This article describes:
- the recommended best practices that you should consider prior to sending a mailing and
- troubleshooting information if there's an issue with the bridge connection to your integrated iMIS database.
Check your Target Group counts
Prior to sending a mailing, it's always a good idea to check the subscriber count in your target group. Verifying this count is usually a good way to ensure that you've selected the correct group. It also ensures that Higher Logic Thrive Marketing Professional (Thrive Marketing Professional) is connected to and synchronizing with your iMIS database.
When you are creating or editing a mailing in Mailing Designer:
- Select a target group in the To Information section of the Set-Up tab.
- Click View Details to display the subscriber counts and additional details.
If the subscriber count = 0, there could be a connection issue; refer to Troubleshooting: bridge connection.
View the intended recipient counts
When you're ready to publish a mailing via Mailing Designer, navigate to the Send tab and click View Subscribers Receiving This Mailing. The resulting pop-up provides counts of:
- subscribers in the target group who will be sent the mailing, and
- those who won't be sent the mailing (these are listed by reason in the Subscribers Removed section).
This is useful when using compound target groups, multiple target groups, and multiple opt-out lists.
Troubleshoot your bridge connection
To determine whether there is a problem with the bridge connection to your integration database, navigate to Admin > Check Bridge Status.
This page displays the current status of the bridge connection.
Successful Connection
Unsuccessful Connection
Higher Logic Support
If the following troubleshooting information doesn't resolve the bridge-connection issue, create a case with Higher Logic Support.
The Support team has access to additional settings that might have to be changed. They will work with you to determine the cause of the iMIS bridge issue.
Troubleshoot error messages
NOTE: Higher Logic recommends that customers who are not using an IPSec tunnel for their Thrive Marketing Professional connection start to do so. If there has been a change to your IP address and you're not on an IPSec tunnel, now is the ideal time to make the change.
If you see error messages, check your settings in your iMIS database. Before opening a support case with Higher Logic, follow any instructions on the page.
- IPSec - If an IPSec tunnel is being used, the Check Bridge Status page will not be able to diagnose the problem; in this case, create a case.
- IQA Queries - There are other considerations when using IQA queries (see iMIS IQA Troubleshooting in iMIS_IQA).
- In any bridge repair situation, Higher Logic support requires the following information.
- IP address - Thrive Marketing Professional won't be able to connect if the IP address that is used to access the database has been changed. This can happen after changing Internet Service Providers, for example. Higher Logic support will need to know the new IP address. If you're uncertain of what settings Thrive Marketing Professional is using, create a case.
-
Firewall settings - Ensure that the firewall is open on your iMIS database server to accept Thrive Marketing Professional traffic using TCP connections from IP 205.201.40.0 /29 (255.255.255.248). The standard port is 1433, but this can be any port, so be sure to know what the port is.
Customers that are hosted in the Canadian data center should use IP 205.201.45.0 /29 (255.255.255.248). - Database name and password - If the name of the database or the password has been changed, Thrive Marketing Professional will not be able to connect and sync. Make sure that you know the database name and password.
Sync your database
After the bridge connection has been re-established, check your target group counts prior to publishing a mailing. If errors are encountered or subscribers are missing, sync your database with Thrive Marketing Professional on the Thrive Marketing Professional dashboard:
- Navigate to Subscribers > Upload > Sync Informz with iMIS.
The following pop-up appears:
- Click Sync Subscribers.
Rebuild your Target Groups
After a sync, you should also rebuild your Target Groups to make sure they include all subscriber changes.
- Navigate to Subscribers > Groups > Target Groups.
- Click Rebuild all iMIS Target Groups.
The rebuilding process may take a few minutes.
In addition, there is a button to Refresh Available IQA Target Groups (see iMIS IQA Troubleshooting in iMIS_IQA) if that's enabled in your account.