Problems with blocking resources

This may be the wrong thread, but I have blocked an entire location using the Assign Resource screen. Thinking that the location is blocked, we have logged in as an editor to a stake calendar, added an event using the location that was supposed to have been blocked, used the 'check for conflicts' button when adding the event, and see that there are no conflicts. How can that be occurring?

[Moderator Note (aebrown): I moved this discussion from its original place in the thread Double-booking Hazard if "Blocked" was used on "Resource Assignment" Screen, since it is really a separate discussion that touches on some different issues.]

Is the person in question also a stake administrator?

The help section say that block "Blocks the Location from being scheduled by anyone other than the building scheduler or stake administrators"

Note that block only limits who can schedule events. A block is not the same as a event. Only events can conflict.

The editor is not a stake administrator, but is a member added to the list of editors of a calendar.
I would expect that the block that was assigned to a location would allow only the building scheduler to schedule an event at that location. When we assign a block to the location, the only selected unit on the right side of the screen is 'Blocked'. Despite these actions, we are still able to schedule an event on the calendar without any conflict notification. Just a bit confusing right now.

pjp4405 wrote:When we assign a block to the location, the only selected unit on the right side of the screen is 'Blocked'.

When you select a unit for a Resource Assignment, you are allowing only that unit (and building schedulers) to schedule that resource at that time. I may have misread your comment, but it looks like you're saying the selected unit is blocked, when it's really the other way around.

Thank you. So it looks as if I have been doing it wrong all along. So to block a location for all units - you make sure that all units are selected on the right side of the screen then assign the block to the location. How is this accomplished for locations shared by units in other stakes? We do not see those units; only the units in our stake.

pjp4405 wrote:Thank you. So it looks as if I have been doing it wrong all along. So to block a location for all units - you make sure that all units are selected on the right side of the screen then assign the block to the location. How is this accomplished for locations shared by units in other stakes? We do not see those units; only the units in our stake.

I think you are still confusing some issues.

The unit selection on the right side of the screen has nothing to do with what locations are blocked, or otherwise affected by a resource assignment you are creating or editing. Those unit selectors are simply a filter to display resource assignments that are only for the selected unit(s).

To create a resource assignment, you:

1. Under Options, choose Manage Resource Assignments
2. Make sure the correct location is selected in the list of locations on the left-hand side.
3. Click on the date the reservation is to start
4. In the dialog that pops up, choose the appropriate unit that is to be the only unit allowed to schedule the selected resource(s) for the selected date(s) and times.
5. If you want to block a resource so that no units may schedule it, you choose Blocked from the Unit dropdown, rather than choosing a unit name.
6. Enter the other details (name, description, resources, repeat info) as desired.
7. Click Save.

As for your question about units in other stakes that share locations assigned to your stake, I'm not certain, but the way I read the help article on Manage Locations or Resources Shared By Two Stakes, it seems to me that you should see those other units if they are set up correctly in the Facilities Management database.

Okay. All of the steps you have mentioned above have been followed. We will continue to investigate as we have performed the steps to block a location, yet have found that a unit can schedule an event on the calendar and not get the conflict if the unit is not selected on the right hand side of the assignment screen when the blocking is first assigned.

pjp4405 wrote:Okay. All of the steps you have mentioned above have been followed. We will continue to investigate as we have performed the steps to block a location, yet have found that a unit can schedule an event on the calendar and not get the conflict if the unit is not selected on the right hand side of the assignment screen when the blocking is first assigned.

Please do keep investigating and report back what you find.

Just to be sure, I tried creating blocked time periods with a ward selected on the right side, and others with the ward not selected on the right side. All those blocked time periods worked exactly the same -- they were blocked when anyone who is not a building scheduler tried to schedule that resource for that time, but a building scheduler could schedule an event during that time.

So this confirms (at least in my mind) that selecting units in the panel labeled "Units" on the Manage Resource Assignments page has absolutely no effect on how an actual assignment is created. If I create a Blocked assignment, it will block all units equally, regardless of whether a particular unit's assignments were being displayed at that time by checking the box by that unit in the Units panel.

I can confirm the behavior first discussed, as I have double-booked a resource that was assigned to another ward. I did not get any error message or conflict notification. I also agree that this was most likely permitted because I am a BUILDING SCHEDULER, and presumably I should have remembered that I blocked out that resource! It still would have been nice to get an alert.

I also see this as a potential issue when there are multiple building schedulers (we have one for each of the 3 wards in the building) ... if Scheduler A assigns a resource but then Scheduler B is permitted by the system to make an assignment anyway, there's currently no notification that prevents the poor, ignorant "B" from making the assignment and ending up with a conflict.

preston.baxter wrote:I can confirm the behavior first discussed, as I have double-booked a resource that was assigned to another ward. I did not get any error message or conflict notification. I also agree that this was most likely permitted because I am a BUILDING SCHEDULER, and presumably I should have remembered that I blocked out that resource!

That is certainly the reason, and is by design.

preston.baxter wrote:I also see this as a potential issue when there are multiple building schedulers (we have one for each of the 3 wards in the building) ... if Scheduler A assigns a resource but then Scheduler B is permitted by the system to make an assignment anyway, there's currently no notification that prevents the poor, ignorant "B" from making the assignment and ending up with a conflict.

And that's precisely why I strongly recommend that resource assignments not be used for reserving buildings. An actual event is much more reliable for that purpose. Resource assignments are best used for assigning a resource for a block of time to a particular unit, so that only that unit may make actual events then.

We are having problems when blocking a resource or assigning it to either the Stake or a Ward. Whether we choose the whole building or individual resources we get a "Database error, no recources included with this assignment", shown on each day of the calendar that is supposed to be Blocked/Assigned. Is this a normal problem with v1? This is after following exactly, the steps aebrown indicated above.

printbr wrote:Is this a normal problem with v1?

It's certainly not a normal problem, but it's not unique to you, either. A few other people have reported similar problems on this forum. See the thread New Calendar Managing Resources Assignment Database Error for some information on this problem.

Thank you for the help. I found the answer and the problem is solved. You are a great resource as is this forum.

preston.baxter wrote:I can confirm the behavior first discussed, as I have double-booked a resource that was assigned to another ward. I did not get any error message or conflict notification. I also agree that this was most likely permitted because I am a BUILDING SCHEDULER, and presumably I should have remembered that I blocked out that resource! It still would have been nice to get an alert.

As previously stated, the system is designed to allow building schedulers (and stake administrators) to override assignments and blocking. I do agree that when doing so, the user ought to be alerted and required to actively override the previous block or assignment rather than having the override automatically applied because the user has permissions to do it.