This article describes a known limitation in Higher Logic's integration with some versions of iMIS. Specifically:
When a member's membership in a Higher Logic Community Group or Security Group is modified/updated in the iMIS database, the member record (in the integrated iMIS database) does not receive a corresponding "last updated" timestamp or flag.
This is due to how iMIS indicates that a database record has been modified.
As a result of there not being any type of "change indicator," the update to the database record is not automatically detected by Higher Logic's synchronization with iMIS and, therefore, the update is not communicated to Higher Logic.
NOTE: Customers who use single sign-on (SSO) in their Higher Logic integration with iMIS benefit from a partial mitigation (described below in Mitigation via iMIS SSO). Administrators can take additional action using manual sync tools (refer to Manual records sync, below), which support selective syncing of Security Groups and Community Groups.
Who this affects
The information in this article is relevant only to Higher Logic Community customers whose community is integrated with:
- iMIS Cloud/EMS (version 20.3.x)
- iMIS REST (versions 20.2.64.8730 Service Pack F and later)
Why this matters
Without a full record refresh, user records that are:
- added to or removed from iMIS communities, or
- moved from one Security Group to another...
…may not be accurately reflected in Higher Logic. This can impact:
Mitigation via iMIS SSO
If your organization uses SSO for logins between Higher Logic and your iMIS database, there is an inherent mitigator for this issue already built in.
Real-time sync on login
Each time a user logs in to Higher Logic via SSO from iMIS, their full record is refreshed in Higher Logic; this includes:
- Profile fields
- Community Groups
- Security Groups
This means that active users who regularly log in will have up-to-date access and user information.
NOTE: Users who have not recently logged in may have data in their user records that reflect outdated Community Group and/or Security Group assignments.
Additional workarounds
You can take the following actions in order to keep your Higher Logic community data accurate and synchronized between Higher Logic and YourMembership:
Manual records sync
Use the Sync External Database tool in the Admin interface (Settings > Integration > Sync External Database) to manually update member records individually. This tool also allows syncing specific:
- Security Groups
- Community Groups
Learn about Sync External Database in Manage Your Higher Logic Community Integration.
Global Refresh
You can request a full Global Refresh of your integration. This refreshes all records and will include the missed community membership updates that are described in this article and ensures that all community and group changes in your user records are brought up to date.
To request a Global Refresh, create a case with Higher Logic Support.
Enhancement request
Higher Logic has submitted a formal enhancement request to the iMIS development team to introduce change indicators (such as timestamps or flags) on the Community Group and Security Group membership changes that are described in this article. We encourage you to:
- Contact your iMIS account manager to inquire about the status of this request.
- Advocate for this enhancement to help prioritize its development.
Get help
If you have questions about your integration, need help syncing records, or would like to schedule a Global Refresh, you can send a message to us at: