Real Magnet Contact Integration

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT | Recorded: 2022-01-27 | Verify against current system state

Abstract¶

Comprehensive technical training on Real Magnet email marketing integration with Aptify. Covers the global contacts table architecture (352,000+ records), nightly SQL job population, Windows service API configuration on Web01c, field mapping process in Real Magnet admin, managed tracking for subscribes/unsubscribes, topic code synchronization, and the distinction between Aptify views and database object views. Emphasizes that field changes require complete remapping of 50+ fields.

Key Procedures¶

• Global contacts table populated nightly via SQL job calling stored procedure
• Windows service (rm-api.amp.org) runs on Web01c, not in IIS
• Add new fields via Real Magnet Settings > Custom Fields > Enhanced Fields
• Remap all fields after any schema change (cannot add incrementally)
• Subscribe/unsubscribe pushed back to Aptify via managed unsubscribes
• Topic codes in Aptify store email preferences (read-only from Aptify)
• Users must update preferences via email footer link, not Aptify directly
• Views with "real magnet" prefix automatically pushed to Real Magnet
• Check tracking history for sync failures (no automatic alerts)

Notable Statements¶

• 0:03:45 "This is not part of the API SOA layer. It is not part of the e-business data services layer. This is its own separate thing."
• 0:05:06 "The problem is, which is not a bad problem to have, is that it never breaks."
• 0:06:09 "We've told Cloudflare that there is a site on this server called rm-api.amp.org."
• 0:10:29 "All of these fields were requested by marketing to be included so they can run various queries in real magnet."
• 0:17:59 "If you make any changes to real magnet global contacts where you remove a field or you add a field, you have to start this whole process all over again."
• 0:21:48 "We send out millions of emails a week. So this was overwhelming the system. So we turned it off pretty quick." - Re: tracking records
• 0:31:36 "This is for FYI only. It is not something you can click and check." - Re: topic codes in Aptify
• 0:36:53 "You can't update this on production until you're ready to go... you're going to have to remap everything in real magnet."

Systems & Configurations¶

Systems Mentioned¶

• Real Magnet (email marketing platform)
• Higher Logic (community forums - same login)
• Aptify (AMS database)
• SendGrid (transactional emails)
• Cloudflare (DNS routing to API)
• Web01c (Windows service host)

Specific Configurations¶

Credentials/Access Mentioned¶

• Real Magnet admin login (Blanca primary user)
• Web01c server access for Windows service
• Aptify database objects access

Errors & Troubleshooting¶

• Issue: Sync failure not reported via email
• Cause: No automatic alerting configured by Higher Logic
• Resolution: Manually check tracking history - look for "last run" date gaps

• Timestamp: 0:24:37

• Issue: Topic code changes in Aptify don't sync to Real Magnet

• Cause: One-way sync only (Real Magnet → Aptify)
• Resolution: Users must update via email preferences link in footer

• Timestamp: 0:31:36

• Issue: Tracking records overwhelming system

• Cause: Millions of delivered/opened events per week
• Resolution: Disabled delivery, open, click tracking; kept bounces and unsubscribes
• Timestamp: 0:21:48

Transcript Gaps & Quality Notes¶

• Training session for Keith (new team member)
• References Sushmita's expertise on remapping process
• Regional field (PAC regions) exists only in stored procedure, not in Aptify
• Similar architecture to member demographics stored procedure
• Stored procedure is transactional - failures preserve old data
• Global contacts table may be referenced by other stored procedures