Data and operations in openSIS refer to the workflows that help institutions manage records, move information between systems, maintain yearly academic continuity, generate reports, and connect openSIS with external platforms.
This article explains the key terms related to data interchange, import, export, records, reports, rollover, LMS integrations, SSO, APIs, OAuth credentials, synchronization, mapping, and external system connections in openSIS.
Data & Operations refers to the broader set of system workflows used to manage institutional data and operational continuity.
This may include importing records, exporting data, updating large datasets, connecting with external systems, handling integrations, generating reports, managing school year rollover, and maintaining academic records across years.
Data refers to information stored in openSIS.
This may include names, contact details, enrollment information, grades, attendance entries, schedules, documents, payments, communication records, and system settings.
A Record is a saved set of information in openSIS.
Examples:
Student record, staff record, parent record, applicant record, attendance record, grade record, invoice record, or application record.
Each record usually contains fields, values, status information, and related activity.
A Profile is the main page where information about a person or entity is stored and managed.
Examples:
Student Profile, Staff Profile, Parent Profile, Applicant Profile.
Profiles often include tabs, sections, documents, history, and linked records.
A Field is a specific data entry area in a record or form.
Examples:
First Name, Last Name, Email, Grade Level, Enrollment Date, Fee Amount, or Attendance Code.
A Value is the actual information entered into a field.
Example:
If the field is Grade Level, the value may be Grade 5.
A Required Field is a field that must be completed before the record can be saved or submitted.
Required fields help ensure important information is not missed.
An Optional Field is a field that can be left blank if the information is not required.
A Custom Field is an additional field created by the institution to store information that is not available in the default system fields.
Custom fields help openSIS support institution-specific data needs.
A Default Field is a standard field already available in openSIS.
Default fields cover common information required across profiles, settings, and workflows.
A Field Category is a group used to organize related fields.
Categories help keep profile pages and forms easier to read and manage.
A List of Values is a predefined list of options used in dropdown fields.
It helps users select consistent values instead of typing different versions of the same information.
Data Interchange is the centralized area in openSIS where administrators can bulk import, update, and export institutional data using Excel files.
It helps institutions onboard large datasets, reduce manual data entry, migrate records from another system, and maintain records more efficiently.
Data Interchange may support student records, staff records, courses, scheduling data, historical grades, and other supported datasets depending on the available templates.
Data Entry means adding information into openSIS manually.
Users may perform data entry when creating student records, staff profiles, application forms, attendance records, grades, fees, or settings.
Manual Entry means creating or updating a record directly inside openSIS without using an import file or automated integration.
Example:
An administrator manually adds a new student from the Student module.
Import means bringing data into openSIS from another file, system, or external source.
Imports help institutions add or update multiple records efficiently instead of entering each record manually.
Example:
Importing students, staff, courses, schedules, historical grades, or grades from Moodle into openSIS.
Export means sending or downloading data from openSIS to another file, system, or external platform.
Exports are often used for reporting, record sharing, audits, backups, migration, or offline review.
An Excel File is a spreadsheet format commonly used for importing, updating, or exporting openSIS data.
Excel-based workflows help users manage structured data in rows and columns.
CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values.
It is a file format commonly used for importing or exporting tabular data.
An Import Template is a structured file format used to prepare data before uploading it into openSIS.
Users should follow the template format carefully to avoid missing data, incorrect columns, duplicate values, or import errors.
Bulk Import means importing multiple records into openSIS at the same time.
This is useful when institutions need to add many students, staff members, courses, schedules, or historical records.
Bulk Update means updating multiple existing records at the same time.
This helps administrators apply changes efficiently without editing each record manually.
A Bulk Action is an action applied to multiple records at the same time.
Example:
Selecting multiple students and applying the same update to all selected records.
Data Migration is the process of moving data from another system into openSIS.
Migration may include student records, staff records, courses, schedules, grades, attendance history, billing records, documents, or other institutional data.
Data Validation is the process of checking whether entered or imported data is complete, correct, and accepted by the system.
Example:
openSIS may check whether a required field is blank, an email address is valid, or a duplicate record already exists.
A Duplicate Record is an extra record that represents the same person, item, or entity more than once.
Duplicate records can cause confusion in reports, attendance, grades, billing, communication, and student history.
A Unique Identifier is a value used to distinguish one record from another.
Examples:
Student ID, Staff ID, Application ID, Invoice ID, or Transaction ID.
Unique identifiers help the system track records accurately.
A Student ID is a unique identifier assigned to a student record.
It helps identify the student across modules such as enrollment, attendance, grades, schedules, billing, communication, and reports.
A Staff ID is a unique identifier assigned to a staff record.
It helps identify staff members across roles, permissions, schedules, and reports.
An Application ID is a unique identifier assigned to an application or applicant record.
It helps track the application during the admissions process.
Record Status shows the current state of a record.
Examples:
Active, inactive, pending, submitted, approved, rejected, paid, unpaid, cancelled, withdrawn.
An Active Record is currently available for regular workflows.
Example:
An active student may appear in scheduling, attendance, grading, billing, communication, and reports.
An Inactive Record is no longer used in regular workflows but may remain in the system for history, reporting, or reference.
An Archived Record is stored for historical or reference purposes.
Archived records may not appear in regular active workflows but can be retained for institutional recordkeeping.
History refers to past information or previous actions connected to a record.
History may include enrollment history, grade history, payment history, communication history, or status changes.
Historical Data refers to records from previous school years, terms, or systems.
This may include historical grades, attendance records, transcripts, enrollment history, or previous academic structures.
Historical data helps institutions maintain continuity for reporting, transcripts, and student records.
An Audit Trail is a record of actions performed in the system.
It may show who made a change, what was changed, and when the change happened.
Audit trails help maintain accountability and traceability.
A Log is a saved record of system activity.
Logs may be used for communication, integrations, imports, errors, user actions, or system events.
An Activity Log records user or system activity.
It helps administrators review actions and understand what happened inside the system.
An Error Log records issues or failed actions.
Error logs help technical teams troubleshoot problems.
A Communication Log stores message-related activity.
It may include sent messages, recipients, dates, channels, delivery statuses, and provider responses.
An Integration Log is a record of integration activity.
It may include sync attempts, successful updates, failed requests, error messages, timestamps, and provider responses.
A Linked Record is a record connected to another record.
Examples:
A parent linked to a student, a teacher linked to a course section, a payment linked to an invoice, or a student linked to a schedule.
An Association is a relationship between records.
Example:
A parent-student association allows a parent to view the student’s information from the Parent Portal.
An Attachment is a file added to a record, message, form, or profile.
Attachments may include documents, images, PDFs, certificates, transcripts, or other files.
A Document is a file stored or attached in openSIS.
Documents may be connected to students, staff, applicants, billing, admissions, or academic records.
Upload means adding a file from a device into openSIS.
Download means saving a file or report from openSIS to a device.
A Report is a structured view of information generated from openSIS data.
Reports may show student records, attendance, grades, schedules, billing details, enrollment data, or other institution-related information.
A Report Filter is an option used to narrow down report results.
Examples:
School year, marking period, grade level, gender, program, course, teacher, date range, or student group.
An Advanced Filter allows users to apply more specific search or report conditions.
Advanced filters help users find targeted records more easily, especially when working with large student or staff lists.
A Date Range is a selected start date and end date used to generate a report.
Date ranges are commonly used in attendance reports, billing reports, communication logs, and other time-based reports.
A Custom Date Range allows users to select their own reporting period instead of using a preset option.
A Marking Period Filter allows users to generate reports for a specific academic term.
Examples:
Year, semester, quarter, progress period, exam period, or custom marking period.
A Grade Level Filter allows users to view report data for selected grade levels.
This helps institutions review student information by academic level.
A Program Filter allows users to generate reports based on a selected academic program or cohort program.
This is useful for institutions that group students by program, department, or academic path.
A Student List is a report or view showing students based on selected criteria.
Student lists may include names, grade levels, enrollment details, contact details, schedule status, labels, or other student information.
A Staff List is a report or view showing staff users based on selected criteria.
It may include teachers, administrators, or other staff members depending on role and access.
A Parent List is a report or view showing parent or guardian records.
It may include associated students, contact information, and portal access details.
A Dashboard is a visual summary area that presents important information in one place.
Dashboards may show counts, trends, alerts, summaries, quick access cards, or key operational data.
Analytics refers to the process of reviewing data to identify patterns, trends, or useful insights.
In openSIS, analytics may support academic review, attendance monitoring, enrollment tracking, billing review, and operational decision-making.
An AI Insight is a system-generated observation or summary that helps users understand important trends or conditions in the data.
AI insights may help administrators identify students, patterns, or areas needing attention more quickly, depending on enabled features.
A Summary is a shortened view of important report information.
Summaries may show totals, counts, percentages, or key results from a larger dataset.
A Count is the total number of records that match selected criteria.
Example:
Total students, active students, inactive staff, newly enrolled students, or students with no scheduled classes.
A Percentage is a numeric value that shows a proportion out of 100.
Percentages may appear in attendance reports, grade reports, progress summaries, or analytics.
Excel Export means downloading openSIS data in an Excel-compatible format.
This is useful when users need to review, filter, format, or share data outside the system.
CSV Export means downloading report data in a comma-separated file format.
CSV files are commonly used for spreadsheets, imports, and external data handling.
PDF Export means generating a file in PDF format.
PDFs are commonly used for formal records such as report cards, transcripts, receipts, statements, or printable reports.
A Printable Report is a report formatted for printing.
It may be used for physical records, meetings, official documents, or parent or student sharing.
A Report Catalog is a structured collection of available reports.
It helps users find the right report based on category, purpose, or module.
A Report Category is a grouping used to organize reports.
Examples:
Student Reports, Attendance Reports, Grade Reports, Billing Reports, Scheduling Reports, or Staff Reports.
A Column is a vertical field in a report table.
Columns show specific data points such as student name, grade level, status, attendance date, course, teacher, or balance due.
A Row is one record in a report table.
For example, each row may represent one student, one attendance entry, one invoice, or one course record.
Sorting means arranging report results in a selected order.
Reports may be sorted by name, date, grade level, status, amount, or other columns.
Search means finding records by entering keywords or selected criteria.
Search helps users quickly locate students, staff, parents, courses, reports, or other system records.
A Search Result is the list of records shown after a user searches or applies filters.
A Filtered Result is the list of records shown after one or more filters are applied.
A Saved Report is a report configuration that can be reused later.
If available, saved reports help users avoid reselecting the same filters each time.
Rollover is the year-end process that transitions operational data from the current School Year to the next.
During rollover, students may be advanced to their mapped Next Grade, new scheduling structures may be prepared, and prior-year data remains preserved for transcripts, reports, and historical academic records.
Rollover helps institutions begin a new school year without losing previous academic data.
Next Grade is the grade level mapping used during rollover to determine where students should move in the next school year.
Example:
Grade 5 may roll over to Grade 6.
Admissions is the module that manages the prospective student lifecycle before formal enrollment.
The admissions workflow typically follows:
Applicant Submission → Application Review → Approval or Decision → Student Enrollment → Student Record Creation
Once an applicant is approved and enrolled, the student record becomes part of the institution’s active academic system.
A Grade Scale is the grading framework assigned to a course section or academic setup that determines how grades map to numerical scores, grade titles, and grade point values.
Grade scales are important for gradebooks, report cards, transcripts, GPA calculations, and academic reporting.
An Attendance Category is a classification setting that determines which attendance codes are available for a course section or attendance workflow.
Different course sections may use different attendance categories depending on the institution’s attendance model.
Standards-Based Grading is an optional grading approach where student performance is assessed against specific learning standards rather than only an overall percentage or letter grade.
In openSIS, Standards-Based Grading may be configured at the course section level depending on the institution’s setup.
School-Specific Standards are custom learning objectives created by an institution to reflect its own curriculum framework, accreditation needs, or educational philosophy.
These standards are different from nationally recognized standards and may be used for standards-based grading.
An Integration is a connection between openSIS and another software system.
Integrations allow openSIS to exchange data or support workflows with external platforms such as learning management systems, payment gateways, communication providers, identity providers, or accounting systems.
An External System is any third-party platform connected to openSIS.
Examples:
Moodle, Canvas, Google Classroom, Google Workspace, Microsoft, payment gateways, accounting tools, SMS providers, or WhatsApp providers.
A Third-Party Application is software provided by another company or platform that connects with openSIS.
These applications may support learning, login, payments, communication, accounting, reporting, or other operational workflows.
LMS stands for Learning Management System.
An LMS is used to manage online learning, digital course content, assignments, activities, and learning-related communication.
openSIS may connect with an LMS so academic data can work across both systems.
Moodle is a learning management system that may be integrated with openSIS.
When Moodle integration is enabled, course, enrollment, user, or grade-related data may be synchronized between openSIS and Moodle depending on the institution’s setup.
Canvas is a learning management system that may be integrated with openSIS.
Canvas integration may support login, course, enrollment, user, or learning-related workflows depending on the configured connection.
Google Classroom is a learning platform that may be connected with openSIS for classroom and course-related workflows.
It may help institutions manage classroom activities alongside student information stored in openSIS.
LMS Integration is the connection between openSIS and a learning management system.
This integration may allow courses, users, enrollments, assignments, or grades to move between openSIS and the LMS depending on the supported workflow.
Course Section-Level LMS Integration means the LMS connection is managed at the course section level.
This allows teachers or administrators to connect specific classroom sections in openSIS with corresponding digital learning spaces in the LMS.
Sync, or Synchronization, is the process of updating data between openSIS and another system.
Sync helps keep connected records aligned across platforms.
Example:
A course created in openSIS may be synced with an LMS, or grades from Moodle may be imported back into openSIS.
Data Sync means transferring or updating records between systems.
Data sync may include courses, users, enrollments, grades, sections, or other supported data.
Manual Sync means the user starts the synchronization process manually.
This may be done through a button or action inside openSIS.
Automatic Sync means the system updates data between openSIS and another platform without requiring the user to start the process each time.
Automatic sync depends on the integration setup and supported workflow.
API stands for Application Programming Interface.
An API allows two software systems to communicate with each other. openSIS may use APIs to connect with LMS platforms, payment gateways, communication providers, SSO systems, accounting tools, or other external applications.
An API Endpoint is a specific URL or connection point used by an API.
Each endpoint usually performs a specific action, such as sending data, receiving data, updating records, or checking status.
An API Key is a secure key used to identify and authorize access to an external system or API.
API keys should be kept private and managed carefully.
A Secret Key is a private credential used to authenticate or secure an integration.
Secret keys should not be shared publicly.
A Client ID is a public identifier used by an external platform to recognize the openSIS application during integration or login setup.
It is often used with OAuth-based integrations.
A Client Secret is a private value used along with the Client ID to authenticate the application.
Client secrets should be stored securely and not exposed to unauthorized users.
OAuth is an authorization method that allows one application to securely access another system without sharing user passwords directly.
OAuth is commonly used in SSO and third-party integrations.
OAuth Credentials are the required values used to connect openSIS with an OAuth-based platform.
These may include:
The exact fields depend on the connected platform.
A Redirect URL is the web address where the external system sends the user back after authentication or authorization.
For SSO setup, the redirect URL must usually match the value configured in the external platform.
A Token is a secure value used to confirm authorization between systems.
Tokens may allow openSIS to access data or complete actions through an integration.
An Access Token is a token used to authorize API requests.
It allows openSIS to communicate with the connected platform for a limited time or under specific permissions.
A Refresh Token is used to request a new access token when the previous access token expires.
This helps keep an integration active without asking the user to log in again each time.
SSO stands for Single Sign-On.
SSO allows users to log in to openSIS using an existing account from another identity provider, such as Google, Microsoft, or Canvas, depending on the enabled setup.
An Identity Provider is the system that verifies a user’s login identity.
Examples:
Google, Microsoft, Canvas, or another authentication provider.
Authentication is the process of confirming who a user is.
When a user logs in, the system checks the login details or identity provider response to verify the user.
Authorization is the process of deciding what a verified user is allowed to access.
After authentication, openSIS uses roles and permissions to control what the user can view or manage.
Google SSO allows users to log in to openSIS using their Google account, depending on the institution’s configuration.
Microsoft SSO allows users to log in to openSIS using their Microsoft account, depending on the institution’s configuration.
Canvas SSO allows users to log in to openSIS using Canvas authentication, depending on the configured Canvas OAuth setup.
A Connected Account is an external account linked to an openSIS user for login, sync, or integration purposes.
Mapping means matching data fields or records between openSIS and another system.
Example:
A student record in openSIS may need to match the correct user record in Moodle or Canvas.
Course Mapping means matching openSIS courses with courses in an LMS or external academic platform.
Course mapping helps ensure the correct course data is synced between systems.
User Mapping means matching openSIS users with users in another system.
This helps keep student, teacher, staff, or parent records aligned during login or data sync.
Enrollment Mapping means matching student enrollment data between openSIS and another system.
This helps ensure that students are connected to the correct courses or course sections in the external platform.
Integration Settings are configuration options used to connect openSIS with external systems.
These settings may include credentials, API details, sync options, mapping rules, provider-specific setup fields, and connection controls.
Connection Status shows whether an integration is connected, disconnected, active, failed, or pending configuration.
Test Connection is an option used to verify whether openSIS can successfully connect with an external system.
It helps administrators confirm that credentials and configuration details are correct before using the integration.
A Sync Error occurs when data cannot be synchronized properly between openSIS and an external system.
Sync errors may happen due to invalid credentials, missing mappings, API issues, deleted records, unsupported formats, or external system problems.
Data Accuracy means the information stored in openSIS is correct and reliable.
Accurate data is important for attendance, grades, reports, communication, billing, compliance, and decision-making.
Data Consistency means information is recorded in the same format and meaning across the system.
Consistent data helps prevent confusion and makes reports more reliable.
Data Cleanup is the process of correcting, updating, removing duplicates, or organizing data.
This helps keep openSIS records clean and usable.
Data and operations terms help administrators understand how openSIS manages records, reports, imports, exports, year-end processes, historical data, and external system connections.
When data interchange, rollover, reporting, LMS, SSO, API, OAuth, and sync settings are managed correctly, institutions can reduce duplicate data entry, maintain cleaner records, and support smoother workflows across connected systems.
Understanding these terms also helps users troubleshoot data issues, interpret reports, and communicate more clearly with technical teams or support.