When to use:

When auditing by taking a broad look at rule performance and duration times. You can also use to help identify groups of rules most likely to be contributing to a timeout.

What it does:

Determines how long each rule takes to run on records. Ensures rules are not producing errors and can run efficiently.

Where it is:

Database > Rules > Check Rules

Further Reading:

Read more about the check rules tool.

When to use:

You find that a lower-level rule in an exclusivity group is not acting on a record.

What it does:

Simulate an action on a record as a result of a rule.

Where it is:

Database > Rules > Preview Actions

Further Reading:

Read more about the preview action tool.

When to use:

Rules are executing with errors.

What it does:

Lists errors returned by rules that have executed and failed.

Where it is:

Database > Rules > Rule Log

Further Reading:

Read more about the rule log.

When to use:

Exports are failing.

What it does:

Displays the history and results of all query and report runs, including scheduled exports. Click  any row marked Failure for more details. 

Where it is:

Database > Job Activity Monitor

Further Reading:

Learn more about scheduling exports.

When to use:

Imports are failing.

What it does:

Lists rows of data within a file that were not able to import into Slate.

Where it is:

Within a Source Format > Click on a source > Import Fails

Further Reading:

Imports sometimes fail because of Source Format settings such as Update Only, which prevent new records from being created. Read more about troubleshooting Upload Dataset.

When to use:

You're experiencing difficulty connecting to the SFTP server.

What it does:

Tests SFTP connections. Enter the connection settings associated with your SFTP account to validate your connection.

Where it is:

Database > SFTP Connection Validation

Further Reading:

Read more about SFTP connection validation.

When to use:

Processes like imports are halting or slowing down.

What it does:

Displays live data about your database, including overall status, batch requests per second, unhandled exceptions, and more.

Where it is:

Database > System Dashboard

When to use:

When creating queries using Configurable Joins.

What it does:

See which data tables are connected to each other. A useful starting point to explore the tables you could join to (and what type of join it would be) when querying. 

Where it is:

Database > Configurable Joins Base Explorer

Further Reading:

Read more about joins.

When to use:

Use this tool to check what messages/emails have been sent to a specific email address.

What it does:

Enter an email address into Communication History search box to see all correspondence sent to that address, which might exist on multiple records. The status of message will also be displayed.

Where it is:

Database > Communication History

When to use:

Messages are not being sent to a specific email address.

What it does:

Shows a log of message attempts to a particular email address and any suppression lists that email address is on. Allows for removal from those supression lists.

Where it is:

Database > Email Deliverability

Further Reading:

Read more about the email deliverability tool.

When to use:

Emails getting caught in spam filters.

What it does:

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) authenticates outgoing emails by associating your institution with Slate.

Where it is:

Database > DKIM Configuration

Further Reading:

Read more about DKIM configuration.

What they do:

Completed mailings present two queries: Deliver Report Query (Preview) and Tracking Report Query (Preview).

Deliver Report Query lists all sent messages from the mailing. It creates a quick query on the Configurable Joins - Message base, filters on the selected mailing, and includes all exports on that table. This query as is will be 

Tracking Report Query lists all opens and clicks on messages sent from this mailing. It creates a quick query on the Configurable Joins - Message Track base, filters on the selected mailing, and includes all exports on that table.

Where they are:

Deliver > Click on a mailing > Deliver Report Query (Preview) or Tracking Report Query (Preview)

When to use:

Before sending a mailing, running a query, or activating a rule.

What it does:

In a Deliver mailing: Tests whether a particular record qualifies for a recipient list. 

In a query or rule: Test whether a person, dataset, or application record meets the filter criteria for that query or rule.

Where it is:

Deliver > Edit Recipient Lists > Click on a mailing > Click on a recipient list > Edit Query > Check Logic

Queries and Rules > Click on a query or rule > Edit Query or Edit Rule > Check Logic

Further Reading:

Read more about check logic in Deliver.

Read more about using the check logic tool to improve rule efficiency.

When to use:

For advanced users, this tool can be useful for identifying the probable causes of system strain (users experiencing slowness, frequent timeouts, rule backups).

What it does:

Displays information about various processes running in Slate in real time. Use your browser’s refresh button to refresh the view, and click into any row to display details regarding the indicated process (SQL of a given query, rule, or back-end process running at that time).

Where it is:

Database > Database Activity Monitor

Further Reading:

Read about Troubleshooting Rules Backups using the Database Activity Monitor.

When to use:

Sparingly, and only if you need to immediately force certain data clean up processes.

What it does:

Force the immediate execution of data cleanup scripts that would otherwise run overnight, like Scrub Address Records.

Where it is:

Database > Cleanup/ Scrub Address Records

Further Reading:

Read more about the data cleanup tool.

Read more about nightly data cleanup scripts.

When to use:

You want to see when certain types of objects were edited, and by whom.

What it does:

Displays a particular communication or source format at a point in time.

Where it is:

Deliver > Click on a Mailing > Edit (down arrow) > Snapshots

Upload Dataset > Click on a Source Format > Edit (down arrow) > Snapshots

When to use:

You want to look across multiple objects in Slate as they were, or you want to examine the prior state of an object that does not support Snapshots.

What it does:

Time Warp is a copy of your production instance at a particular point in time within the past 90 days. Use Time Warp to help diagnose behaviors that may be attributed to past set up.

Where it is:

Database > Test & Other Environments > Time Warp (Provision)

Further Reading:

Read more about Time Warp environments..

What it does:

Provides a chronological history of interaction events (such as form submissions, message history, and payment history) that have taken place on a record.

Note: Messages can be hidden from the Timeline.

Where it is:

After clicking on a Person or Dataset Record > Timeline

When to use:

You're seeing data values being set (or not set) on a record and you are unsure how or why.

What it does:

A log of manual or automated events (posts, updates, or deletions) on a record.

Where it is:

(After clicking on a Person or Dataset Record) > Timeline > Audit Log

What it does:

Lets you track and restore dataset records and applications that were manually deleted from your database.

Where it is:

Database > Deletion Log

Further Reading:

Read more about the Deletion Log.

What it does:

If processes are halted or stop running, they may return errors. Navigate to the Error Log to see details about these errors.

Where it is:

Database > Error Log

Further Reading:

Consult the Definition of Common Errors article to better understand these errors.

When to use:

To investigate who accessed a particular resource or record within a given period of time.

What it does:

Returns a list of web requests (GET or POST) accessing pages or resources within Slate, both internal and external. Use the date picker to select a timeframe to search. Apply filters to narrow results further, for instance: filter by URI (Uniform Resource Identifier, akin to URL) to return only access logs for a specific Slate page.

Where it is:

Database > Access Log

What it does:

Logs payments made online through Slate. Filter by payment account, deposit account, and other filter criteria (like a particular user).

Where it is:

Database > Payment History

Further Reading:

Read more about the payment history tool.

What it does:

Impersonate (Applicant) allows users with the Administrator (All Access) role to impersonate an applicant and see their application from their point of view.

Impersonate (Status Page) allows users with the Administrator (All Access) role to impersonate the status page affiliated with the round of that application.

Where it is:

On a person or dataset record, click the Application tab, then click Impersonate > Applications or Impersonate > Status Page.

Further Reading:

Read more about impersonating applicants' applications.

Read more about impersonating applicants' status pages.

When to use:

Unsure what a particular user can or cannot see based on their permissions, roles, or realms.

What it does:

Impersonate (User) allows users with the Security Administrator permission to see Slate from another user's perspective.

Where it is:

Database > User Permissions > click on a user > Impersonate

Further Reading:

Read more about Security Administrator permission.

When to use:

The Field Search is used to determine potential sources of data entered into a field in Slate. Useful when searching for the source of updated fields on a record.

What it does:

See where any custom field with stored data is used in a form, source format, import, or rule in your database.

Where it is:

Database > Field Search

When to use:

Determining the scope of an unknown GUID or the tables on which data associated with a specific GUID are stored.

What it does:

Every object in Slate has a 36 character unique identifier, or GUID. The GUID for an object is in its URL and is stored throughout the database. Use GUID Search to determine what object in Slate a GUID may be associated with. GUID Search requires familiarity with the structure of Slate and an understanding of SQL and is best used by advanced Slate users.

Where it is:

Database > GUID Search

What it does:

Displays objects in your database and when they were last active. Can help you determine whether objects in your database should be inactivated or archived.

Where it is:

Database > Resource Auditor

Further Reading:

Read more about Resource Auditor.

When to use:

Use this for auditing purposes of removing clutter for objects that have not been used within your database by setting these items to ‘Inactive’.

What it does:

Unused Resources displays interaction codes, fields, prompts, and decision codes that have not been used within the past 365 days.

Where it is:

Database > Unused Resources

What it does:

Provides more than 30 pre-built queries that allow you to access information about your Slate database. Queries that are especially helpful include Slate Data Dictionary (a list of all standard fields in your database) and Field Configuration Review (fields that may not have been set up properly).

Where it is:

Database > Standard Query Library

Further Reading:

Read more about Slate Data Dictionary.

Read more about Field Configuration Review.