Beginners Guide to VETtrak Online
In feeling comfortable with taking your VETtrak Training Management System online there are often many unasked questions, the most import is: How does it all work?
While you may think it is a dumb question it isn't. Hopefully this description and the diagram below will help. If it doesn't then let us know and we will be happy to explain AND your questions may well help others. The first thing to understand is that it is complicated and JWGecko is here to simplify it!
This diagram is for our VETtrak customers but other connections are similar, in fact almost all API/Web Service applications work like this.
- An API is short for Web Services Application Programming Interface. It is software installed on your network close to your VETtrak database. The API needs to have access to your VETtrak database and to be accessible via the Internet. Put simply if VETtrak was a multimedia centre in your lounge then the API would be all of the connectors at the back.
- There are currently four APIs for VETtrak:
Enrolment Lite API - for enrolling students
Enrolment API - for enrolling students
Portal API - which provides access to student information in an online portal
Integrate API - used for integration with learning management systems.
- The API needs to be purchased from OzSoft and then installed. JWGecko offers an inexpensive API installation and support service. When there is an update or a new API version release, it is provided by OzSoft as a part of your software maintenance agreement. The updates need to be installed - this is a part of our API Support and Maintenance service - ask us about it.
- The Internet is a big place and to find your API on the Internet we need an address, typically this is an IP address which never changes. This is called a Static IP address and is available from your Internet Service Provider. Most provide static IP addresses for free, however Telstra charges a monthly fee. An IP address looks something like this: 208.77.188.166 Before we can install your API, your network support people need to set up the static IP address and provide us with remote access to your VETtrak server.
- Once you have a static IP and your API is installed the JWGecko server handshakes with your server, they say Hi! We call this process API Verification. If we can not say 'hi' to your API then we can go no further. Here is a link to the Verify API Tool. Use this tool to check connection if ever there is an issue with your website's data - that's what we do.
- When we know the API is visible and connected we then preview the data. When everything is working it could look like this:
- The data you see in the image is directly from VETtrak BUT it is not all the information about Programme Types and Programmes as seen in this image. It is ONLY the data that is published for the web in VETtrak and that has a published price as well. If you don't know how to do this please call OzSoft (see Step Two "Making an Occurrence" in the VETtrak User Guide), or we may be able to help.
- Data Presentation: Now things are getting exciting. Once the JWGecko server can talk to your VETtrak data we can build a website as seen in other parts of this website.
- Data Updates: Our modules talk to the VETtrak API in two ways; the first type is our Automatic & Manual Updates and the second is 'real time API calls'.
- The automatic update collects all the information about your programme types, your programmes and occurrences, basically all the information that doesn't change frequently. We do this mostly overnight so as not to affect your network speed.
- Real Time API Calls happen whenever required. A good example is when a student wants to enrol. The website has a chat [API call] with VETtrak to make sure there is a place available in an occurrence, if there is and the details of the enrolment are correct then an enrolment is sent to VETtrak and the available places is reduced by one.
- How do I know if I have an enrolment?
- You need to check VETtrak: Web enrolments and payments are sent to a queue in VETtrak that is accessed and processed using the Utilities Menu within VETtrak.
- Enrolments are processed individually so each enrolment can be checked and matched, if appropriate to a current student or employer.
- OzSoft have produced an excellent document on how this works - download it here.
- How do students pay?
- Courses can be free, paid by invoice, by credit card or PayPal. It is possible to organise other methods but they aren't standard. We are stepping away from PayPal because of the low uptake and high commissions.
- In order to take credit cards online your business requires an online merchant account that is authorised to sell online. Since most accounts aren't set up with the online capability you will need to discuss this with you bank. If you are using our solution let them know you will be using a 'Secure Pay Hosted Payment Gateway'.
- What is a Hosted Payment Gateway?
- A payment gateway is a service operated by a secure bank approved company that collects the data from user's credit card in a secure way. We recommend this type of solution because it is cheaper to set up and maintain. We use suppliers we can recommend based on cost and service delivery experience.
- Once the student clicks the confirm enrolment button we seamlessly send them to a payment page provided by the gateway provider.
- The gateway provider verifies the card details, seeks authorisation from the bank, confirms or declines the transaction and if successful sends the student back to the enrolment website, sends the payment to your account, sends a receipt to the student and to the merchant. JWGecko sends VETtrak a payment file with a unique identifier so it is easy to tie up the payment in VETtrak with your bank statement.
- What is shared hosting?
- Most clients choose hosting in our shared environments. The reason for this is that the license fees are reduced, the data centre is the best in Australia. Incremental and external back ups are included.
- Some clients choose to host their VETtrak Online websites on their own servers either managed by JWGecko or their own IT departments.
- Some clients are too big and their sites too busy for the shared environment - we reserve the right to withdraw the service if a particular site is over using resources in the shared environment - some clients are simple too big!
- What is OzSoft Hosting?
- OzSoft provides hosting for VETtrak and the API together. Access to the VETtrak client is provided via Terminal Services. It is very fast, your updates happen in the background and are included in the monthly fees.
We have built this page over time, however we believe there may be questions and answers not included in the above. We would be happy to answer any questions you have and that may not be included in the above information. Please drop us a line in the form below and we will answer the question and perhaps add it here too for everyone else.