Autoload Information
Autoloads are dependent on having Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) access to the Interfolio servers. Please fill out this form in order to be granted access. This can be done prior to or in conjunction with the request for autoload setup. For autoload planning, please complete the client data survey form available upon request.
Users with access to the SFTP can download, edit, and reupload the file directly to change the recipient of the notification email.
Autoload Information
Supported Autoloads
- The following autoloads of base data files are supported:
- Faculty
- Faculty Classifications
- Current Positions
- Prefixes
- Courses
- Courses Taught
- The following autoloads of activity data files are supported:
- Scholarship
- Grants (Awards & Proposals)
- Custom Sections
- Coming soon:
- Degrees
- Other Institutional Service
- Institutional Committees
- Work Experience
- Attachments
- Files will be processed if they:
- are in the required file format (.csv or .txt),
- are in the required column order (based on the setup in the database),
- have been SFTP'd into the autoload folder for a given database.
Notifications (logs) will be sent after file processing is completed or if there are issues with file processing and it cannot be completed. When submitting a request for autoload setup, please provide the email address(es) for those who should receive these notifications.
Time of Import
Base data
Imports are scheduled for processing at 3:30 AM EDT/EST daily. If no files are found of the file does not match system requirements, then an import will not occur.
Scholarship & Grants
Import schedules can be customized upon request. By default, the system checks for files on the 1st, 10th, 20th, and 30th of the month.
Custom Sections
Custom Sections are most sections in FAR (if you are unsure, click to edit an Input form and verify that a section is labeled “Custom Section Reorder.” Import schedules can be customized upon request. By default, the system checks for files on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of the month.
Base Data Upload Configuration
To set up autoloads review file processing settings:
- Navigate to File Configuration to configure the Upload Form.
- Navigate to File Settings to conduct Bulk Data Uploads.
Note that base-data autoload settings require an Interfolio System Administrator to save the settings. Please submit a support request for assistance in setting up the base-data autoload feature. If changes to the saved settings are needed, please submit a support request for assistance.
Non-base data files (except for grants) are not supported for autoloading at this time.
File Location
- All files will be located in a directory created by Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR, Faculty180).
- Each database will then have a subdirectory under the autoload directory. (For example, /autoload/databasename/).
- Supported file types are .csv (comma-delimited) and .txt (tab-delimited) only.
The following formats are not supported and should not be included:
- .doc
- .docx
- xls
- .xlsx
- subdirectories, etc.
- For base data: /autoload/databasename/
- For all other data types (scholarly, grants, custom sections): /incoming/databasename/
| Action/Folder |
Description |
|---|---|
|
autoload Do not direct files here. |
First level subdirectory. |
| [database ID] | Production database directory for base data autoload (only files for faculty, current position, faculty classification, prefix, courses, courses taught). Auto load has to be set up in order to support this processing. Please reach out to help@interfolio.com if your autoloads need to be set up or reconfigured. |
| notification.txt |
After autoload file processing in [database], notifications are sent to the email addresses that have been added here. Note: users can edit the addresses directly at any time by downloading the file, making the necessary edits, and re-uploading. Individual addresses should be followed by a line break. Please do not edit/delete the @interfolio.com address listed. |
|
incoming Do not direct files here. |
All non-base data files, such as grants, advising, professional development, and more, that are not supported by the base-data autoload.
|
| [database ID] |
Files from the client will be directed here if the file is to be loaded into production. Examples: grants, advising, scholarship, etc. |
| /[data type] | Options include /custom, /scholarly, /grants. |
| old_files | After processing non-base data files into production, those files will be placed here. |
|
outgoing Do not direct files here. |
Interfolio use only. Any non-base data files that are not supported by the base data autoload), such as file logs, Interfolio-generated file extracts (limited scope). |
| logs | Non-base-data processed file logs - recent version Examples: grants, advising, scholarship, etc. |
| old_logs | Non-base data processed file logs - older versions. |
|
processed Do not direct files here. |
Base data autoload files are moved here after processing. Only files for faculty, current position, faculty classification, prefix, courses, and courses taught. |
| [database ID] | Base-data autoloads processed into production. |
Notification
| Autoload Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Base Data | Each directory under /autoload/ will have a file titled notification.txt. This file will hold, one per line, the email addresses of people who should be notified upon completion of autoload processing. These emails will contain information on the upload, including counts of new, duplicate, and failed records as well as a list of lines that were duplicate or failed. Emails in this file could include FAR administration or the entity that creates files for automatic upload. Please do not remove the @interfolio.com address included in the notification.txt file. |
| Non-Base Data | Notifications for all non-base-data data types are configured by Interfolio's Technical Services team. If you wish to make changes to the recipient list, please contact help@interfolio.com. |
Files Supported and Naming Conventions
- Faculty180_<upload_type>_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv
- Faculty180_CoursesTaught_2015-08-11_01.csv
- This indicates a Courses Taught file to be uploaded and was the first upload file of this type received on 2015-08-11
- If a second Courses Taught was to be sent on the same day, the sequence would change: : Faculty180_coursestaught_2015-08-11_02.csv
- Faculty180_CoursesTaught_2015-08-11_01.csv
Available upload types for base data include the following:
| Supported Import | <upload_type> | Example Filename |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty | faculty | faculty180_faculty_2019-08-11_01.csv |
| Faculty Classifications | facultyclassifications | faculty180_facultyclassifications_2019-08-11_01.csv |
| Current Positions | current positions | faculty180_currentpositions_2019-08-11_01.csv |
| Course Prefixes | prefix | faculty180_prefix_2019-08-11_01.csv |
| Courses | courses | faculty180_courses_2019-08-11_01.csv |
| Courses Taught | courses taught | faculty180_coursestaught_2019-08-11_01.csv |
Available upload types for non-base data include the following:
| Supported Import | <upload_type> | Example Filename |
|---|---|---|
| Scholarship | abstract, book, digitalmedia, journalarticle, etc | Faculty180_<upload type>_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv |
| Grants | Award | Faculty180_award_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv |
| Grants | Proposal | Faculty180_proposal_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv |
| Grants | Proposal (if providing collaborator file) | Faculty180_proposal_collaborator_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv |
| Grants | Award (if providing collaborator file) | Faculty180_award_collaborator_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv |
| Custom Section | Most file types within FAR* | Faculty180_sectionname_<yyyy>-<mm>-<dd>_<sequence>.csv |
*Default vs. custom sections can be identified when editing an input form. Each section on the editing page will either say "Reorder" or “Custom Section Reorder.”
Base Data Autoloads: Additional Notes
Base data types are autoloaded in the order listed below.
- Units
- Faculty
- Faculty Classifications
- Course Prefixes
- Courses
- Courses Taught
Faculty Classification files should include:
- The first column should always be the starting term based on the University’s database settings. It may be different for the University. For example, Fall, Spring, and Summer.
- The second column should always be the starting calendar year (YYYY).
- The third column should always be the ending term based on the University’s database settings. It may be different for the University. For example, Fall, Spring, and Summer.
- The fourth column should always be the ending calendar year (YYYY).
Courses Taught files should include:
- The first column should always be the term based on the University's database settings. This may be different for the University. For example, Fall, Spring, and Summer.
- The second column should always be the calendar year (YYYY).
FAQs
What happens when a file is processed?
For Supported Base Data Autoload Types that Meet Requirements
- After processing, files are moved from the autoload folder to the processed folder.
- Unprocessed files (those that do not meet requirements) remain in the autoload folder. The system will continue to try to process the bad file.
- Please review the notifications that are sent. These failed files will be noted and the file should be deleted from the directory folder.
For Supported Non-Base-Data Autoload Types that Meet Requirements
- After processing, files are moved to a folder within the same directory called /old_files.
- Unprocessed files (those that do not meet requirements) remain in the /incoming folder.
- Please review the notifications that are sent and the outgoing logs for more details. These failed files will be noted and the file(s) should be removed from the directory folder or modified to meet requirements.
What happens when file modifications are needed?
For Supported Base Data Autoload Types
- It is possible to start with a file that only has the required data field and then add additional fields as needed.
- This will require a change to the setup. Please submit a support request before making changes to the current file.
For Supported Non-Base Data Autoload Types
- Contact the Technical Services team via help@interfolio.com
What happens when a base data file must manually be loaded via the administrative feature after autoload settings have been saved?
- Recommended cadence for autoloads is weekly.
- If a file needs to be loaded between scheduled loads, it is possible to use the administrative use interface to load the file by navigating to Administration > Administration > Bulk Data > Upload Data > New Upload > Select the file type > Make selections as needed > Attach file > Validate > Upload.
- If a base-data load requires a change to the Upload Form, be sure to change it back prior to the next autoload. This will not happen automatically and it will affect the auto file processing.