flagging deletions?

Thanks in advance for any advice with dealing with this frustrating situation.
russellhltn
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Re: Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#2

Post by russellhltn »

Have you been comparing your list against the CDOL? If MLS and CDOL are not in agreement, something may happen when a unit refresh is done.

As for getting them into sync, you might look at Correcting duplicate or missing callings.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
gregorg
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Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 9:03 am
Location: Washington DC

Re: Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#3

Post by gregorg »

Right, thanks, actually, that wiki fix for errors in CDOL seems to be describing our situation fairly well ["Compare in CDOL," "Clean up any duplicates and incorrect callings," etc.]

So the issue is having a bunch of callings disappear repeatedly, and having to compare and correct them repeatedly. Is this just the new normal after 3.3? Do units call asst clerks dedicated to data re-entry?

Because I realize I also forgot to mention that it happens to our budget allocations as well, which have disappeared after updates 4x since the MLS upgrade last fall. This issue may be off topic for this particular thread, but from the user POV, it certainly feels similar/related.
russellhltn
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Re: Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#4

Post by russellhltn »

gregorg wrote:Right, thanks, actually, that wiki fix for errors in CDOL seems to be describing our situation fairly well ["Compare in CDOL," "Clean up any duplicates and incorrect callings," etc.]
For a time, MLS didn't sync properly, so there may be some issues with callings changed/updated during that time period. But changes now should result in a corresponding change in CDOL. But just to be sure, you might want to delete a calling, sync and then enter the new person. That seems to help particularly with custom callings.
gregorg wrote:Because I realize I also forgot to mention that it happens to our budget allocations as well, which have disappeared after updates 4x since the MLS upgrade last fall. This issue may be off topic for this particular thread, but from the user POV, it certainly feels similar/related.
Yes, that's a different topic, but it makes me wonder if someone isn't doing a restore of some kind and messing things up.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
drepouille
Senior Member
Posts: 2859
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 6:06 pm
Location: Plattsmouth, NE

Re: Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#5

Post by drepouille »

I have reported in this forum that I have had some members disappear completely from the stake MLS, and other members lose their unit affiliation. A membership record refresh fixed both issues for me.
Dana Repouille, Plattsmouth, Nebraska
jonesrk
Church Employee
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Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2009 8:12 am
Location: South Jordan, UT, USA

Re: Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#6

Post by jonesrk »

gregorg wrote:So the issue is having a bunch of callings disappear repeatedly, and having to compare and correct them repeatedly. Is this just the new normal after 3.3? Do units call asst clerks dedicated to data re-entry?
If you have current examples of callings that disappear PM them to me and I'll look into it.
jirp
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Location: Greybull WY

Re: Callings dropped or replaced during sync

#7

Post by jirp »

It should be mentioned the steps in the link for fixing this problem are not enough sometimes. Here is what you will learn when you call the church tech for help.(you need to get the right tech person because not all of them know this)

If steps in the link have not worked and you still have discrepancies between MLS and (CDOL or calling by organization through clerk resources) or if your MLS files for callings are still magically screwing themselves up here are the rest of the steps I was guided through with an additional testing step learned the hard way.

1. In the organization(s) that has(have) a problem remove all callings and their positions. Use the remove position and person option while deleting them. So for example if your problem is RS wipe out all the positions in RS.

2. Now do a send and receive and wait until you see this change propagate out to CDOL. Hopefully you will now be able to see an orphan position in CDOL that you couldn't see before that doesn't show in MLS. If not then wait 4 or 5 days do see if it spontaneously shows up in CDOL. If not reenter one person in the organization, do send and receive and wait till they propagate out to CDOL. Then do a unit data refresh and wait until it comes in. Then start over at step 1.(repeat at least twice if needed before skipping to step 4)

3. Now you have to get the orphan position into MLS This is done thru unit data refreshes. It may not come in on the first try so wait a day or 2 and try again. If you have done 3 or 4 unit data refreshes with send/receive cycles with waits of a day or 2 in between and can't get the orphan in, call tech and have them push the unit data refresh your way. Don't know why them pushing rather than you requesting it is different but it is. On my bad one it took 3 tries of them pushing it to finally get the orphan position into MLS to be deleted. Send and recieve and wait 4 or 5 days. If CDOL is clear of orphans continue. If not keep cleaning till you get rid of all orphan positions in the organization.(they can be nested so you can't see one till you get rid of the one ahead of it)

4. Now to test.(learned the hard way after reentering primary and having an orphan crop back up) Reenter one person in the organization, do send and receive and wait till they propagate out to CDOL. Then do a unit data refresh and wait until it comes in. Now delete the position again and do send and receive. Wait 4 or 5 days and do another unit data refresh. If there are no orphans in CDOL and MLS so that organization is blank in both you can probably safely reenter that organization's information.

Be patient. It took nearly 2 months of effort with multiple mid week trip as well as every Sun afternoon to get ours clean this spring. Then mid summer one orphan position cropped back up. After cleaning it everything seems to be stable and CDOL seems to be staying matching MLS.

PS you actually have to watch both CDOL and callings by organization under clerk resources to be sure both are clean of orphans as an orphan can appear in one without appearing in the other. So watch for refreshes to propagate to both each time before moving on. Just keep cleaning till no orphan positions exist anywhere.
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