Astra Schedule Implementation FAQs

It is recommended to create a test user and assign it to the Default SSO or general role your end users will use to see what their experience is. This way you can make sure the access they need is correct and that they will know what to do when they sign in.

Technically, you can assign as many roles to a user as you’d like. Best practice is no more than two roles, though, as it is easier to troubleshoot role permissions with fewer roles. A good rule of thumb: if you need to add 3 or 4 roles for a user to have all access that they need, they would most likely benefit from their own role.

Deleting information from the site is often not something you can do. If a user (or room, Master List item, etc.) is tied to something else, you will not be able to delete it. For example, if you have a long-standing user that has built many events that leaves your institution, all of their events will still be tied to their user record. Therefore, you cannot delete it. If you are using SSO or LDAP, however, they will no longer be able to sign-in to Astra Schedule because they are no longer active in your directory. You also have the option to uncheck the active box on the user record.

In Firefox, the boxes to change the size of an image do not appear. In order to change the image size, you will need to source edit by clicking the three lines button and clicking “Source Edit” in the additional options. You can change the size of the image by adding a width tag to your image tags.

For our VPN and Direct Connection clients with a connection to their SIS, we recommend running a Batch Section Import in the early morning, a Real-Time Import every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the workday, and a Batch Section Export in the evening. Remember, the Real-Time Export does not have a job schedule.
For our text file clients, we recommend running the Batch Import 3 to 4 times a day, with a Batch Export running the same amount if needed. Alternating imports and exports throughout the workday is a common practice.

You can export most list pages within Astra Schedule by clicking the “Export” button at the bottom of the page. You can choose the current page you are viewing or all pages, depending on the amount of data you have pulled.

You can use the optimizer to accomplish this by creating an Infeasible Preference Set and running it on the term in question. Check out this article for the steps to take to accomplish this.

No, the optimizer has an algorithm that tells it to look at certain sections before it looks at others. It takes into consideration the scarcity of rooms available, common meeting patterns, and back-to-back instructors to decide which sections take priority. Therefore, you can group your preferences in whatever order you’d like.
The only order that does matter is an override rule, as it must be underneath the rule it is overriding.

If you’re not seeing something on a calendar or list page, always check your filter panel. Clear your filter panel completely and start over if you’re having trouble. Remember, in the calendar filters, you always need the “Include Events” and “Include Academics” checkboxes in order to see the two.

When viewing the event request form (Events > Event Request Forms > Select a form), there is a Share button in the top right corner. This will give you a link to the form to use on the homepage or on an external website.
If the form is on an external website and you would like a user not signed into Astra to access it, the Guest role must have access to that form.

The event request forms have a built-in limit of 365 days. If a requestor would like to have an event past that timeframe, they will need to reach out to an event scheduler to discuss and schedule the event for them or wait until a year in advance for that meeting.

An event must be in a scheduled status before the approval email for an event request will send. If you have any information missing from the event – event type, a room for a meeting, etc. – or you have a room or resource that needs to be approved by someone else, the event will remain in an incomplete status. Once those have been resolved, the event will update to a scheduled status, triggering the email.

If you cannot edit a report on your own using your Crystal Reports license, please submit a ticket with the report and modifications you would like to have. Please note there may be a service fee depending on the level of effort and not all modifications are achievable.