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How do I sync with Student Information Systems (SIS) in Buzz?

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Note: This article includes some beta features; we welcome your feedback as you test it out. If you encounter complications, please contact your  SIS administrator and/or Agilix account manager to verify correct implementation and usage.

Buzz supports the rostering of users, courses, enrollments, and observers through the 1EdTech (formerly IMS) OneRoster specification. The sync makes rostering easy, automated, and secure.

OneRoster is a 1EdTech specification for exchanging data between systems. Commonly, this exchange will happen between the student information system (SIS) and the learning management system (LMS). Buzz supports OneRoster 1.1. Review all of Buzz's 1EdTech certifications.

Only Buzz users with the Administrator role in the domain can set up and review SIS sync information.

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Configuring and testing your SIS sync consists of:

  1. Setting up your sync settings
  2. Syncing your data
  3. Reviewing your sync Status

These steps are covered below.

1. Set up your SIS sync settings

  1. Open the More menu on the Admin > Domain screen, and select SIS sync.
  1. If you have not specified sync settings in your domain or want to change them, click Edit settings.
  1. On the SIS settings [Beta] card, you can check the Allow rostering from the SIS box to use the OneRoster REST API to sync your data. To do this, you must provide the following values:
    • SIS name (enter the name of the SIS).
    • API Base URL (acquire from your SIS).
    • Authentication method:
      • If you select Key and secret, provide:
        • API Key (acquire from your SIS).
        • API Secret (acquire from your SIS).
        • API Token URL (optional, acquire from your SIS).
      • If you select Access token, you need only to provide the Access token (acquire from your SIS).
  1. You can also check the Allow grades to be sent to SIS to enable Grade passback [Beta].
  1. On the General settings card:
  1. On the Course settings card:
    • Check the boxes to automatically:
      • Create a base course for each domain in the uploaded file.
      • Create a base course for each teacher in the uploaded file.
      • Create a teacher base course for each term in the uploaded file.
    • Use the dropdown to indicate whether you want to Delete or Do nothing with Un-shared courses (Un-shared courses are courses that were previously shared with and created in Buzz, but are no longer being shared).
  1. On the Enrollment settings card:
    • Choose which role in Buzz you want teachers to be given on upload.
    • Choose which role in Buzz you want students to be given on upload.
    • Use the dropdown to indicate which of the following you want to do with Un-shared enrollments on upload (Un-shared enrollments are enrollments that were previously shared with and created in Buzz, but are no longer being shared):
      • Do nothing
      • Mark as inactive
      • Mark as withdrawn
      • Delete
    • Check the box if you want to Ignore start and end dates from the SIS and use them from Buzz.
  1. On the User settings card, use the dropdown to indicate which of the following you want to do with Un-shared users on upload (Un-shared users are users that were previously shared with and created in Buzz, but are no longer being shared):
    • Do nothing
    • Mark as inactive
    • Delete
  1. Save.

2. Sync your data

Once you have set up your SIS sync settings, there are two ways to sync your OneRoster data in Buzz:  

  1. Using OneRoster's REST APIs, which enables direct system exchanges.
  2. Using spreadsheet-style (CSV), which supports file importing.

Use API sync [Beta]

Note: To sync using OneRoster's REST APIs, you must check the Allow rostering from the SIS box and complete the associated fields described in Step 3, above.

To use OneRoster REST APIs for direct system exchanges:

  1. Select the API sync tab on the SIS sync screen.
  2. Check the Validation-only mode box if you want to test for errors and get status messages before updating anything (recommended).
  3. Click Start API sync.
  4. Review sync Status report.

When you're satisfied with the Status, uncheck the Validation-only mode box and click Start API sync to start syncing.

Best practices

  • You can sync anytime you need, but we recommend syncing no more frequently than every 12 hours.
  • You can schedule the API sync to occur daily by reaching out to Agilix Support.

Use File sync

To upload OneRoster CSVs directly to Buzz, you may need to compress them in a .zip file. The .zip file must contain the following CSV files for OneRoster integration:

  • manifest.csv
  • academicSessions.csv
  • classes.csv
  • courses.csv
  • enrollments.csv
  • orgs.csv
  • users.csv

To upload the .zip file in Buzz:

  1. Select the File sync tab on the SIS sync screen.
  2. Click Choose file, and find and select the .zip file for upload.
  3. Check the Validation-only mode box if you want to test for errors and get status messages before updating anything (recommended).
  4. Click Start file sync. Your first sync should begin shortly after upload.  
  5. Review sync Status report.

When you're satisfied with the Status, uncheck the Validation-only mode box and click Start file sync to start syncing.

Best practices

  • You can sync anytime you need, but we recommend syncing no more frequently than every 12 hours.

Use FTP

To upload OneRoster CSVs using FTP, FTPES, or SFTP, you may need to compress them in a .zip file. The .zip file must contain the following CSV files for OneRoster integration:

  • manifest.csv
  • academicSessions.csv
  • classes.csv
  • courses.csv
  • enrollments.csv
  • orgs.csv
  • users.csv

Buzz provides instructions (pictured) on how to use the FTP import.

  • Your username is your userspace/username.
  • Your password is your Buzz password
  • The FTP location/URL is found in the FTP instructions screen for your domain.

The sync should begin almost immediately after importing, at which point you can review the sync Status report.

Best practices

  • You can sync anytime you need, but we recommend syncing no more frequently than every 12 hours.

3. Review sync Status

The Admin > SIS Sync > Status screen displays:

  1. Your sync history.
  2. Details, including successes/failures.

If you entered an email address in your SIS Sync settings, you will also receive a confirmation email.

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