School Check IN’s Auto Import Application was designed to facilitate the import process and provide schools with the ability to automatically update data on a regular basis.

Installation Overview

Using your Student Information System (SIS), create and run a data export. Save this export to be run automatically between 6 P.M. and 6 A.M. In this export script, designate a specific location on a specific computer. This will be called your “SCI Import Computer.”

On the same SCI Import Computer, install the School Check IN Auto Import Application. Once installed, this application will run as a service on your SCI Import Computer. Configuring the import requires that you “map” the data fields and save the mapping. It is very important that the SIS export process retains the same field order moving forward.

Once configuration is complete and the Auto Import Application knows where your import files will be found (designated location), then the application will automatically “sense” when a new import file is deposited and will automatically import the data from the new import file. It is very important that this designated location remain constant. Should the designated location change, then you will need to update the configuration and mappings in the Auto Import Client

Installation Requirements

For the Auto Import Application to work, the following requirements must be met:

• Auto Import Application is installed on the SCI Import Computer. Both the files will be imported and the Auto Import Application must reside on the same computer.

• Run as a service on the SCI Import Computer.
• The Auto Import Application is properly configured with the correct field mappings.
• Have new data to import.
• Have Internet access.
• Net Framework 4 Extended.
• NET 4.0 is required.
• Visual C++ 2005.
• Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable –x86
• Port 22 open in the district firewall for SFTP file transfers.

Installation Steps: Auto Import App

Step 1: Navigate to the following download link:
www.schoolcheckin.com/files/PS_Import.zip

Step 2: Double click the unzipped file to start the installation.

Step 3: Walk through the installation screens:

• Welcome to the Setup Wizard. Click Next.
• Browse for a location where the application will be installed.

• Install Auto Import App Setup for “Just Me” 
• Click Next.
• Confirm Installation window, click Next.
• Installation Complete window, click Close.

To access the Auto Import Application, click on the new Icon on your desktop.

Configuration Overview

Open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings dropdown menu.

Follow the Setup Process in this order:

1. User Settings - page 6
2. Path Settings - page 7
3. Mappings - page 8
4. Test Mode - page 9
5. Process Now - page 10

Configuration: User Settings

Step 1: Open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings drop down menu.

Step 2: Select User Settings.

Step 3: Enter your School Check IN credentials and select Save.

Upon a successful login the User Settings login box will disappear.

Configuration: Path Settings

Step 1: Open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings drop down menu.

Step 2: Select Path Settings.

Step 3: Click Select to browse for the location where the import file will be found.

Step 4: Click Save to keep the location.

Configuration: Mappings

Step 1: Open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings drop down menu.

Step 2: Select Mappings. 

Step 3: Click Browse.

Step 4: Navigate to the location of the file to be imported. Select the file.

Step 5: Click Load Headers.

Step 6: Check the preferred import option.

Step 7: Click on the field pick list.

Step 8: Select the correct field.

Step 9: Repeat steps 6-7 for all required fields.

Step 10: When complete, click Save Mappings.

Repeat mapping process for other tabs with data to be imported.

Configuration: Modify Mapping

If the format of your SIS export changes, your data will no longer properly import into School Check IN. You will have to modify the mapping of the file with the new template. Remapping will also be required if the Automatic Import Utility has been relocated to another computer/server.

Step 1: Open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings drop down menu.

Step 2: Select Mappings.

Step 3: Click Browse.

Step 4: Navigate to the location of the file to be imported. Select the file.

Step 5: Click Load Headers.

Step 6: Check the preferred import option.

Step 7: Click on the field pick list.

Step 8: Select the correct field.

Step 9: Repeat steps 6-7 for all required fields.

Step 10: When complete, click Save Mappings.

Repeat mapping process for other tabs with data to be imported.

Configuration: Test Mode

By unchecking Test Mode, the application will look at the path folder for any new files and process them to be uploaded to the School Check IN server.

Step 1: Open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings drop down menu.

Step 2: Uncheck Test Mode.

Configuration: Process Now

The client service will upload the files on server at a specific time every day. If updates need to happen before the scheduled window for upload (6 P.M. - 6 A.M.), users can manually upload files for import.

To manually upload the files, open the Auto Import Application and select the Settings drop down menu.

Step 2: Select Process Now.

When Process Now is selected:

• The file will be imported automatically and uploaded to the School Check IN servers at www.schoolcheckin.net
• The file will be placed in queue to be imported overnight between 6 P.M. to 6 A.M.
• The source file on the local computer will be renamed and moved to a sub-folder under the same primary folder where the import files are located. Ex. “students.cvs” will be moved to a sub-folder and renamed “students08222021_13:20.csv”

Configuration: Email Alerts

Once the nightly import has been completed, the District Admin will receive the import confirmation email.

Confirmation Email Example:

Auto Import FAQ’s

Can we use the SCI Import Computer for other tasks?

Yes, the Auto Import Client runs as a background service and should not interfere with normal daily use.

When are imports done?

All imports done by Auto Import Client are done overnight (between 6pm EST and 6am EST). This rule applies, regardless of file size, or the number of records in the file.

Can Excel files be imported?

Yes, Excel files can be imported, but be advised that Excel may add its own formatting to the exported data. For example, if a student ID# has leading zeros in the number “000012456”, and when open in Excel, the leading zeros may be stripped away, so the student ID# becomes “12456”. The best practice is to export data as .CSV file, so data formatting is not a factor.

Can Tab delimited files be imported?

No, this type of export file format cannot be imported.

Only .CSV and .XLS can be imported.