Tier Sync Installation and Process Guidelines

Summary

Tier Sync is a managed uni-directional syncing process between two installations of EngageIP and their unique databases. The model involves a retail side and wholesale side that are separate interfaces and databases but are synchronized for user packages and information

Account synchronization provides a streamlined process for managing Wholesale customers with their Retail offerings. Accounts created within the main installation can be automatically registered and tracked within the secondary system.

This article will explain the functionality of how Tier Sync works in detail as well as prerequisites for installation and the installation procedure.

Tier Sync Overview

Tier Sync requires two systems to be setup with packages which can be linked together. An account for example added on the retail/reseller system with packages setup can then automatically be added to the wholesaler system. The user address information, packages and other critical components are retained in this process. Price however is not synced as the wholesaler may bill the account at a different rate (defined by the administrator). This allows the reseller to invoice his clients (the customer) and the wholesaler to invoice the reseller separately all while allowing different price points and variations on package naming as required.

Reseller (owner) > End Customer (parent) data (where the end customer, Joe Public, will get an invoice) will be transferred FROM the reseller system to the wholesale system as a Parent Account > Sub Account hierarchy (where the parent gets the invoice for wholesale services).

A 'Tier Sync Component' is required on the owner's account (reseller system), this tells EngageIP that you want to sync this account from the reseller system to the wholesale system along with all its accounts.

Synchronized Data

The following data gets synchronized from the retailer system to the wholesaler system.

• Account / sub-account objects

  • Edited Username as an example

  • Account Status (Canceled > Enabled, Enabled >  Canceled for example)

• User-packages

  • User-package components (Note: Not ALL components are sync'd such as Contract components)

  • Bulk user-package amounts

• Contacts (email, billing info)

• User extended attributes (see the article on Extended Attributes if you are unfamiliar with these elements)

• Role profile questions - including nested profile questions with parent and sub profile questions as long as they are setup the same on each side per role

Data That is Not Synchronized

• User level discounts

• Overview components (apart from user extended attributes)

• Role or permissions

• Account Tickets (there is a separate workflow/action based method for transferring these which is separate from Tier Sync)

• User Package Contracts

• Invoice configuration does not tier sync after initial account add

Pre-Installation Questions

Some basic questions need to be answered before the Tier Sync configuration is performed:

1. What type of Tier Sync? Package to package or service to package?

2. Do you want to use all the same packages across the resellers owners or do you want them to have their own unique set of packages?

   • If the answer to above is that you want the same packages, there is an owner sync script that can be installed on request that will copy configuration from a template owner to ALL reseller owners

   • If the answer to above is unique packages, you will need to use XML to import packages and settings or set it all up manually through the interface each time you add a new reseller owner

Recommended Configuration

Retailer/Reseller (Partner) Configuration:

• Partners are branded owners

• Partner accounts have no packages

• Partner accounts have parent accounts under them representing the end customer

• Parent accounts have user-packages under them

• Partner has Tier Sync component pointing to top owner on admin (wholesale) system

• Parent accounts have Tier Sync components pointing to (same named) unbranded owner on admin (wholesale) system

• There should only be one level of owners below the Top Level Owner if possible: Top Level Owner > Branded Partner Level Owner > Parents > Sub Accounts. This can be configured to bill charges to an invoice on the branded owner/partner or simply to leave the invoice at the parent level as required

Wholesaler (Admin) Configuration:

• All owners are added as unbranded

• Packages at the top level are sufficient to match those on partner side that need to be sync'd from the retailer

• When sync occurs, parent accounts from reseller system are added and sync'd as parents under the unbranded owner on wholesale system

Basic Requirements

• Two EngageIP installations

• Similar packages and configuration in each system

• Exact contact types and names

• Exact bill groups on both systems

• Exact role configurations

• Tier Sync service configured on the wholesale system to facilitate the synchronization

• Event Service running on Partner side

Reseller System

• Branded owners need a Tier Sync component on the overview tab pointing to the branded owner on the Admin side (top owner) . The tier sync component indicates where the package list is coming from & where it's sync'd to. If tier sync is configured but set to false, the package tier sync components will still know what owner to pull the list from

Installation Process

1. Install two instances of EngageIP

2. Add data to the front end that is the same on each system to allow syncing process

3. Configure Databases and system for Tier Sync

4. Ensure both Tier Sync service and EngageIP Event manager are running

5. Testing

Tier Sync Functionality Requirements

The following are required to ensure proper Tier Sync configuration:

• Only Unbranded owners are to be created on the admin/wholesale system, i.e. Branded owners are NOT to be created on the admin/wholesale system

• Owners on the reseller/partner system must always be setup as Branded

• Owners on the reseller/partner system should have a Tier Sync component which syncs to the Top Level Owner on the system (not to the owner of the same name on the admin/wholesale system) Accounts on the reseller / partner system need the Tier Sync Component on their Overview screen which points to their respected Branded owner

• Tier Sync components at Owner level, Account level must be in place for Tier sync to function

• The Tier Sync Service must be running on the wholesale EngageIP system

• Accounts in the admin/wholesale system should NOT be renamed in an effort to have Tier Sync create a new account

• Packages on either system should NEVER be renamed

• Bill Group names MUST match exactly on both systems and never be changed

• Tier Sync uses the 'Effective Date' on the partner/reseller system to determine which 'Next Bill Date' is to be set on the admin/wholesale system. This is because if you billed a partner/reseller prior to sync taking place, the Next Bill Date will have changed since packages were added. Effective Date is the system stamp of the original Next Bill Date

• Addresses must include a complete list of STATES on the Branded Owners on both systems

• For Package level syncing, the service names specified in the tier sync component need to be exactly the same. The Service name under the admin side package needs to match the service name in the tier sync component which is on the partner side

Day To Day Account Configuration

The following is the process and requirements after adding an Owner and then Customer Accounts under that Owner

1. On the Owner's account (Branded)

   • Click Add button under Components on owner's overview screen

   • Select Tier Sync

   • Select the Owner on the admin/wholesale system FROM WHICH you want the package list to populate when adding Tier Sync component on packages

   • Click the Save button

2. On the Owner's Setup page, configure the package(s) with Tier Sync components

   • Click Packages

   • Click on the name of the package you wish to sync

   • On the package edit window locate the Components heading and click the Add button in that section

   • Select Tier Sync

   • Select the desired service under the Package Service Connector

   • Select the Service on the Reseller system in the you would like this Service to connect to

   • Click the Save button when finished

3. Once the above are in place (steps 1-2), when you add packages on customer accounts under this owner, the packages will sync to the wholesaler system

Reseller Template for Propagating Owner Configuration

For a Branded Owner's configuration its suggested that you create a template owner (i.e. ResellerTemplate). This template will be on the reseller/partner system and hold all the configuration, packages, services, ticket configuration options, email settings, countries, states, etc. When a new Branded Owner is created, a process will pull the information from the template owner and propagate it to the new Owners.

Detail Process Description

Tier Sync allows for the synchronization of accounts, and account packages from a reseller installation of EngageIP to a wholesaler installation of EngageIP. Both systems need their Setup page level configuration to match, i.e. the same package, services etc. Once this is setup as per the this Tier Sync configuration documentation, the Tier Sync service then synchronizes user accounts, their packages (as they are added), profile questions and contact information. For package synchronization there are currently two options:

1. Packages and services on Reseller sync to ONLY packages on Wholesale - so services become packages on the Wholesale system. The image below demonstrates the package/service to package sync. In the diagrams following,  "Operator/Partner" refers to the Reseller System and "Core" refers to the Wholesale system
   
   

   Open

   

    

2. Based on a configuration option, packages and services sync to the same packages and services on
   the whole sale system, this is a more direct 1:1 relationship of package service/setup.
   (key="PackageLevelSync" value="true" - this key goes in the adminportal/web.config file to sync
   packages as per this method)
   
   

   Open

   

Q & A / Troubleshooting

Q: I've synced the wrong packages, how can I adjust the relationship of packages and sync the correct package to the user accounts?

A: This is a backend process that LogiSense would need to do at the moment. Please request support for such an operation.

Q: How do I update an owner name in the system and ensure it still syncs correctly?

A: Please follow the below outline for manually updating the naming here:

Section 1 Reseller system

1. In reseller or partner system go to the owner

2. Go to the Tools Tab

3. Select Edit Account Name

4. Save

Section 2 Wholesale System

1. In the Core system go to Branded Owner

2. Go to the Tools Tab

3. Select Edit Account Name

4. Save

5. Go to the Unbranded Owner

6. Go to the Tools Tab

7. Select Edit Account Name

8. Save

Section 3  SQL Server - change for an owner in Tier Sync Drop Down (on core database)

1. Open SQL Manager

2. Expand the Databases

3. Expand the reseller or partner database.

4. Scroll down to TierSyncOwner

5. Right click on it and select 'Edit Top 200 Rows'

6. Edit Name column manually.

Q: I forgot to add the tier sync component to a package. I've added it now but how do I force a resync on existing customers?

A: Go to the customer account, click on the tier sync component on overview and click save, this should trigger the propagation of data and you should see results in a minute or so on the other system.

Q: The tier sync component isn't showing my new package created on the boss database (admin system).

A: There is normally a job running which ensures this is synchronized but if not, please contact LogiSense customer care who can then run an SQL query to update this.

Q: Profile questions are not syncing across from partner to admin servers?

A: You need to ensure the profile names, questions and display names are the same between each system.

Q: The account isn't syncing across to admin side at all

A: Ensure tier sync is on owner. Second, ensure bill group is the same, finally click on tier sync component, ensure Sync is set to TRUE, click save. Finally, ensure tier sync service is running as well as event service on partner side.

Q: I've imported users under the wrong branded owner, how do I switch it to another owner and have it all sync correctly on both sides?

A: You'll need to follow the steps below to perform this action correctly

1. Cancel all packages on the user and any sub account packages on both systems (partner and admin)

2. Delete the tier sync component from overview on the parent account

3. Use the tools page option on partner to switch owners (in this case from one branded to another branded owner)

4. Re-add tier sync component so that it syncs to correct owner ID on partner. (this will initiate account creation on admin side as well, a new account under the new owner)

5. Add packages now that the parent and sub accounts are under the correct owner

6. Save tier sync component which will initiate sync of packages (the user account should already be created on admin side from step #4)

7. Cancel the old parent account on the admin side, rename if needed to '-OLD' or some other naming convention for archived / cancelled accounts

Q: What EngageIP services are required for tier sync to run?

A:  The tier sync service must be running and the partner side event manager must be running for syncs to occur.

Miscellaneous

Tier Sync service install comment (update directory locations and name as needed) from the command line: sc create "EngageIP Tier Sync Service" binpath= "C:\Program Files (x86)\EngageIP\Services\TierService.exe" (Note: this is NOT to be installed on the Partner installation).