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Download Client User Guide

V.2018.1

9.28.18


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Download Client Overview

When a student submits a CCCApply (Standard or International) or CC Promise Grant application, their application responses are stored in the CCC Technology Center's submitted application database in two tables: submitted_application and submitted_question_response (for supplemental question responses). The submitted_application table contains the applicants' responses on their application and a number of fields from their user account at the time they submit.

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If you are comfortable writing computer software, you can of course use the tools that best suit you. Otherwise, create your XML files using your operating system's built-in text editor. On Windows, the text editor is called Notepad, and on OS X, it is called TextEdit.


Note

Note: These applications can work with file formats other than plain text. Be sure to save your files in plain text format.


Warning

Important: Do not use XML Notepad to edit your XML files. It adds a BOM (Byte Order Mark) to the file and will cause the download job to abnormally terminate and an error message may display indicating that the XML file contains a BOM.

If you run your download and get the BOM error, you can take one of the following actions to remove it:

  • Copy and paste your XML content into a plain text editor or some other suitable tool to remove the extra characters (the BOM), such at Notepad. You can save the file as ANSI to remove the BOM.
  • Switch to an XML editor that allows you to save the content and remove the BOM, such as one of the following:
  • XML Copy Editor

To remove the BOM, click on options from the Tools menu and de-select "Save UTF byte order mark". Save your file.

  • Notepad ++

To remove the BOM, select "Encode in UTF-8 without BOM" from the Encoding menu. Save your file.


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Unzipping, Installing, and Configuring the Download Client

The following steps outline a "quick-start" process for a first-time unzip and configuration of the Download client.

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  1. Type the following command at the ../transfer-client/ command prompt:  

    java -jar transfer-client.jar --version

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  • If you have Download Client V5.3.0 installed, this will display: VERSION: 2015-10-16 16:00:27, 1.0-SNAPSHOT 2

2. If you have a Download Client version that is prior to V5.3.0, an error displays. You can upgrade to the latest Download Client version available here (transfer-client.jar file):

https://cccnext.jira.com/wiki/display/PD/User+Guides

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If you already have installed the Download Client you can skip to: Preparing to Download Applications: Configuring Your Job and Format Files on page 7.

  1. Contact CCC Tech Center Technical Support to get your Download client. The Technical Support representative will deliver the Download client zip file to you via Dropbox or some other means that they will indicate to you. 2.
  2. Once you receive the Download client zip file, download the file to your local computer and extract it into a local file directory of your choice.
    Once you extract your Download client, it should look something like this, with the expanded files within the transfer-client root folder:

    Image Added


It is assumed that the FTT_HOME environment variable indicates the fully-qualified path to this directory, e.g. FTT_HOME=c:\downloads\transfer-client


Note

Note: Refer to the following information for supported parameter key configuration in the ccctransfer.properties file prior to changing your keystore password in the next steps:


KeyDescriptionRequired?Default Value
javax.net.ssl.keyStore

Specifies the Java Keystore

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that contains the certificate to validate your college to the CCC Transfer Server

Yes

FTT_HOME/conf/

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client.jks

javax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword

Specifies the password for

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the keystore that javax.net.ssl.keyStore indicates.

Yes

password



3.  Change your college keystore password using the steps in this section. When you first receive the Download Client from the CCCTech Center, a certificate is created for your college that controls which MIS code(s) you can access for downloads. The default password for this initial certificate is “password.” The CCCTech Center recommends that you change this password using the following steps.

Note

Note: Though security is driven by the key and not from the password to load the keys, we still recommend you change your password to be unique. Perform these steps from the machine where the keystore is installed.

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Note

Note: You only need to change your keystore one time for it take effect for all applications (both CCCApply applications (Standard and International) and the CC Promise Grant application).


  1. Navigate to the transfer-client\conf\ directory and create a backup of your current client.jks file.
  2. At a command prompt, navigate to the transfer-client\conf directory and locate your college key alias by entering the following command at a command prompt (press the Enter key after you type the command): keytool -list -keystore client.jks  The output from running this command will be a list of keys contained in the keystore.
  3. Locate your college key alias by looking at the key name at the beginning of the entry of type "PrivateKeyEntry". The college key alias will usually be in the format of "xxx.edu" where xxx is your college’s initials.
  4. Update your college keystore password by entering the following command at the command prompt from the transfer-client\conf directory (press the Enter key after you type the command): keytool -storepasswd -keystore client.jks
  5. When prompted to enter your current keystore password, enter your current password (the password = password for all first-time Download Clients). You’ll be prompted to enter your new keystore password, and then prompted to re-enter the new keystone password (press the Enter key after each entry).
  6. Update your college key password to match the keystore password you just set in step 3e above by entering the following command at the command prompt from the transfer-client\conf directory (press the Enter key after you type the command): keytool -keypasswd -alias <key_alias> -keystore client.jks
  7. When prompted to enter your current keystore password, enter they keystore password you set in step 3e, above.
  8. Enter the same password as in step 3e when prompted to enter and re-enter your new key password.
  9. Open the conf/ccctransfer.properties file and edit the ccctransfer.keystore.password value to have your new password instead of the old one (password). That is, edit the word password after the = sign in this entry: ccctransfer.keystore.password=password

    Image Added

  10. Save and close the conf/ccctransfer.properties file. You have now updated your college keystore password for all applications (CCCApply Standard and International, and CC Promise Grant).
  11. Test the new keystore by entering the following command at the command prompt for each application.


To test the new keystore for your Pilot server, enter the following command at the command prompt:

Confirm that no errors are printed.

To test the new keystone for your Production server, enter the following command at the command prompt:

Confirm that no errors are printed.


Preparing to Download Applications: Configuring Your Job and Format Files

After installing the Download Client, you will need to configure the job and format XML files to configure which application data you want to download.

 1.  You will have sample job and format definition XML files included in your package. These files will usually include the application name in the file name (i.e. SampleBogJob1.xml in the image above is a sample job file for the BOG application).

Note

Note: It is also wise to check the CCC Tech Center Public Documentation pages for the latest updates to Download client files including the job and format definition XML files.  https://cccnext.jira.com/wiki/display/PD/User+Guides

2.  Using a text or XML editor, open the sample job XML file for the application for which you plan to download student application data.

Note

Note: If this is your initial download, then you will likely be preparing to download the CCCApply Standard application since it is required you go live on that application prior to the Promise Grant or International applications.

Image Added

3.  Ensure that the job element's misCode attribute includes your college's three-digit MIS code. The job element's URL attribute points to the Pilot database environment in the above image.

4. Update the file element's directory attribute by replacing the "downloads" in the above example to be the name of the directory on your local computer where you want the download file to be saved.

5. Update the formatId attribute by replacing the ccInst in the above example to be the same name of the formatId in the format definitions file.

Note

Note: See the screenshot above and below for an illustration of this step. When you run the Download Client job, all format XML files in the formats directory are "opened" and scanned for the id that matches the formatId in the job XML file. When the matching id is found, that determines which format is applied to the downloaded data. 

6. Update the prefix and suffix attributes by replacing the "mycollege-inst" and ".txt" values with the file name prefix for your choice and the file-type extension of your choice (i.e. .csv, .txt, etc.).

7.  Save the job file by using Save As, and rename the file to the name of your choice. It's best practice to include the application name in the file name. (e.g. Standard Job.xml for the CCCApply Standard application.)

8.  Using a text or XML editor, open the format definitions XML file for the application for which you plan to download student application data.

Note

Note: In the example below, the formatDefinition id attribute is highlighted. This value must match exactly the formatId attribute in the associated job XML file (see the image, above). Your format file can include more than one formatDefinition defined within it as long as each has a unique id attribute value. Changing that corresponding id in the Download Client job file is what determines which format is used for any particular download job.


Image Added


9.  Edit the XML elements and attributes in the format definitions XML file to include the specific database fields that you want to download into your college's SIS. Use the following items to assist you in editing and validating this XML file:

  • the XML schema file for the format definitions file
  • the Data Fields for each of the student applications (CCCApply Standard and International, and CC Promise Grant)
  • the Data Dictionaries for each of the student applications

When you are done creating and validating the format definitions XML file, save the file by using Save As, and rename the file to the name of your choice. It's best practice to include the application name in the file name. (e.g. StandardFormat.xml for the CCCApply Standard application.)

Note

Note: Your format file must always be stored in the formats directory of the Download Client files in order for it to be processed.

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