Maytas 5.17 Release Notes

Note regarding submissions

We would like to remind providers to create a submission early and check for any errors using reports from the appropriate software (i.e. the FIS or LLWR-Inform). Welsh providers should also remember to download their ULI file. After submission to the ESFA or DfES, providers should check that data has submitted correctly using the available reports. Providers should check that all their expected starts and completions are submitted correctly, and that start and outcome payments correctly match the PFR or ACE funding reports.

Our support desk gets extremely busy in the days prior to the submission deadlines, and although we try and prioritise submission-related queries, we cannot guarantee assistance if queries are sent late. If you do encounter any issues, please ensure that you contact Maytas Support as soon as possible, as we can only rectify issues of which we are aware. We also recommend checking Maytas Communities regularly for information on any known issues and solutions. Tribal cannot be held responsible for any issues caused by your failure to comply with this advice.

Technical specification

The latest Maytas and e-track technical specification can be found here.

Confirm the upgrade has been run

Once the upgrade has been completed, the version number should be checked to ensure it has been successful.

  1. Start Maytas and go to Support on the toolbar.
  2. Click About.
  3. The version numbers should read 181.20 / 5.17.7000.2. If you have any other version, please ensure you have followed the upgrade instructions correctly. If you require assistance, please contact Maytas Support.

It is the responsibility of customers to ensure that users carry out any required user acceptance testing and sign off on the upgrade.

Complete the Upgrade

Features Added in the Upgrade

These are the main updates in the upgrade:

Reports Library 1.0.3.1 is also included in the upgrade but must be installed separately. Please contact the service desk to request this to be installed.

Re-Import the FIS Data Sets

The FIS data sets must be re-imported for this upgrade, even if they were imported in a previous upgrade.

It is essential that the latest aim information is imported into Maytas for use by the ILR export. This should be done by importing the relevant information directly from the Data Service’s Funding Information System (FIS). To do this, you must have the FIS installed and correctly configured (please refer to the Data Service’s instructions for setting up the FIS).

Please ensure you have the latest version of the FIS with the 2018/19 components installed.

Once the FIS is installed and configured, the information can be imported as follows:

  1. Perform a sync in Maytas 5, then restart Maytas 5.

  2. Go to Exports | Uploads | Upload FIS Data Sets.

  3. There are three items to configure:
    • Database Machine Name – If the FIS is installed on the same machine that you are using for Maytas 5, this can be left as (local). Otherwise, enter the machine name of the SQL server where the FIS database is held.

    • Database Instance – If the SQL server holding the FIS database has a named instance (e.g. MACHINENAME\INSTANCENAME), select Named Instance and enter the instance name. Otherwise leave this as Default Instance.

      If you have no named instance and Default Instance does not work, you may need to select Named Instance and leave the instance name blank.

    • Connection Type – This is the login for the SQL server holding the FIS database. Trusted Connection will use Windows authentication. If you wish to specify the login details, select Specific Connection and enter the credentials.
  4. Click OK. The FIS data will now be imported.
  5. If you have an Adult Skills budget contract and a transition factor, this must be entered on the contract:
    1. Go to Management on the toolbar and click Contracts on the ribbon.
    2. Select the relevant contractor, then select the Adult Skills contract on the right.
    3. Click the button.
    4. Go to the Uplifts tab.
    5. Enter the ASB Transition Factor and click OK.
    6. Click Apply to save the change.

Note on Postcode File

The ESFA have not released a postcode file for 2018/19. However, this file would not be required as the relevant data is now imported into Maytas via the FIS import.

Note on the Funding Cache

By default, the funding cache will update overnight so that funding information in Maytas uses the newly-imported FIS and postcode information. Please check with your system administrator if you are unsure if or when the funding cache is updated on your system. You can also manually set the funding cache to update by going to Management | Profiles and clicking the Funding Cache button, though please be aware that this may take a long time and may use a large amount of system resources, which could affect performance for other users on the system.

Maytas 5 Release Notes – Version 5.17.7000.2

ILR and LLWR Export Refactor

The code behind the ILR and LLWR export systems has been rewritten in SQL. This section will explain why the change was necessary and the actions you need to take.

Throughout this section, the old export systems will be referred to as the Legacy systems and the new export systems will be referred to as the Refactor systems.

Why has this change been done?

The ILR and LLWR Legacy exports are implemented in the form of a COM dll and this no longer meets our future requirements. As the exports are a major and vital part of Maytas with a high level of complexity in how they work, this was not a change that was taken lightly or quickly, and we have spent a long time planning and developing the Refactor exports to provide a smooth transition.

How does this affect me?

In most cases, the main difference you will notice is that the new export systems run substantially faster. However, due to the scale of the change and the complexity of the exports, it is very important that for the first few periods you compare Refactor exports to Legacy exports to ensure there are no discrepancies. Until the 5.18 summer upgrade, you will be able to generate both Refactor and Legacy exports, after which our intention is to disable the Legacy system. There are details below on how to generate both types of export, and we have updated the ILR and LLWR Exports Comparison reports so that they can be used as a tool for highlighting any differences between Legacy and Refactor exports.

It is the responsibility of providers to ensure their export data is correct. Tribal cannot be held responsible for issues, incorrect submissions or loss of funding due to failure of a provider to check their export data is correct. As always, it is important to generate and check your exports as early as possible so that any questions or issues can be resolved in a timely fashion.

ESF Generated Aims

If you are an ILR provider who uses the Generate ZESF Aim checkbox when creating a learner record so that ZESF0001 aims are automatically generated in the ILR export, please be aware that the Refactor export will not include these aims. If ZESF0001 aims are required, they should be entered manually.

Please note that the Generate ZESF Aim option will only appear when scheme 47 (ESF) is selected in the new trainee wizard.

How to run ILR Refactor and Legacy exports

To create both a Refactor and a Legacy export for the same period:

  1. In Maytas, go to Exports | ILR Export.
  2. Click the to add a new export.

  3. Complete the export screen as normal. There are two new options: Legacy Engine and Refactored Engine. Ensure Refactored Engine is ticked.

  4. Click OK.
  5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 but choose Legacy Engine instead.

  6. You should now have two exports for the same period, one a Refactor export and one a Legacy export. If you are unsure which is which, select a row and click the button to view the export details. Once each export has finished generating (when the progress wheel on the right shows 100), the exports will be available for comparison in the ILR Exports Comparison report.

How to use the ILR Exports Comparison Report

The ILR Exports Comparison report can be used to compare Legacy and Refactor exports to view any differences between them. The updated version included in Reports Library 1.0.3.1 includes all ILR fields except for:

It also now counts rows that have been added or removed between exports.

Ensure that Reports Library 1.0.3.1 has been installed before running the report.

  1. Select Home on the toolbar and go to Report Library | Audit | ILR Exports Comparison.

  2. In the parameters window, change the parameter Only show latest export for each period to No. You will then be able to select both Legacy and Refactor exports for the same period from the ILR export file 1 and 2 parameters.

  3. The Field changes to show parameter determines which fields appear on the bottom table of the report. All ILR fields selected by default, but you can select specific fields if required.

    The Only show ILR columns with changes parameter is set to Yes by default, which means any ILR fields with no identified changes will be hidden on the bottom table. To show these fields, change the parameter to No.

  4. Click View to run the report.

  5. For the purposes of comparing Legacy and Refactor exports, we are primarily concerned with the bottom table on the report, Field Changes between File 1 and File 2. This lists each ILR field and the number of differences identified for them between export files.

    For each ILR entity (e.g. learning delivery, employment status, destinations, etc), rows are matched between exports based on several fields and then changes are identified on a field-by-field basis within that entity. For example, rows in the employment status entity are matched on trainee ID and employer identifier, and then all the employment status fields on the matched rows are compared.

    If a row cannot be matched between exports, all the fields on that row are counted as a difference except for fields that have no value. e.g. If an employment status row appears in file 1 but not in file 2, and the only field with nothing entered on that row was Length of unemployment, all the employment status fields would show as having a difference except for Length of unemployment.

  6. Click a figure to view the field differences.

    The relevant learners will be listed, along with (where relevant to the entity) the POT, aim reference number and row ID. Note that the row ID may contain background data you are unfamiliar with which is used in the database to identify and distinguish rows. The values for the field in files 1 and 2 are displayed on the right.

    In the above example, Charlotte Robinson has a destination outcome code in file 2 but not file 1, which suggests a destination row was added between exports. Buddy Huntington has differing outcome codes between files, which means the row appears in both files but the outcome code has changed.

Matching rows within an ILR entity

Rows are matched within each ILR entity based on the following fields:

ILR entity Fields used to match rows
Learners Trainee ID
Learning delivery Trainee ID, POT, learning aim ref. and software supplier aim ID
Employment status Trainee ID and employer identifier
HE Trainee ID, POT and software supplier aim ID
Learning delivery FAM for LSF, ALB and ACT Trainee ID, POT, FAM type and FAM type ID (internal field)
Work placement Trainee ID, POT, work placement number (internal field) and software supplier aim ID
Apprenticeship financial record Trainee ID, POT, financial type, financial code, financial record date and software supplier aim ID
Destinations Trainee ID, learner ref. no. and destination no. (internal field)

How to run LLWR Refactor and Legacy exports

To create both a Refactor and a Legacy export for the same period:

  1. In Maytas, go to Exports | LLWR Export.
  2. Click the to add a new export.

  3. Complete the export screen as normal. The Refactor system will be used by default, but the new Legacy checkbox can be ticked to produce a Legacy export. Ensure Legacy is not ticked.

  4. Click OK.
  5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 but tick the Legacy box this time.

  6. You should now have two exports for the same period, one a Refactor export and one a Legacy export. If you are unsure which is which, select a row and click the button to view the export details. Once each export has finished generating (when the progress wheel on the right shows 100), the exports will be available for comparison in the LLWR Exports Comparison report.

How to use the LLWR Exports Comparison Report

The LLWR Exports Comparison report can be used to compare Legacy and Refactor exports to view any differences between them. The updated version included in Reports Library 1.0.3.1 includes all LLWR fields except for:

It also now counts rows that have been added or removed between exports.

Ensure that Reports Library 1.0.3.1 has been installed before running the report.

  1. Select Home on the toolbar and go to Report Library | Audit | LLWR Exports Comparison.
  2. In the parameters window, select the Legacy and Refactor exports from the LLWR export file 1 and 2 parameters.

  3. The Field changes to show parameter determines which fields appear on the bottom table of the report. All LLWR fields selected by default, but you can select specific fields if required.

    The Only show LLWR columns with changes parameter is set to Yes by default, which means any LLWR fields with no identified changes will be hidden on the bottom table. To show these fields, change the parameter to No.

  4. Click View to run the report.

  5. For the purposes of comparing Legacy and Refactor exports, we are primarily concerned with the bottom table on the report, Field Changes between File 1 and File 2. This lists each LLWR field and the number of differences identified for them between export files.

    For each LLWR entity (i.e. learners, programmes, activities and awards), rows are matched between exports based on several fields and then changes are identified on a field-by-field basis within that entity. For example, rows in the activity entity are matched on trainee ID, POT and learning activity identifier, and then all the activity fields on the matched rows are compared.

    If a row cannot be matched between exports, all the fields on that row are counted as a difference except for fields that have no value. e.g. If an activity row appears in file 1 but not in file 2, and the only field with nothing entered on that row was LLDD Indicator, all the activity fields would show as having a difference except for LLDD Indicator.

  6. Click a figure to view the field differences.

    The relevant learners will be listed, along with (where relevant to the entity) the POT and activity or award number. The values for the field in files 1 and 2 are displayed on the right.

    In the above example, awards 1 to 4 have differing learning aim references between files, which means the award rows appear in both files but the learning aim references have changed. Award 5 has a learning aim reference in file 2 but not file 1, which suggests an award row was added between exports.

Matching rows within a LLWR entity

Rows are matched within each LLWR entity based on the following fields:

LLWR entity Fields used to match rows
Learner Trainee ID and POT
Programme Trainee ID and POT
Activity Trainee ID, POT and LA05 learning activity identifier
Award Trainee ID, POT and AW06 award entry identifier

Online Documentation

The documentation for Maytas and e-track has migrated to a new platform:

http://docs.maytas.tribalgroup.com

This replaces the existing wiki at https://www.maytas.net/dokuwiki/doku.php, which will be deactivated in the near future.

The new documentation site is easier to navigate, with a sidebar that lets you quickly view the site structure and find the page you're looking for. The site is fully responsive on tablet and mobile devices, where the sidebar is hidden to make better use of screen space. It can be accessed by clicking the button.

Many pages have a View contents button at the top which can be clicked to show a table of contents for the page. Clicking on an item in the contents list will jump to that section on the page.

As of this release, full release documentation will be available on the site, as well as in PDF form in the release package.

PCR - Export / Import Lookups

Lookups can now be exported and imported into a different database. This is mainly intended for providers who enter and test lookups on a test system so that they can be easily migrated to their live system.

First, permission must be given to the relevant user or group:

  1. Go to Tools | Permissions.
  2. Select the user or group which requires permission.
  3. Go to the Commands tab and expand the Lookup Editor section.
  4. Tick the box for the Import/Export Lookups permission and set the dropdown box to Visible.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. Restart Maytas for the permission to take effect.

To export lookups:

  1. Go to Tools | DB Schema.

  2. Click Export Lookups. Please be aware that it may take a short while to load the lookups, depending on how many are in the system.

  3. Click Browse, browse to where you want to save the lookup file, enter a filename and click Save.
  4. Next we need to choose which lookups to export. By default, all lookups in the database are selected. To only select certain tables or fields, un-tick the Tables box and click the arrow to the left to expand the list of tables.

  5. If you want to export all lookups in a table, tick the box for that table. If you only want to export lookups for specific fields, click the arrow next to the relevant table then tick the boxes for the required fields.

  6. Click OK to export the selected lookups.
  7. When the export has finished, a confirmation message will appear. Click OK to continue.

To import lookups:

  1. Go to Tools | DB Schema.
  2. Click Import Lookups.
  3. Browse to and select the lookup file and click Open.
  4. You will be asked if you wish to overwrite the longstring if a lookup already exists. Clicking Yes will check if the lookup shortstring already exists for the relevant field, and if it does then the longstring for that lookup will be overwritten with the one from the import. Clicking No will import any new lookups but will leave any existing lookups unchanged.
  5. When the import has finished, a confirmation message will appear. Click OK to continue.

Email Validation

e-track screens and app forms designed in the Maytas screen designer can now be used to validate email addresses. This works by designating two fields for the email address and confirmation box (for re-entering the address), which are then checked by e-track to ensure the entries match. The validation also checks that the email address contains at least one @ character and at least one dot after the @.

To implement this:

  1. In Maytas, go to Tools on the toolbar and click New/Load on the Screens panel of the ribbon.
  2. Select an existing tab or create a new tab.
  3. Go to Fields at the bottom-left and drag an email field onto the design area (e.g. TRAINEE.EMAIL). This will be the main field you wish to use to store the email address.
  4. Select the field in the design area and tick the Validate Email (e-track only) box on the right.
  5. The Email ID box will appear underneath it. Enter an ID, which can be any value you want (an integer is suitable in most cases). This will be used to link the email field to the confirmation field.
  6. Drag another email field onto the design area (e.g. TRAINEE.ILR_EMAIL). This will be used as the confirmation field.
  7. Select the confirmation field in the design area and tick the Validate Email (e-track only) box.

  8. Enter the same ID as before in the Email ID box.

  9. Complete the rest of the tab as required and click Apply to save the changes.
  10. Go to Home on the toolbar and click Sync.

The email address validation will now work in e-track.

Maximum Trainees in a Centre

Maytas has been updated to make more efficient use of the number of trainees that can be included in a centre. The format of trainee IDs allows for 1,000,000 trainees per centre. The format of an ID is:

xxxx-yyyy-zzzzzz

where xxxx is the organisation ID, yyyy is the centre number and zzzzzz is the number assigned to a trainee, which ranges from 000000 to 999999.

Maytas has been updated so that if the automatically generated trainee number (zzzzzz) has reached 999999, a new number generator is created for each centre. Each of these attempts to fill in the gaps for any missing numbers in a centre - e.g. if a trainee is added to centre 0001 and that centre already has trainee IDs running from 000000 to 012345, but 012346 is not used, the new trainee's ID would be xxxx-0001-012346.

If all generated numbers are assigned to trainee IDs for a centre, that centre is automatically locked so that new trainees cannot be added to it. A centre can also be manually locked by entering Y in the field CENTRE.CENTRELOCK.

EPA /Gateway Tab

A tab has been produced to record EPA and Gateway data.

The ILR section is read only and shows relevant fields from the ILR tab.

The Gateway section allows you to record dates pertaining to the Gateway once the apprenticeship standard has been completed. Days from ILR planned end to Gateway planned end is calculated based on the relevant dates once they have been entered and saved.

Once the Gateway has been completed, the fields on the EPA section can be entered. Days from ILR planned end to predicted EPA date is calculated based on the relevant dates once they have been entered and saved.

File Select in Screen Designer

The Screen Designer has a new File Select control which allows you to upload a file to a trainee or employer's file store and save the filename to a field.

  1. In Maytas, go to Tools on the toolbar and click New/Load on the Screens panel of the ribbon.
  2. Select an existing tab or create a new tab.
  3. There are two ways to add the File Select control. You can either:

    1. Go to the Controls tab and drag a File Select control from the Standard section onto the design area. Select the control in the design area and enter the Table Name and Field Name on the right (this should point to a varchar field large enough to store a filename).

      or

    2. Go to the Fields tab and drag a field onto the design area (this should be a varchar field large enough to store a filename). Select the field in the design area and change the Control Type on the right to File Select.
  4. Click Apply to save the changes.
  5. Go to Home on the toolbar and click Sync.
  6. Open a learner or employer record and go to the tab with the File Select control.
  7. Click the button to browse to and select a file and click Open.

  8. Click Apply. The file will be uploaded to the file store and the filename will be saved in the field linked to the File Select control.

Standard Learner Imports and Tabs

Standard imports and accompanying tabs are now available for ILR and LLWR learners. These can be used to import learner data in a set format (e.g. data gathered in an app form from an external system such as IPEGS) which then populates the relevant ILR or LLWR fields.

This feature requires the Standard Import licence. Please contact your account manager for information on purchasing the licence.

Standard Import File Schema

An import file must be in a set format, as defined in the Standard ILR and LLWR Import Schema document in the Maytas 5\Extras\Standard ILR and LLWR Imports folder of the upgrade. An ILR import must only include the columns indicated, whereas a LLWR import must include all the columns. Examples of both import files can be found in the same folder.

Import files must be saved as a .csv file.

Import the Accompanying Tabs

To import the tabs:

  1. In Maytas go to Tools on the toolbar and click Import on the Screens panel of the ribbon.
  2. Click Browse.
  3. Browse to the Maytas 5\Extras\Standard ILR and LLWR Imports folder of the upgrade.
  4. Select ILR and LLWR App Forms.m5tab and click Open.
  5. Click Next, then click Finish.
  6. Go to Home on the toolbar and click Sync.

There are two trainee tabs which are populated by the imported data: App Form - England and App Form - Wales.

Performing a Standard Import

  1. Ensure standard imports are enabled in permissions:
    1. Go to Tools | Edit Permissions.
    2. Select the user or group that requires permission.
    3. On the Modules tab, ensure that Standard Imports is set to Visible.
    4. On the Commands tab, expand the Standard Import section and ensure the permission Show Standard Import is set to Visible.
    5. Click Apply and restart Maytas for the changes to take effect.

  2. Go to Exports on the toolbar and click Standard Import on the ribbon.

  3. Click Browse next to Csv/Excel File.
  4. Select the .csv file to import and click Open.
  5. Click Browse next to Control File.
  6. Browse to the .con file provided by Tribal when you purchased the licence and click Open.
  7. Click Next.
  8. A preview of the data to be imported will be generated. Check that you are happy with the data to be imported and click Next.
  9. The data will now be imported. A successful import will display x records imported; 0 errors occurred. Click Finish.

How the Import Works

When the ILR or LLWR data is imported, there are several steps which happen in the background: