[sims] Urgent Capita SIMS Data Issue - Issued by childrens services

[synaesthesia]

There is no need for a full upgrade. The patches can be installed to resolved the problem. Plus they won't interrupt the service.

 

True but there's very little to not install the upgrade. It needs doing, it's easier to do it with staff in school than waiting until the holiday, and it's a great excuse

 

We prefer to wait a few weeks for other people to finish beta testing the release but to be fair to Capita the last few releases have gone without a hitch, re-release, withdrawal etc.

[mgs1990]

Only found out about this because of this thread, Spent the entire morning checking student details, luckily we're a small school. Cheshire seemed completely unaware that this is an issue when i reported it this morning. I'm still awaiting on a response from them on releasing the Summer upgrade or patch so i can try to prevent it from happening again.

[JHLEHS]

Hello guys, just a quick one to add. I have spoken to our LA and they have informed that the patch is now within The SIMS Summer release. We ran the sql script which shows the affected students, luckily there wasn't many records. But our LA did advise that this is a complete manual task to do this one by one and checking paper records etc.

 

Not a happy bunny!

[matt40k]

it sometimes matched contacts incorrectly - so the wrong contact details get assigned to children and their parents.

 

It's alright, its not like you use this information to sync to Capita cloud services to give parents access...

[Andycat]

Our LA issued a great description from Osmis.

 

"A problem has existed in SIMS since Christmas which means that in some cases the importing of a CTF to an admission group will result in new pre-admission pupils being linked to the wrong contact and can also result in contacts being allocated incorrect addresses.

 

Description of Problem

 

On import, the software uses a matching routine to check if any of the pupils to be imported have contacts that already exist in SIMS and, where this is the case, links that contact to the pupil and updates the contacts address as necessary. Unfortunately, several aspects of the matching routine where accidentally removed so that the matching routine only checks for matching names and gender. The net result is that existing contacts can be given the wrong address and the imported pupil in the admission group can be linked to the wrong contacts.

Also where no address for the contact has been included in the CTF file, the link from the imported pupil will be to the first existing contact with the same name and gender, but in this case the address for that contact is not changed.

Example of Problem

 

The school runs Routine | Data In | Import CTF and chooses 'Add data for New Pupils Only'.

Having selected the CTF file, the user opts for placing the new pupil in a Pre-Admission Group.

Pupil named Paul Smith is added to a Pre-Admission and the software looks in the SIMS list of all contacts to find Paul's contact whose name is John Smith with a gender of male.

The software finds the first male John Smith in the list, which given the commonness of the name is likely to be the wrong John Smith, and links that John Smith as a contact for the Paul Smith that has been added to the Pre-Admission Group.

Where the CTF file includes an address for the contact, the software compares the address of the John Smith in the CTF file with the John Smith that has been linked to the Paul Smith that has been added to the Pre-Admission Group and, in nearly all cases, finds that they are different. Having found that they are different the software changes the current address for the contact (which is very likely to be the right address) to the address in the CTF file (which is very likely to be the wrong address).

Therefore, the Paul Smith that has been added to the Pre-Admission Group is very likely to have ended up linked to the wrong John Smith. If this John Smith has been given the wrong address, that wrong address will be significant to both Paul Smith and any other pupils where John Smith is the contact."

[Chuckster]

Hello guys, just a quick one to add. I have spoken to our LA and they have informed that the patch is now within The SIMS Summer release. We ran the sql script which shows the affected students, luckily there wasn't many records. But our LA did advise that this is a complete manual task to do this one by one and checking paper records etc.

 

Not a happy bunny!

@JHLEHS, what's the SQL query to show affected students?

[Disease]

We seem to be ok, as we do not receive the affected details on CTF imports, our admissions manager manually inputs the contact details as in her words they frequently change.

[krtek]

Hi there

 

with thanks to Andy, it's changed since then and I provide the following update:

 

The fact of the matter is that there has been a problem in SIMS since the Autumn 2017 release which means that any CTF imported with contact information since may have changed the recorded contact address and linked contact for any pupil in SIMS (whether pre-admission or not).

 

Application of patch 24068 or the Summer update prevents more problems being created

 

There is a dbdiagnose script which attempts to identify problems which may have been created as a result of the bug

 

There have been 3 versions of this script, each of which applied the same logic when checking for issues with later iterations attempting more clearly to describe the problems found

 

Patch 24040 was written to autofix some of the issues but it was found that this could not be relied upon and so was withdrawn and will not be replaced

 

Capita is to add the checks to the system diagnostics routine in SIMS - schools should apply patch 21457 to enable this when the patch is released - note that (up to press) the patch adds no more checks and simply an alternative to running the dbdiagnose utility outside of SIMS

 

So we have recommended that schools should:

 

Stop using CTF to import and export contact details (KS2 files from NCA tools contain no contact data)

 

Ensure that contact details are checked before use (both within SIMS and any 3rd party system accessing contact information held in SIMS)

 

Run 24068 / summer update – after which they can import contact details but these should be checked amongst the new records as the file may contain errors generated by the problem in other schools

 

Either run the dbdiagnose script or run the system diagnostics routine to be made available in SIMS (enabled by patch 21457 yet to be released by Capita) and manually check and correct anything reported

 

Once contact data is clean, turn back on the export of contact information

 

Review to what use the contact data has been put whilst compromised and identify any breach which may have already occurred

 

And please be sympathetic to your support provider - this is an incredibly complex situation with information coming out of Bedford changing daily.

 

Dave (OSMIS bloke)

[tech-man]

Mentioned on here... Capita SIMS My Account with links.

[FN-GM]

@JHLEHS, what's the SQL query to show affected students?

 

@Chuckster Please find the attached.

CTFContactAddressDiagnoseScriptAndInstructions.zip

[tech-man]

!!!! Think this might be an old version V4 of this has been released - the SQL file is named "CTFContactAddressDiagnoseScript_V4"......

[Boredguy]

v4 is on the Capita support site

[krtek]

As I say things keep changing - version 4 of the script and patch 21457 now released

 

although the instructions on how to use the 99 check are to follow

 

Dave

[Alastairb25]

v4 was the version emailed to my by Capita at 4pm today (16/7/2018)

[Jawloms]

As I say things keep changing - version 4 of the script and patch 21457 now released

 

although the instructions on how to use the 99 check are to follow

 

Dave

 

For clarity - that's patch 24157

[tech-man]

Separate file / patch with the same result I believe.

[DrCheese]

Which translates to... We make a mess, you clear it up.

 

Pretty much, what a bunch of . Technically and legally they aren't wrong, but that kind of "oh well, not our problem" will just push customers onto another solution.

Edited July 18, 2018 by vikpaw

[forkies]

Got an email re this on 7th June. No further updates though

[DrCheese]

Didn't hear about it until I read this thread - Thankfully our receptionist has only imported one school so far & she says she checks against the paper copies anyway (& always does) so I think we're ok.

[CAM]

Pretty much, what a bunch of . Technically and legally they aren't wrong, but that kind of "oh well, not our problem" will just push customers onto another solution.

 

The MIS market has diversified, but I think Capita are still very far ahead when it comes to market share and the glacial speed that schools adopt change. But that's a point of discussion for another thread.

Edited July 18, 2018 by vikpaw

[kennysarmy]

Just applied the patch "SIMS Database Diagnostic Check ID : 99 Checks for contacts incorrect addresses caused by CTF Import" #21457

 

I am trying to ascertain from our Data Manager if she thinks we're affected....but not really sure what the right questions to ask her are....is it simply has she imported students using a CTF process.

[hiphopamus]

Just applied the patch "SIMS Database Diagnostic Check ID : 99 Checks for contacts incorrect addresses caused by CTF Import" #21457

 

I am trying to ascertain from our Data Manager if she thinks we're affected....but not really sure what the right questions to ask her are....is it simply has she imported students using a CTF process.

 

My understanding is that if you run Tools - System Diagnostics - Database Diagnostics it should show you in check 99 if there are any issues with your data.

[PotNoodleTech]

but not really sure what the right questions to ask her are....is it simply has she imported students using a CTF process.

 

Yes that is the question. The answer is almost certainly going to be yes.

[hiphopamus]

Yes that is the question. The answer is almost certainly going to be yes.

 

As far as we are aware the issue is only impacting on CTFs that are imported into the preadmission area, it should not relate to CTFs imported directly on-roll or ATFs.

[sigma]

Capita's stance re :ICO

You need to check your contract be it from Capita or your LEA.