LUWS data sync issue

We have a number of members whose records we have recently sent to the UNKNOWN bin at CHQ (we can't find them, not at the current address, no way to reach them). They have been processed in MLS (I even have the transaction statement from CHQ indicating that it was completed.

We have also recently requested -- and have received -- membership records for other families and individuals who have moved in.

MLS seems to have been properly updated.

However, LUWS still shows the members who have been removed -- also shows the new members who have moved in. So half of the MLS changes are showing up on LUWS.

This has persisted over a couple of weeks, so it's not a case of my not being patient enough for LUWS to sync (the most recent change was a week ago -- those new records are in LUWS, so it is updating).

What do I have to do to get LUWS to properly sync with MLS?

(FYI - I already know that one option is to talk to Stake Clerk and then to Membership Support. I was wondering if there was a less obvious recommendation, or perhaps someone with inside knowledge who could shed some light on the problem.)

I wonder if ADDRESS UNKNOWN has something to do with it.

Perhaps the members aren't removed from your ward list until they get assigned to a real unit? That would definitely be a bug in my opinion, but this would be a hard theory to verify on one's own.

mkmurray wrote:I wonder if ADDRESS UNKNOWN has something to do with it.

That certainly sounds like a possibility.

mkmurray wrote:Perhaps the members aren't removed from your ward list until they get assigned to a real unit? That would definitely be a bug in my opinion, but this would be a hard theory to verify on one's own.

I can definitely see that as a possibility. In which case this would be a new "feature", because we've done this sort of thing before and they've been removed... I'm sure there are records in the UNKNOWN ward that have been there for awhile.

At any rate, I have the confirmations from MLS saying that the transaction was indeed processed (to move out them out of our ward in MLS), so why wouldn't it then just remove it from LUWS?

I think I'll pose the question to Membership support (unless someone is monitoring these boards).

I just moved another member out (to UNKNOWN) this weekend (we know she doesn't live here anymore, and all we know is a general metropolitan area where she's moved to). Will have to see where we are...

geek wrote:I have the confirmations from MLS saying that the transaction was indeed processed (to move out them out of our ward in MLS), so why wouldn't it then just remove it from LUWS?

I think I'll pose the question to Membership support (unless someone is monitoring these boards).

Once they go away in MLS, they should go away in LUWS, but there have been a number of instances for us where they did not, because the new stake did not participate in the LUWS program. Perhaps this is the problem with the Address Unknown records.

Every now and then, CHQ does some kind of a "reset" on the LUWS and these problems all seem to go away. I don't know if they can do one on just your stake. It usually happens just after we have entered all of our lessons on the calendar for the new year. [grin]

RussellHltn wrote:That certainly sounds like a possibility.

Another possibility would be that CHQ just hasn't yet processed the request fully.

My feeling is that when an address or unit is known, then the moveout is relatively quick, but when it is address unknown, someone at CHQ needs to try a couple of simple options to find the address/unit before it gets more "permanently" stored in the address unknown file.

This could explain why sometimes it takes longer than others.

Of course, all this is speculation. I really have no idea what the procedure is.

While waiting for the "synch" to occur to remove them from LUWS,
the admin probably should edit their directory entry to the
"This Household does not want any of their information listed
on the ward website", so they don't appear in the membership
directory.
It's not a real fix to the problem, but at least it "removes" the
household from the LUWS for the majority of the users.
Don't know if this "privacy flag" persists if they move to
a real unit in the future, however. But for most people moved
to Address Unknown, this won't be an issue.


- Atticus

Greggo wrote:Another possibility would be that CHQ just hasn't yet processed the request fully.

Doesn't a transaction report that comes back saying that the record has been removed from the ward, count as 'fully processed"?

I wish there were a user's guide that included technical information on how it works, how it's updated, etc. It's not like we can't handle the truth...

geek wrote:Doesn't a transaction report that comes back saying that the record has been removed from the ward, count as 'fully processed"?

The transaction report doesn't say that the record has been removed from the ward. It simply acknowledges that the request to move the record out has been received.


Once the Church receives such a request, various things have to happen:

1. The Church's central membership database must be updated
2. MLS communication to the new ward (or the Address Unknown department) has to be prepared
3. Changes to LUWS for both the old ward and new ward have to be made

From various pieces of evidence, it seems clear that these processes are not totally immediate, but are done in batches at various times.

geek wrote:I wish there were a user's guide that included technical information on how it works, how it's updated, etc. It's not like we can't handle the truth...

It's not like the Church thinks we can't handle the truth. Although I would also like to see some of these details, that's just one more set of documentation for the Church to write and maintain, and I'm guessing it's just not a high priority compared with all the other things the Church really has to do.