Softdocs Etrieve Automated Import Process

Documents can be either manually uploaded into Etrieve (see instructions on the Softdocs Etrieve Content End User Manual page) or imported from a dedicated folder on the cayuga hybrid server via an automated process.

1. If your department is not currently using an automated import process but would like to get one set up, please submit a ticket request using the button to the right of this page.

2. If your department has had an import process setup, please find below the instructions to import your documents into Etrieve.

Contents:

• Ensure you are a member of the necessary Softdocs Security Groups on Azure
• Connect to the VPN
  • When on campus
  • When off campus
• Troubleshooting VPN Issues
• Map a New Network Drive to the Hybrid Server
• Import Documents into Etrieve with the Automated Import Process

Ensure you are a member of the necessary Softdocs Security Groups on Azure

In addition to being a member of the regular Softdocs Azure group for your department (needed for you to log into Etrieve), please ensure that you have been added to your department's Softdocs Imports Azure group in the Outlook Exchange Admin Center (ie. "ISSS Softdocs Imports", "DPS Softdocs Imports", etc.). If you are your department's Softdocs lead, you can add users to your department's Softdocs Imports group with the steps detailed on the Softdocs Etrieve - How to Grant Access to Users page. If not, please contact your department's Softdocs lead so they can add you to the group. You will need to be a member of this group for the instructions below to work.

If you encounter any issues with the steps below, please submit a support ticket with the "Request Support" button to the right.

Connect to the VPN

To access your import folder(s) on the cayuga hybrid server, you will need to be connected to the Global Protect VPN (instructions to install the VPN on your computer can be found on the  VPN Setup Instructions article), but which instance of the VPN you will need to use depends on whether you are on campus or not.

When on campus

You will need to use the Global Protect internal VPN when on campus. The first time you connect to the internal VPN, you'll need to add it to your list of Global Protect portals in the Global Protect Settings.

• Click on the Global Protect logo in your Windows system tray (bottom right corner of your screen) to open the Global Protect window.

• In the Global Protect window, click on the 3-lines symbol in the upper right corner of the window. It will open the Global Protect settings' window.

• In the Global Protect settings' window, click on the "+" sign next to "Manage Portals". This will allow you to add a new portal. Type vpninternal.middlebury.edu in the window that opens up and click the blue "Add" button.

• Once you have added the internal VPN as a new portal, you should see a drop down menu when you open the Global Protect connection window from the system tray. Select vpninternal.middlebury.edu from the menu and click the blue "Connect" button (you might need to sign out of Global Protect in the settings window first and then restart it for the menu options to be updated).

When off campus

You will need to use the standard Global Protect VPN when off campus.

• If you have not yet used the standard VPN portal, please follow the steps above to add the standard VPN to your list of portals in the Global Protect settings' window, but use vpnmidd.middlebury.edu as the portal name, instead of the internal VPN name used above.
   
• You will then be able to select vpnmidd.middlebury.edu in the Global Protect connection window's dropdown menu.

Troubleshooting VPN Issues.

• Please note that you might find it is best to disconnect from the VPN at the end of the day (click the blue "Disconnect" button in the Global Protect connection window), so Global Protect doesn't try to automatically re-connect to the VPN instance you last used.
   
• If you moved from on-campus to off-campus or vice versa from one day to the next, Global Protect will try to automatically connect you to the wrong VPN.
  • If that happens, please click the Global Protect settings symbol in the connection window and select "Disconnect" in the drop down.
  • If you cannot see the "Disconnect" option, please select "Settings" and in the Global Protect settings window, click "Sign Out". You will then need to restart Global Protect so you can select the correct VPN instance in the connection window.
     
• For issues connecting to the VPN, please review the Troubleshooting VPN page. If all fails, you can submit a support ticket with the "Request VPN Support" button on the VPN Setup Instructions page.

Map a New Network Drive to the Hybrid Server

Once you are connected to the correct VPN for your location, you'll need to map a new network drive to the cayuga hybrid server. You will only need to do this once. Here are the steps to do that:

• Open a directory window on your laptop/PC (yellow folder in your toolbar).

• Right click on the Network folder in your directory tree and select “map network drive” in the menu options that pop up.

• Select a letter for your drive that is not already in use for another mapped drive in your directory, type \\cayuga\departments in the window that opens up.

• You should then see a new network drive mapped to cayuga in your directory tree.

Import Documents into Etrieve with the Automated Import Process

• Once you have successfully mapped a network drive to the cayuga hybrid server, you can double click the "Departments (\\cayuga)" drive in the directory window to see the department folders on cayuga. Clicking on your department will display your department's import folder(s).

• Click on the folder for your department.
   
• You will then see one or more import folders for your department.
   
• Before dropping a document in the folder, please re-name your document in its current location, using the naming convention for your department. Typically, it will be the identification number (ie. Banner ID or Oracle Person Number), an underscore, and the abbreviation for the document type in Etrieve (you should have a translation map with the list of abbreviations that was prepared during the initial import process setup). For example, your document may be named 00123456_abbreviation.
  • By default, Etrieve will assign the document's import date as the document's Activity Date in Etrieve, so you don't typically need to add the Activity Date to your document's name. However, if you need to assign the document a different Activity Date than the import date, please add an underscore and the Activity Date after the abbreviation in the document name. For example, 00123456_abbreviation_05-14-2025. Please note that the date must be formated with dashes instead of backslashes.
  • If you have several documents with the same ID number and the same document type to import at the same time, you will need to give them a unique name, otherwise Windows will not let you import them. In that case, you will need to add the Activity Date, an underscore, and a number to each document's name. The Activity Date cannot be omitted in that case. For example 00123456_abbreviation_05-14-2025_1 for the first document and 00123456_abbreviation_05-14-2025_2 for the second document.
  • It is important that you rename the document BEFORE dropping it in the import folder. The import folder is monitored by the Softdocs server every 5 minutes, which means that, depending on when in the 5-minute cycle your document is dropped in the folder, the document could be picked up by the server within seconds. If the name of the document does not match the naming convention when it is picked up, either the import will fail, or the document will be imported and placed in the "Unfiled" section for your area for you to index manually later.
     
• Once you have named your document, you can drop it in your department's import folder.
   
• If your department has more than one import folder:
  • Your department might have more than one import folder because it uses two areas in Etrieve for its documents. In that case, drop your document in the import folder for the area where it should be indexed in Etrieve. Please ensure when naming your document that you select a document type abbreviation that corresponds to a document type which exists for that area.
  • Your department might have documents that are indexed based on different types of identification numbers. For example, some documents might need to be indexed based on a Banner ID, whilst other documents might need to be indexed based on an Oracle Person Number. In that case, please drop the document in the import folder that corresponds to the correct type of identification number. Please ensure that you also use the correct identifier in your document's name.
     
• Once in the import folder, the document should be picked up by the Softdocs import server within 5 minutes. It might take a few more minutes for the document to appear within Etrieve. The document should be indexed automatically in the correct category and with the correct document type in Etrieve.
  • If an error occurs during the import (ie. the identification number you used for the document doesn't yet exist in the lookup file for your area in Erieve, or there was an error in the naming convention or the abbreviation you used), the document will move to the "Unfiled" section for your area, or might fail to import altogether if the naming convention was too off.
  • If the document is in the "Unfiled" section, you will need to index it manually. You can find the steps to do that here.
  • If the document is not in "Unfiled", please contact your department's Softdocs lead so they can check your department's Import History report. This will allow them to review the document's name and identify the possible cause of the error.