Issue Qualification
The first step in resolving any case is to fully understand the issue by gathering relevant details. This helps define the scope, supports accurate replication, and guides targeted research.
To begin, we recommend using the W questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) as a framework. These help uncover key context and contributing factors. While the examples provided can serve as a guide, the most effective questions will vary depending on the nature of the issue.
| Who | Who is experiencing the issue?
|
| What | What calendar, course, section, term, grading task, etc., is impacted? |
| What has already been tried to fix this? | |
| What are your click-by-click replication steps? | |
| What is the scope of the issue? Does it impact the whole district, one calendar, one course, etc.? | |
| What is the end goal, and what is required to accomplish it? | |
| What browser and operating system are you using? Does it happen in others? | |
| Where | Where is the issue occurring? |
| When | When do you need an answer by? Is there a deadline? |
| When did the issue begin? | |
| When does the issue occur? Under certain circumstances? | |
| Why | Why is this being done? |
| How | How can someone replicate the issue? |
| How do you believe it should function? |
Replication
Replicating an issue is a key step in understanding its root cause and identifying the conditions under which it occurs. Whenever possible, use a Sandbox or Staging environment to safely test without impacting live data.
To guide replication efforts, consider the following questions:
Can the end-user replicate the issue, or was it a one-time occurrence?
If it cannot be replicated, the issue may have already been resolved or was triggered by a temporary condition.Is the issue consistent or intermittent?
Identifying a pattern can significantly narrow down the cause and lead to a faster resolution.Does the issue occur across different browsers or devices?
If not, it may be related to a specific browser, operating system, or user setting. Compare environments to identify key differences.Can the issue be replicated in the Sandbox?
If replication fails in the Sandbox, recent changes in Production may be contributing. Isolating those changes can help pinpoint the cause.
By systematically testing and documenting replication steps, we can more effectively diagnose and resolve the issue.
Research
Research plays a critical role in confirming that our understanding of the issue is accurate and up to date. It also helps verify whether the site is configured correctly and whether the data involved is valid and complete.
To guide your research, consider the following tips:
Review Campus Community product documentation to confirm expected functionality.
- Do the user’s expectations align with how the tool is designed to work?
- If not, any Infinite Campus customer may submit an enhancement idea via this survey.
Validate site configuration against product documentation.
- If setup discrepancies are found, adjusting the configuration may resolve the issue.
Check for data issues such as missing, invalid, or corrupt entries.
- Many areas of Infinite Campus are interconnected—setup or data in one area can affect functionality in another. Be sure to explore related areas that may influence the tool in question.
Consider third-party applications (e.g., Adobe Acrobat, Java).
- Are they being used? Are they up to date?
Example Scenario:
None of the teachers at Campus Middle School can take attendance. Connie Contact confirms that tool rights are correct and that attendance worked yesterday. She investigates further and discovers that today is not marked as a School Day on the calendar. After updating the calendar, the attendance functionality is restored.
Other Troubleshooting Tips
When investigating an issue, consider these additional steps that may help identify or resolve the problem:
Check your Campus version
- Recent updates often include bug fixes and enhancements that may address the issue.
- You can find your current version in the top-right corner of the login screen.
- Review the Campus Release Packs for detailed release notes.
Consider system-level updates
- Are you or your users running large updates (e.g., Windows updates)? These can temporarily affect system performance or compatibility.
Clear browser cache and cookies
- Old or corrupted browser data can cause unexpected behavior. Clearing cache and cookies often resolves display or functionality issues.
Compare frontend and backend data
- If you have database access, verify that the data shown in the application matches what’s stored in the backend. Discrepancies may indicate a deeper issue.
These steps can help rule out common causes and ensure a smoother troubleshooting experience.
Additional Resources
- Role-Specific Resources highlight ways Infinite Campus can help you in your role.
- If you have database access and questions about how things relate to each other in the backend, the Campus Database Schema shows the relationships between database tables.
- If your state entity uses a State Edition of Infinite Campus, the Student Data Cleanup Process can help avoid any issues in syncing between State Edition and District Edition.
