Connections Online November 2013 Newsletter
Section One: Announcements and Tips
Click to scroll to Section Two: Webinars
Connections Online Announcements
Project Connector Release
A new version of the Project 2010 Connector has been released - both 32-bit and 64-bit. There is one repair and one new feature.
No More Timeouts
The previous version of the Connector was timing out on MS Project files that contained more than 400 tasks. The new version does batch processing, meaning it can handle any number of tasks. Please be aware that with a large amount of tasks, it will still take several minutes. The longest process will be the first synchronization which handles all tasks. After that, it will only synchronize tasks that have changed and their parent items (for scheduling updates).
Set Baseline
Many clients were manually copying the Scheduled dates (Start/Finish/Work) to the Baseline columns before synchronization. Now there is a Set Baseline option in the Add-in menu that will do this automatically. This button does exactly what the Set Baseline button in the MS Project toolbar does except with no settings to be entered. The main intention of this operation is to use it prior to the first synchronization from MS Project to Connections Online to populate the Baseline/Projected dates.
Once completed tasks have been entered into the MS Project file, the Set Baseline option should no longer be used. The reasoning is that MS Project overwrites the Scheduled Date columns with the Actual Date columns when they are populated. Therefore, if the Set Baseline is used after completed tasks are entered, the Projected information will be overwritten with the Actual information. There are warnings in the Connector to prevent this behavior. If Projected/Baseline dates need to be adjusted after completed tasks are entered, it will be necessary to update the Baseline for each affected task manually.
In summary, please be sure the Baseline is correct and synchronized with Connections Online before entering any Actual date information.
The New Activity Report
In the latest release of Connections Online 4.1 and Beta, a new Activity Report was added. The Activity Report provides a comprehensive view of all activity within Connections Online. It answers some of the frequently asked questions such as "Who deleted this metric?" or "Who updated this dialog agenda?" The report shows activity in the system related to the viewed page. This includes page views, item creations, updates, and deletes, logins and logouts, and security delegation.
Each page in the application has an Activity Report option located with the other reports on the right-hand side of the screen. In addition, the Individual tab offers a User Activity Report which shows site-wide activities for that individual. The Site Activity Report for Site Admins only shows all activity within the site.
What is on the Report?
Each entry in the Activity Log report includes:
- Object Name and Type - This is the item that was impacted by the activity. The only exceptions are for items that do not have their own page in the application such as related links, list items, basic roles and indicators, etc. The activities to these items will show up under their parent page with further detail in the Action as to what occurred.
- Action - Create, Update, Delete, Delegate, Login, Logout, and more. The actions shown are configurable in the Filter box at the top of the screen. By default, all actions are shown.
- Timestamp - The time the activity occurred in EST. The report has a date range filter at the top which defaults to the current day.
- User - The User who performed the activity. The User can be filtered by using the User drop-down at the top off the screen. The report defaults to showing all Users’ activities to which the current viewer has access.
These entries represent almost all actions that take place within Connections Online. They give Users the ability to see what has happened and by who. Please note that a viewer will only see items they have Read permissions to view.
Example Report for the Demonstration Financial Institution Organization
Filtering the Report
As noted before, the report can be filtered by date, user, and actions. All of these filters are located at the top of the screen. The date and user filters will refresh the report immediately. The action filter requires a click to Apply after selecting or clearing the checkboxes for the actions to show or hide.
Sorting and Grouping the Report
The default sort order for the report is by Date/Time, descending. This allows the most recent items to be located first. The report can be sorted by Date/Time, Object, Type, and User. To sort, click the column header. Click again to sort in the opposite order. Click a third time to clear all sorting and return to the default.
The report can also be grouped. To group, drag the column header to group by, Date/Time, Object, Type, or User, into the grouping bar directly above the column headers, where it says "Drag Columns Here to Group". This can be seen in the sample report image above. An example of grouping by User is seen below. This report is showing two activities performed by User, bob-demo, and is sorted ascending by username.
When grouped, click the label ("User", in above) to change the order. To clear the grouping, click the "X" on the right of the grouping label. This will put the report back to a list format.
Location of the new report link on the site admin page
Location of the new report link on the account settings page
System Update – 10/29
Update included a bug fix and a refreshed security image:
- The 4.1 site has been updated to fix the missing images issue that many Internet Explorer Users have been experiencing.
- The login screens on both the 4.1 and Beta sites have been updated with a new GoDaddy security verification logo image.
Keep Up-to-Date on All System Announcements
Users who would like to be automatically notified by email when the server is down, or when there are other updates, must subscribe to these Forums. To subscribe, simply go to these Forum links: for system announcements - https://connectionsonline.zendesk.com/forums/384646-System-Announcements and for update announcements subscribe to this link: https://connectionsonline.zendesk.com/forums/377724-Announcements - Go to each link and click on the “Subscribe” button in the upper right hand corner of this Forum (you may need to be logged in to Connections for the Subscribe button to show). You will then automatically receive an email when any update announcements are posted on the forums.
You can also click on any of the other Forums and subscribe to the ones for which you want to stay informed of any new posts.
Tips and Additional Help Documentation for the Month
Giving Security to More Than Your “Reports To” Person to View Your Work
To give rights to more than just the “Reports To” person to see your information (projects, tasks, etc.), go to your individual page, click on the lock box in the upper right and add the other people to the modules, with the security you want them to have.
4.1 Archiving on Hold for Updates
We would prefer that no one use the Archive in 4.1 while we are reformatting the feature. We are working on a new archive type that is automatic and archives everything on a site on the last day of every month. We will make sure to get an archive of every site in the new format at the end of the year, so no one should worry about having to make an end-of-year archive.
Connections Online 4.1 Recorded Introductory Webinar
Use this link for a previously recorded webinar that is an introduction to Version 4.1 http://link.connectionsonline.net/COL-V4.1-Webinar. Use this link to print a copy of the Quick Reference Guide to Version 4.1 http://link.connectionsonline.net/Version-4-1-QRG.doc.
Client Care Notes
To view previous Connections Online Newsletters, go to http://www.connectionsonline.net/News/Newsletters.aspx
Monthly Calendar of Webinar Events Link
Click here to see our upcoming webinars or to register for a free training webinar.
Section Two: Webinars
Connections Online 4.1 Advanced Features Webinars
Thursday, December 12th at 1:30 ET
This 30-minute training webinar highlights advanced functionality of Connections Online 4.1 with Q&A.
Click here to register for December 12th
Connections Online 4.1 Application Training Webinars
Tuesday, December 17th at 1:30 ET
This 60-minute training webinar dives deeper into an overall “how to use” Connections Online 4.1.
Click here to register for December 17th
Connections Online 4.1 Security Training Webinars
Wednesday, December 18th at 1:30 ET
This 60-minute training webinar is for Site Administrators – setting security on the site page and throughout the application.
Click here to register for December 18th
Past Educational Webinar Recordings For a listing of our past Educational Webinars, use this link: http://www.connectionsonline.net/news/events.aspx
Informational Webinar
If you know someone outside of your company who may be interested in learning more about Connections Online, we have an informational webinar scheduled on Thursday, December 19th at 1:30 ET.
Please pass these links on to them to register for the:
December 19th Webinar - https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/247027586
Connections Online
24481 Detroit Road, Suite 300
Cleveland, OH 44145
(440) 892-1410 or (800) 395-1410
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