Data Collection Settings

About Data Collection Settings

In Rounds Data Collection, you can modify your data collection settings to suit the circumstances under which you are collecting data for Routes. For example, you can determine when a Route is downloaded to your device so that you can access that Route when your device is disconnected from a wireless network. You can also specify the frequency at which data is synchronized with the APM database, and you can clear route data from local storage if it becomes out of synchronization with the database.

About Offline Access

Rounds Data Collection includes the capability for you to complete Routes when the device you are using is in an offline, or disconnected, state. If you want to access a Route while disconnected from a network, you must enable offline access for the Route in order to download the Route information to your device's internal storage. After this is done, you can enter readings, create recommendations, and mark a Route done while the device is disconnected from a network. Then, when your device is reconnected to a network, the recorded data is synchronized automatically with the APM database.

About Device Settings

You can modify certain device settings to support collecting data for Routes when your device is disconnected from a network. An administrative user may specify default values for these device settings in the Application Settings for Rounds, and individual users may modify these values via the Device Settings window in Rounds Data Collection if necessary.

The following device settings can be modified:

  • The Download Horizon setting establishes how long before a Route or Checkpoint is due that it is downloaded to your device. Based on how long your device will be disconnected from a network prior to a Route becoming due, you can increase the Download Horizon to ensure that you can still access that Route when it becomes due while your device is offline.
  • The Sync Interval setting establishes how often data is synchronized with the APM database. If your mobile device is subject to slow connection speeds, it may take several minutes to download all the data. In this scenario, we recommend that you increase the Sync Interval, since a Sync Interval as brief as one minute may result in the device attempting to synchronize continuously.

Enable Offline Access for a Route

Before You Begin

If necessary, modify the Download Horizon and Sync Interval device settings.

About This Task

If you want to take readings on a Route while disconnected from a network, you must enable offline access for the Route.

Procedure

  1. Access the RDC Overview page.
  2. In the workspace, select the Assigned Routes tab.

    The Assigned Routes section appears, displaying a list of Routes that have been assigned to you by a Rounds Designer user.

  3. In the row for each Route for which you want to enable offline access, select the check box.
  4. In the upper-right corner of the section, select .

    The icon appears in the Off-Line Access Enabled column for the specified Routes to indicate that offline access is enabled.

    Note: If you want to disable offline access for a Route, select the check box in the row for the Route, and then select .

Results

  • The Route is downloaded to your device's local storage when the Route's Next Date is within the specified Download Horizon. The Route information downloaded includes the past five Readings for each Checkpoint on the Route.
  • If the Route is currently due or overdue, it will appear on the RDC Overview page in the Due or Overdue lists, respectively, with the icon next to the Route name, indicating that the Route has been downloaded to the device. While the Route is in the process of synchronizing with the APM database, the icon appears.
  • When there is a network connection, the Route is synchronized with the APM database at the frequency specified by the Sync Interval device setting.

Modify Device Settings

About This Task

Depending on your access to a network when you are collecting data for Routes, you may need to modify the device settings that affect how Routes enabled for offline access are handled.

Note: Device settings are stored as user preferences, which means that, if you are signed in to APM, your settings will be maintained regardless of the device that you use to access the application. However, your settings may be overwritten if a Super User modifies the default device settings and chooses to overwrite existing user preferences in the Rounds Designer module. If a Super User has done so, you will need to sign out of and back in to the APM mobile application for this change to take effect.

Procedure

  1. Access the RDC Overview page.
  2. Select Device Settings.
    Note: If you are using a small screen device, select .

    The Device Settings window appears.

    Note: The Scan Option box is not currently used.
  3. Clear the Use Default Settings check box.
  4. In the Download Horizon box, specify the amount of time before a Route or Checkpoint is due to indicate that it should be downloaded to a device.
    Tip: If you anticipate that devices will be disconnected from a network for extended periods of time, increase the Download Horizon. This will enable users to access the Routes that will become due during the period that the device is disconnected.
  5. In the Sync Interval box, specify the frequency at which the information downloaded to the device should be synchronized with the APM database when the device is connected to a network.
    Tip: You may want to increase the Sync Interval to reduce network traffic when devices are connected to a network or, if the mobile devices that will be used are subject to slow connection speeds (for example, if they use cellphone connections), it may take several minutes to download all the data. In this scenario, we recommend that you increase the Sync Interval, since a Sync Interval as brief as one minute may result in devices attempting to synchronize continuously.
    The data from the device is uploaded to the database. Changes made in Rounds Designer are also reflected in the corresponding records in Rounds Data Collection.
  6. In the Batch Upload Size (# Readings Posted at a Time) box, specify the number of readings uploaded to the server per batch.
    Tip: A lower number of readings per batch will take longer to upload but be less subject to server timeouts.
  7. Select Done.
    The settings are saved.

Disable Network Connection

About This Task

If your network connectivity is intermittent, you may want to force the Rounds Data Collection module to behave as if your device is offline.
Note: To take readings on a Route while the Rounds Data Collection module behaves as if your device is offline, you must enable offline access for the Route. See Enable Offline Access for a Route for more information.

Procedure

  1. Access the RDC Overview page.
  2. Select one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Device SettingsAppears on large screen devices
    Appears on small screen devices
    The Device Settings Window appears.
  3. Select the Disable Network Connection check box.
  4. Select Done.
    Network connectivity is disabled.

Clear Route Data from Local Storage

About This Task

It is possible for Route data stored on an Android, iOS, or Windows device to become out of synchronization with the data in the APM database. If this happens, you can clear Route data from your device’s local storage. You may need to do this if:
  • You are no longer assigned to a Route.
  • A Route downloaded to your device was deleted from the database.
  • Route information displayed on your device does not align with changes made by a Route administrator in Rounds Designer.
  • A Route is marked done on the device, but the readings are not uploaded to the server, and the Route is not in a completed state on the server.

Procedure

  1. Access the RDC Overview page.
  2. Select Device Settings.
    Note: If you are using a small screen device, select .
    The Device Settings window appears.
  3. Select the check boxes under the Clear data from Local Storage option, as per your requirement:
    • Route Data - Removes existing Route structure data and completed Routes structure data from the device.
    • Readings - Removes cached readings from the device.
    • Recommendations - Removes cached Recommendation data from the device.
    • Documents - Removes cached documents from the device.
    Note: This action clears data from the mobile device. Data that has already uploaded to be APM database will be retained and synchronized to the device at the next Sync Interval.
  4. Select Done.
    Route data is deleted from the device's local storage. At the next Sync Interval, updated Route data is downloaded onto the device.
    Note:
    • On a small screen device, the Done option is not available. The alternate action is to select outside the Device Settings window, to close the window.
    • Readings and recommendations for Routes in progress are not deleted from the mobile device. If the same Routes and Checkpoints remain on the device after resynchronizing the Route data, then these readings and recommendations will be displayed on the data collection page as before.
    • Route data will not be cleared if Route synchronization is in progress.
    • The Clear data from Local Storage check box is always cleared when you access the Device Settings window.