Data Synchronization Between netFORUM and MemberFuse
When your MemberFuse site is first created, all records in netFORUM are transferred immediately (regardless of member status) with the fields defined in the sections below synchronizing. After the initial transfer, specific synchronization rules are then enacted.
A batch process is completed each night to reflect changes in the groups you have set-up (such as new members that have been added) and to synchronize the data between netFORUM and your MemberFuse Social Community. Therefore, it may take 24 hours for some data to appear in MemberFuse. All individual and organization records are synced from netFORUM to MemberFuse on a nightly basis. If you notice any data issues, please ensure that you have waited the allotted 24-hour sync time before contacting Abila support.
Synchronization Rules
Actions are not synced from MemberFuse to netFORUM. This means that if you delete a profile in MemberFuse the corresponding profile will not be deleted in netFORUM.
The reverse is not true. If you delete a profile in netFORUM, for example, it will be deleted in MemberFuse. This is important to keep in mind. The exception to this is deactivation. Deactivating a group in netFORUM will not deactivate it in MemberFuse, though this will change with future updates. Currently, you will still need to deactivate the group in MemberFuse as well.
As noted previously, a batch process is completed each night to reflect changes in the groups you have activated and to synchronize the data between netFORUM and your MemberFuse Social Community. All individual and organization records are synced from netFORUM to MemberFuse on a nightly basis. This occurs once every 24 hours. Two exceptions to this are groups and new users. When you activate a new group, activation takes place immediately though the group members will still be updated with the 24-hour sync. Additionally, when a user logs-in to eWeb who is not a current user in MemberFuse, the user should be loaded on demand. Changes in MemberFuse are not dictated by the 24-hour clock. They are synced immediately back to netFORUM without the 24-hour delay.
The three rules of thumb to remember (in general) are as follows:
- FROM netFORUM TO MemberFuse = 24 hours
- Group activation is the exception to this rule. Group activation occurs immediately sans group members.
- FROM MemberFuse TO netFORUM = Immediately.
Note: Only individual and organization records with email addresses are synced.
Individual Viewable Synced Data Fields
Data fields are defined as viewable if, once synced from netFORUM, they are able to be seen (and searched on) within a MemberFuse profile on the Member Info and Organization tab(s). Some, like the AMS ID and user email fields, are found only in the Members Admin module, viewable only by administrators.
The following Pro and Enterprise data fields sync to MemberFuse and are viewable:
PRO |
ENTERPRISE |
MEMBERFUSE |
---|---|---|
ind_cst_key | ind_cst_key | AMS ID (customer ID—admin only) |
eml_address | eml_address | Email (admin only) |
ind_first name | ind_first name | First Name |
ind_last_name | ind_last_name | Last Name |
ind_title | ind_title | Title |
adr_line1 | adr_line1 | Address1 |
adr_line2 | adr_line2 | Address2 |
adr_city | adr_city | City |
adr_state | adr_state | State |
adr_post_code | adr_post_code | Zip |
adr_country | adr_country | Country |
cst_org_name_dn | Affiliated Organization |
Individual Non-Viewable Synced Data Fields
Data fields are defined as non-viewable if, once synced from netFORUM, they are not visible to end-users of the MemberFuse Social Community but they are still needed by MemberFuse to make determinations on how synced records are treated. For example, the following Pro and Enterprise data fields sync to MemberFuse, but are not viewable:
- Member Flag
- Receives Benefits Flag
If either of these two flags is set in netFORUM on an individual’s record, the individual is considered a member by MemberFuse. As a result, the following two actions will occur in the MemberFuse Social Community once the record is synced:
- The individual is placed into the Member Role
- The individual is visible in the Member Directory
If neither of these two flags is set, the individual is considered a non-member by MemberFuse. As a result, the following actions will occur in the MemberFuse Social Community once the record is synced:
- The individual is placed into the Non-Member Role
- The individual is not visible in the Member Directory
PRO |
ENTERPRISE |
MEMBERFUSE |
---|---|---|
cst_receives_benefits_flag | cst_receives_benefits_flag | Visible in Member Directory |
cst_member_flag | cst_member_flag | Member role & permissions |
ind_int_code = 'Staff' | ind_int_code = 'Staff' | Staff role & permissions |
(if not Member) | (if not Member) | Non-member role & permissions |
cst_no_email_flag | cst_no_email_flag | E-mail notifications off |
Tip: An individual’s e-mail is not visible within the Social Community beyond the log-in process and in administrator modules. If their primary e-mail is changed in netFORUM, their log-in to MemberFuse is changed immediately as well. Further, if the customer has opted out of communication within netFORUM, he/she will have to disable notifications within MemberFuse as well on their own individual profile.
Organization Viewable Synced Data Fields
Just as with individuals, organization fields are defined as viewable if, once synced from netFORUM, they are able to be seen (and searched on) within a MemberFuse profile on the Organizations tab and in the Organizations Admin module (accessible by admins only).
The following Pro and Enterprise data fields sync to MemberFuse and are viewable:
- Organization Name
- Description
- Primary Address (Address 1, Address 2, City, State, Zip, Country)
- Primary Email
- Primary Phone
- Website
- Org Type (Currently Org type is searchable in MemberFuse is but not used in any other way.)
- Primary Contact (If an individual is designated as a primary contact of an organization in netFORUM, they are set as a primary contact of the organization in MemberFuse as well. This grants them permissions to moderate the organization in MemberFuse.)
- Each organization will also list those individuals as employees that specify it as their primary org. (Primary Org field from the Individual Viewable Synced Data Fields section)
PRO |
ENTERPRISE |
MEMBERFUSE |
---|---|---|
org_name | org_name | Organization Name |
cst_bio | cst_bio | Description |
adr_line1 | adr_line1 | Address1 |
adr_line2 | adr_line2 | Address2 |
adr_city | adr_city | City |
adr_state | adr_state | State |
adr_post_code | adr_post_code | Zip |
adr_country | adr_country | Country |
eml_address | eml_address | |
phn_number | phn_number | Phone |
cst_web_site | cst_web_site | Website |
org_ind_cst_key | org_ind_cst_key | Primary Contact |
Organization Non-Viewable Synced Data Fields
Just as with individuals, organization fields are defined as non-viewable if, once synced from netFORUM, they are not visible to end-users of the MemberFuse Social Community but they are still needed by MemberFuse to make determinations on how synced records are treated. The following Pro and Enterprise data fields sync to MemberFuse and are not viewable. For example:
- Member Flag
If this flag is set in netFORUM on an organization’s record, the organization is considered a member by MemberFuse. As a result, the following action will occur in the MemberFuse Social Community once the record is synced:
- The organization is visible in the Organization Directory
If this flag is not set, the organization is considered a non-member by MemberFuse. As a result, the following action will occur in the MemberFuse Social Community once the record is synced:
- The organization is not visible in the Organization Directory
PRO |
ENTERPRISE |
MEMBERFUSE |
---|---|---|
org_cst_key | org_cst_key | ams_id (ORG ID) |
org_ogt_code | org_ogt_code | orgs_types_id (Org Type ID) |
cst_member_flag OR cst_no_web_flag | cst_member_flag OR cst_no_web_flag | Hidden (Org hidden from non-members) |
ind_org_cst_key | org_cst_key | Organization ID Key |
Event Viewable Synced Data Fields
As with individuals and organizations, event fields are defined as viewable if, once synced from netFORUM, they are able to be seen (and searched on) within MemberFuse and are seen on the Event Profile screen on the Event tab. The following Pro and Enterprise fields sync to MemberFuse and are viewable:
PRO |
ENTERPRISE |
MEMBERFUSE |
---|---|---|
evt_tzn_key | evt_tzn_key | event_timezone |
evt_start_date and evt_start_time | evt_start_date and evt_start_time | start_date |
evt_end_date and evt_end_time | evt_end_date and evt_end_time | end_date |
CREATED VIA EVT_KEY | evt_event_url | registration_url |
prd_name | evt_title | title |
prd_description | evt_short_description | description |
Event Non-Viewable Synced Data Fields
As with individuals and organizations, event fields are defined as non-viewable if, once synced from netFORUM, they are not visible to end-users of the MemberFuse Social Community but they are still needed by MemberFuse to make determinations on how synced records are treated. The following Pro and Enterprise data fields sync to MemberFuse and are not viewable. For example:
- The prd_post_online_flag
PRO |
ENTERPRISE |
MEMBERFUSE |
---|---|---|
evt_key | evt_key | ams_id (Event ID) |
ANONYMOUS USER | usr_cst_key | creator_id |
prd_post_online_flag | evt_delete_flag = 0 | Active (event displays) |
NOT SET | evt_delete_flag = 1 | deleted |
Additional Non-Viewable Synced Data Fields
Several additional fields should be considered when dealing with netFORUM records. Note that these fields are non-viewable, which means they are not visible or searchable, however they are still used by MemberFuse to make determinations on how synced records are treated.
Deceased Flag: If this flag is checked in netFORUM, the MemberFuse account is deactivated. A deactivated record means that the account will not be visible or searchable but still available to your MemberFuse Admin for historical record purposes if needed.
Do Not Contact Fields: Keep in mind that Do Not Contact fields are not synced from netFORUM at this time. (Note: This does not include the Do Not Contact by Email field, which does sync.)
Exclude From Social: This option is viewable in netFORUM in Individual profiles; sets applicable profiles to inactive in MemberFuse.
Tip: As noted previously, if the customer has opted out of communication within netFORUM, he/she will have to disable notifications within MemberFuse as well on their own individual profile. An Admin may also assume the user’s account and disable notifications for them.