The FIS software pack can be downloaded from the Data Service website. When this software has been installed, you can import the output file you have produced in ebs to check for any validation errors you may have with your data and then import this back into ebs to be used in the error surfer functionality.
To open the FIS, double-click on the FIS icon on the desktop.
The FIS will check to see if there are any updates to the Data Sets. This can be skipped but it is recommended you use the most up-to-date data sets. Click the Select All button to select all data sets and then the Update Selected button to download the latest data sets.
When all updates have been downloaded, the FIS will be ready to use:
Set the data provider
If this is your first time using the FIS, you will need to set the data provider.
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Click the Tools menu and select Preferences.
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Click the Select button in the Data Provider group.
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Click the Search button in the Select Data Provider window.
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Search for your college or learning institution by either name or ID and click the Search button. Click the Select button when you have found your institution.
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Click the Save button on the next window to confirm the data provider.
Select the workspace
You will also need to set the location where the files will be saved. By default it will try to save your file to the location C:\FISWorkspace\ on your machine. To change this click the Select… button in the User Workspace section of the screen and select a folder where your files will output to.
Select the data set
The next stage is to select the dataset you want to validate records against. This is accessed by clicking the Tools button and selecting the DataSet and Reference option.
You can select from four data sets:
- DSLARS
- The Learning Aims Data Set
- DSOrganisation
- Data Set with the colleges and training providers
- LRG-EMP
- Data Set for large employers
- PST-Factor
- Data Set for disadvantage postcode factors
The most up-to-date Data Sets will be selected but you can change these to an older Data Set if you need to.
Select the procedure
The FIS comes with a large list of different procedures that can be executed. For the ILR validation there are two of three options to tick in the Procedures(s) to Execute check box:
- Import, (amalgamate) and validate an ILR submission
And one of the following:
- Rule Violations Summary Report
- Rule Violations Report
The Rule Violations will display any errors that are found in the Output file from ebs and display them in a report.
You can click the Save As Default Selection button to set the selected Procedures as the default.
Select the report output
The Report Output drop-down allows you to select how you want the Rule Violation reports to be displayed.
You can select from:
- Display – Displays the report in the FIS program
- Excel – Exports to an xls file. This option must be selected if you want to import the errors into ebs
- PDF – Exports to a pdf file
Execute the validation
To start the validation process, click the Execute button.
The Executing window will open and start the process. You will be shown another window and be asked to add the file you want to import. Click the Add button and search for your ebs ILR output xml file.
After selecting your xml file, it will display in the Import file window. If a mistake has been made, the file can be removed by clicking the X button next to the file. Click the Import button to start validating.
Progress of the import can be followed in the progress section of the screen.
The file will be saved to the default user workspace set in preferences.