foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 I am looking at moving away from Link2ICT and therefore BGFL, however I have one question unanswered to this point. In Birmingham are data transfers (specifically census) dependant on a BGFL line? I know other services are and I have contingencies in place for these. I know there must be a way otherwise all Birmingham schools would have to still be on BGFL but if someone could verify for me that would be a big help. Thanks in advance.
Banjo Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) You can send your Census file directly into Collect if you are an Academy. If the LA turns this 'option on' then maintained schools within the borough can use this method as well. You can also use Secure Access to send Census files to the LA regardless of your internet provider. Edited December 9, 2014 by Banjo 1
foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Author Posted December 9, 2014 @Banjo Thanks for this, we are not an Academy so it looks like we would need to use Secure Access. Is this correct? If so I take it I will need to speak to Link if the move goes ahead to set this up?
mikkydoos Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 @foofighterjimI did this a while back this year. Data transfer isn't dependent on that line. Link2 receiving it are. What Link2 will say is that if you terminate any of their core services (ie your line) then they won't offer you any other service to collect your data because it contravenes the security of their circuit - utter cr@p. ....and that data goes back down an FTP anyway doesn't it ? I moved the schools MIS support to another local authority. Never looked back. No headaches. 1
mikkydoos Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 You can also use Secure Access to send Census files to the LA regardless of your internet provider. Spot on
foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Author Posted December 9, 2014 What Link2 will say is that if you terminate any of their core services (ie your line) then they won't offer you any other service to collect your data because it contravenes the security of their circuit - utter cr@p. ....and that data goes back down an FTP anyway doesn't it ? I moved the schools MIS support to another local authority. Never looked back. No headaches. So if the MIS support is moved to another party the whole point is moot?
mikkydoos Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 Not exactly. Another school left Link2 and had the same problem. What they did for a bit for use a Link2 VPN to send them data manually. I'll send u a PM. Might be of interest. 1
mikkydoos Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 Trying to send you PM's. Im not sure they're being sent. ?????
foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Author Posted December 9, 2014 Trying to send you PM's. Im not sure they're being sent. ????? Yup, got it.
Banjo Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 It probably wont be Link2ICT that set you up with a Secure Access (S2S) Password as its a DfE system https://sa.education.gov.uk/idp/Authn/UserPassword You should already have an account for S2S in the school. The approver (within the school) will need to turn on the Collect for the person sending the file to the LA. It's going to be the data team at the LA that process you Census files not Link2ICT. They already have access to the Collect and S2S so ask them if you can send you file via Collect for them to authorise and approve.
mikkydoos Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) It probably wont be Link2ICT that set you up with a Secure Access (S2S) Password as its a DfE system https://sa.education.gov.uk/idp/Authn/UserPassword You should already have an account for S2S in the school. The approver (within the school) will need to turn on the Collect for the person sending the file to the LA. It's going to be the data team at the LA that process you Census files not Link2ICT. They already have access to the Collect and S2S so ask them if you can send you file via Collect for them to authorise and approve. There's other data that goes back to the LA monthly Banjo as well as the Collect Portal stuff. I don't know what it is though. That might be his problem. Its runs daily from the MIS server. Might not be a problem for long anyway... it looks to me like Link2 are going down down down........ Edited December 9, 2014 by mikkydoos
foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Author Posted December 9, 2014 (edited) Anyone have any contact info for the data team at the LA? Might not be a problem for long anyway... it looks to me like Link2 are going down down down........ I wouldn't say that, there are plenty of schools out there that simply depend on them. Unfortunately not all primaries are fortunate to have someone like you available to them. Edited December 9, 2014 by foofighterjim
Banjo Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 There's other data that goes back to the LA monthly Banjo as well as the Collect Portal stuff. I don't know what it is though. That might be his problem. Its runs daily from the MIS server. Might not be a problem for long anyway... it looks to me like Link2 are going down down down........ That's fine you can still use S2S to send files to the LA, just use the generic file upload on the system. Zip the file you want to send (up to 10mb) and rename it 330xxxx_330LLLL_UPTO15CHARACTER.zip 1
foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Author Posted December 9, 2014 So no matter what the data that is required I can get around the issue using S2S? If it does transpire that it is daily data I can always look at scripting it.
Banjo Posted December 9, 2014 Posted December 9, 2014 Confirm that the people you are sending the data to have full access to the system and you should be ok. You will have trouble scripting S2S as it's a web interface Browse | Upload file etc
foofighterjim Posted December 9, 2014 Author Posted December 9, 2014 Thanks guys, I have been speaking to people at the LA and I am 100% confident about the census. I am just waiting to hear back on what the additional uploads are about and what can be done about them.
foofighterjim Posted December 11, 2014 Author Posted December 11, 2014 (edited) Ok, in case anyone else is reading this because they find themselves in the same situation; I have found the following: 1. The information that is collected each week by Link is passed directly to the LA, Links only involvement is allowing GroupCall to upload info to the LA. 2. As mentioned previously the LA are working on a solution that is not specifically dependant on Link. This is a legacy issue with the LA and in no way attributed to the way BGFL is setup as a private network. There is no ETA on this update. 3. It is still perfectly possible to submit the weekly information to the LA using S2S but it is a manual process. I am sure I can get the report to generate automatically but as @Banjo says it is not possible to script the upload. If anyone needs contact details for the LA to get up to date information drop me a PM and I will give you the contact information I have. Edited December 11, 2014 by foofighterjim 1
levell3r Posted March 10, 2015 Posted March 10, 2015 Sorry to wade in here unannounced and revive a dead thread. We're looking to change our ISP and move away from BGFL, I have been in touch with a few of the bigger schools replacement ISP (most are on here) and I am struggling to get any solid answers on what the process is for sorting Groupcall, Cenus, SchoolsHr, Crisp extract etc etc. If somebody who has been through this (and remembers or has notes on it), I'd love any info I can on this. Thanks for any help.
foofighterjim Posted March 10, 2015 Author Posted March 10, 2015 the process is for sorting Groupcall, Cenus, SchoolsHr, Crisp extract etc etc. If somebody who has been through this (and remembers or has notes on it), Schools HR works exactly the same when not connected to BGFL, tether your phone to a computer and see. Census is done via S2S which as mentioned before is a manual process. Post 13 of this thread shows the format for uploading data for Crisp, but your SENCO will not be able to access the portal anymore for reviews. 1
mikkydoos Posted March 10, 2015 Posted March 10, 2015 Schools HR works exactly the same when not connected to BGFL, tether your phone to a computer and see. Census is done via S2S which as mentioned before is a manual process. Post 13 of this thread shows the format for uploading data for Crisp, but your SENCO will not be able to access the portal anymore for reviews. Thats right. Can't have Crisp. I know of a school that gave Link2 a VPN and they just remoted in and got the data themselves.
levell3r Posted March 10, 2015 Posted March 10, 2015 How does that work? Do I have to pay them for their time to remote in?
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