New Characteristics
New characteristics can be defined automatically (global characteristics) or manually (private characteristics.
In either case, contact I2A2 Administration to request their definition.
Automatic Characteristic Generation (Global Characteristics) Characteristics that are to be
generated automatically need a regular source of official data for their definition.
Currently Personnel Services, the Office of the Registrar, and the University Card Services office provide official data
regularly. It may be possible to generate new characteristics automatically from that data. Characteristics generated from
official data sources such as these are called global characteristics.
Contact I2A2 Administration to discuss the generation of a new global
characteristic.
Manual Characteristic Generation
Characteristics can also be generated and set manually.
Manual characteristic setting is usually initiated by a member of the I2A2 Administration, using the
Secure Web Interface (SWI) or an I2A2 batch
client. That form of characteristic setting is typically aimed at a single PUID or a small group of them.
The generation of a new characteristic may need to be done manually, too. In any case it involves consultation with I2A2
Administration to determine if official University data is available for assigning the characteristic to PUIDs. I2A2
Administration may also be able to point out that a
Boolean expression, formed of existing
characteristics, can be used in lieu of creating a new characteristic.
Contact I2A2 Administration to discuss the generation of a new private
characteristic and its assignment method.
Private (Temporary) Characteristics When a global characteristic is assigned manually
via the SWI or the authentication DBM batch
interface, instead of from official Uniersity data, it is called a private characteristic
Its duration is limited by the cycle controlling the arrival of official University data. i.e., when data arrives confirming
the setting of a private characteristic, its type becomes global. If data never arrives, the private
characteristic is allowed to expire. (No rules have yet been determined for the expiration of private characteristics.)