Configure Connections & Schedule
Overview
The Aeries Ed-Fi pages facilitate data extracts for the Texas Student Data System (TSDS) upgrade to the Ed-Fi standard.
The Ed-Fi Data Standard is a nationally adopted common language that allows education technology systems to securely exchange data. The TEA has adopted Ed-Fi as the standard for district reporting of state requirements.
To extract data:
- Configure Aeries to communicate with the TEA Ed-Fi Individual Operational Data Store (IODS) server.
- Set up the time(s) when data will be uploaded to the IODS server on a schedule.
- Map codes.
- Sync data.
Detailed steps are listed below.
Ed-Fi Field Mapping by Domain:
The following documents provide the specific Aeries table.field where each element is stored, as well as Level 1 Error troubleshooting.
See also:
Security ↑
Aeries admin-level security allows full access to the Ed-Fi related pages. For non-admin users, the following Table Permission must be set:
| Program Area | Permission | Description |
Ed-Fi ODS Configurations | Read | View the Ed-Fi ODS Configurations page |
| Read, Administer | View, add, update, and delete information on the Ed-Fi ODS Configurations page (i.e., full access to all functions on the page) | |
Ed-Fi Code Mappings | Read | View information on the Ed-Fi Code Mappings page |
| Read, Administer | View, add, update, and delete information on the Ed-Fi Code Mappings page (i.e., full access to all functions on the page) | |
Ed-Fi Synchronizations | Read | View information on the Ed-Fi System Initialization and Testing page |
| Read, Administer | View, add, update, and delete information on the Ed-Fi System Initialization and Testing page (i.e., full access to all functions on the page) | |
| Query Only Tables | Read | Query information from additional tables. See Ed-Fi Configuration for more details. |
Terminology ↑
The following terminology has changed:
| Former Term | Ed-Fi Term |
|---|---|
| Interchange > | Domain |
| Complex Type > | Entity |
| Data Element > | Data Element |
| Code Table > | Descriptor Table |
The following terminology is associated with APIs and may appear in error message generated by the Ed-Fi IODS.
- Array: A set of the same Data Elements with different values, such as a bell schedule.
- Association: Two Entities that are related via one or more shared keys.
- Data Element: A specific piece of information, such as a student's first name.
- Descriptor: A Data Element that has a specific set of codes, such as GradeLevel.
- Domain: A group of related Entities.
- Endpoint: The URI that indicates the path to a specific Data Element.
- Entity: A group of related Data Elements.
- Namespace: The portion of the URI that indicates the governing entity (ed-fi.org) and the Descriptor.
- Natural key: A column that uniquely identifies a record and contains content that is meaningful to the users, such as Student Last Name, as opposed to a key that has less meaningful data such as an ID.
- Payload: The data that is sent in an API request or received in an API response.
- Sync/Synchronization: The process of comparing local Aeries data to data that exists on the Ed-Fi IODS server. When syncing occurs, data that has been added, changed, or deleted in Aeries is updated on the Ed-Fi IODS server.
- Attribute/Property: The Data Elements and their Values for a particular Entity. For example, the attributes for the AssessmentResults entity are Assessment Date, Score Accommodations, etc.
- URI (Uniform Resource Identifier): Similar to a URL but identifies any type of resource, not just one on the internet.
- Value:
- String: User-entered value with a specified maximum number of characters
- Code Set: The list of defined values allowed for a particular Descriptor. If local codes are used they must be mapped to state-defined codes.
- Date: A value formatted as a date
- Boolean: Yes/No indicators
Configure Connections & Schedule ↑
Before proceeding, Aeries must be configured correctly to communicate with a running instance of an Ed-Fi iODS server. Multiple simultaneous Ed-Fi IODS connections and configurations can be set up with independent mappings for different Ed-Fi IODS instances if needed.
You will need to create an application in your Data Management Center (DMC). See TSDS Security Management Reference Guide before creating an ODS Configuration in Aeries. This will give Aeries the permissions to sync the entities based on the claim set chosen and generate the Key and Secret needed to access your IODS.
There are 2 TEA Pre-Defined Claim Sets that may be used for Aeries access and 1 customized claim set that you may import into your DMC:
| Claim Set | Use |
|---|---|
| SIS Vendor | Do not sync any data in the Staff Domain from Aeries |
| SIS Vendor with Staff Profiles | Sync the 4 elements in the Staff Entity outlined in the TEA API Profile Resource Guide.pdf |
| Custom Claim Set | SIS Vendor with Staff Profiles claim set PLUS the option to sync the other Staff entities from Aeries:
|
Navigate to School Info > Imports and Exports > Ed-Fi Configurations
- Under Configurations, any existing configurations are listed.
- Click Add Configuration to add a new Ed-Fi IODS configuration, or click the Edit icon to edit an existing configuration. Your ODS Configurations will copy during the New Year Rollover process. Edit the ODS configuration with the new ODS connection information each year.
A window opens on Step 1 ODS Details allowing you to enter or update the required information for each configuration.
* ODS Configuration information from the TSDS Data Management Center (DMC) - Click Continue and complete Steps 2 (Entities), 3 (Schools), and 4 (Schedule). See Ed-Fi Configuration for details on each option.
NOTE: For the initial upload of data, it is recommended that only a few entities be enabled, starting from the top of the list of entities, in order to reduce the time spent on dependency errors and processing time.
Map Codes ↑
When a new Configuration is created in Aeries, the system automatically generates default code mappings to help users quickly align their code sets with standardized values. These default mappings are sourced from TSDS (Texas Student Data System), providing a reliable starting point. For more information see TSDS Ed-Fi Standard Default Code Mapping.
Most TEA Ed-Fi codes are hard-coded in Aeries and do not need to be mapped. Any local codes used by the district must be mapped to TEA Ed-Fi codes. Code sets that allow local codes are indicated with an asterisk in each Ed-Fi Field Mapping Page in the Label & Aeries Table.Field column.
Code Mappings
Navigate to School Info > Imports and Exports > Ed-Fi Configurations > Code Mapping tab
For more detailed information, visit the Ed-Fi Code Mappings documentation.
Local Codes
To add local codes to be mapped to Ed-Fi Descriptors click on the Update Local Codes link or navigate to School Info > Configurations > Update Code Table
Sync Data ↑
Navigate to School Info > Imports and Exports > Ed-Fi Synchronization
The Ed-Fi Synchronization page in Aeries provides a centralized interface for monitoring and managing data between the Aeries SIS and the Ed-Fi data standard. It offers visibility into the status of various data categories, including metrics on unchanged, deleted, and failed records. For more detailed information, visit the Ed-Fi Synchronizations documentation.
Level 1 Validation errors must be resolved or the data will not be sent to the IODS in the Landing Zone.
These errors are stored in the EdfiTransationErrors table, which is a log of all errors for each entity generated each time the entity is synced. See Ed-Fi - Troubleshooting Errors.
