Bulk Data Retrieval With DataExport

Unlike the methods in the UserProfileService, which retrieve information for one person at a time, several methods in the DataExportService allow you to perform bulk data retrieval to populate a database, or update to keep it in sync with the Ascendance database. The most commonly used is the GetAllPersons method, which retrieves profile data for multiple users based on a set of parameters that you provide. This method returns a Person data object, containing all records which meet the criteria.

Retrieving large amounts of data can result in time outs, so the GetAllPersons method provides a mechanism to split the retrieval into smaller batches by specifying a numberOfRecords and lastEntityNumber. You would typically call this method in a loop, starting with a lastEntityNumber of 0, and then using the last entity number from the previous batch received for each progressive call, until all data was received.

For update purposes, you can also limit the retrieval to records which have changed since a lastUpdateDate (including time). By calling for these updates frequently, you can implement near real-time synchronization with the Ascendance database, and also limit retrievals to smaller data sets.

The Parameter property allows you to specify which type(s) of data include in the retrieval:

• Students
• Parents
• Faculty
• Constituents
• Spouse Information
• Students (Children) Information
• Faculty Only Addresses
• List of Selected Student Groups
• Web Users Only
• List Selected Constituencies
• Pending Address Changes
• List of Selected Family IDs

There are also DataExportService methods which allow you to retrieve master lists of system data such as regions, states, student groups, constituencies, etc., and to get all parents for a given student.

Note
Student, Parent, Faculty and Constituents have similar fields (notably name fields). If an entity being returned belongs to multiple types the following rule is applied: Faculty is overwritten by Constituent then Student and then Parent This means that you will see a Parent's name fields over the linked Constituent's name fields.