docs: add comprehensive sync interface user guide
- Explain all 4 sync options (Full, Incremental, Chunked, Selected) - Detail when to use each sync type with real-world examples - Document date range selector and its impact on performance - List all entities with their dependencies - Provide best practices for daily, weekly, and monthly syncs - Include troubleshooting guide for common sync issues - Add quick reference table for common scenarios - Explain sync results (added/updated/deleted counts) - Document API limits and performance considerations - Reference analysis script for investigating failures This guide clarifies the sync interface to help users understand what each option does and how to use it effectively.
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# Sync Interface User Guide
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## Overview
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The Sync Interface allows you to synchronize data from Autotask to your PostgreSQL database. This guide explains each sync option, when to use it, and what to expect.
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## Sync Interface Location
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Access the sync interface at: **Admin Dashboard → Sync Controls**
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---
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## Sync Options
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### 1. **Full Sync** 🔄
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**What it does:**
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- Syncs **all entities** from Autotask to PostgreSQL
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- Fetches all active records for each entity type
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- **Soft-deletes** records that exist in your database but are no longer in Autotask
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- Respects the date range filter for time-based entities (Tickets, Tasks, Projects)
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**When to use:**
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- **Initial setup** - First time syncing your Autotask data
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- **Data recovery** - After database issues or data corruption
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- **Periodic refresh** - Monthly or quarterly to ensure data consistency
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- **After major Autotask changes** - When records have been bulk-deleted or modified in Autotask
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**Important notes:**
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- ⚠️ **Requires confirmation** - Shows a warning dialog before starting
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- ⏱️ **Takes longest** - Can take 10-30 minutes depending on data volume
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- 🗑️ **Soft-deletes missing records** - Sets `is_deleted = true` for records not found in Autotask
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- 📅 **Respects date range** - For Tickets/Tasks/Projects, only syncs within selected date range
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**Example use case:**
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> "It's the first Monday of the month. I want to ensure all our data is fresh and any deleted records in Autotask are marked as deleted in our database."
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**What gets synced (in order):**
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1. Companies
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2. Resources (Users)
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3. Statuses
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4. Issue Types
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5. Sub-Issue Types
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6. Work Types
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7. Contacts
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8. Projects
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9. Tickets (within date range)
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10. Tasks (within date range)
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11. Configuration Items
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12. Contracts
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13. Billing Items
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14. Time Entries (within date range)
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---
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### 2. **Incremental Sync** ⚡
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**What it does:**
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- Syncs **only records modified since the last sync**
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- Uses Autotask's `lastModifiedDate` field to filter records
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- Much faster than Full Sync
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- Does **NOT** soft-delete missing records
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**When to use:**
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- **Daily updates** - Regular scheduled syncs to keep data current
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- **Quick refresh** - After making changes in Autotask
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- **Automated syncs** - Set up on a cron schedule (e.g., every 4 hours)
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- **Low-impact updates** - When you need fresh data without heavy processing
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**Important notes:**
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- ✅ **No confirmation needed** - Starts immediately
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- ⚡ **Fast** - Typically completes in 1-5 minutes
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- 🔄 **Additive only** - Adds/updates records but doesn't delete
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- 📊 **Best for routine updates** - Ideal for keeping data fresh
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**Example use case:**
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> "A technician just closed several tickets in Autotask. I want to pull those updates into our dashboard without running a full sync."
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**How it works:**
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1. Checks `sync_history` table for last successful sync of each entity
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2. Queries Autotask for records where `lastModifiedDate > last_sync_time`
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3. Updates existing records or inserts new ones
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4. Skips entities that have no modifications
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---
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### 3. **Chunked Tickets** 📦
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**What it does:**
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- Syncs **only Tickets** in monthly date chunks
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- Breaks large date ranges into manageable pieces
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- Prevents API timeouts and memory issues
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- Shows real-time progress for each chunk
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**When to use:**
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- **Large date ranges** - Syncing 3+ years of ticket history
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- **Initial ticket sync** - First time pulling historical tickets
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- **Timeout prevention** - When regular ticket sync fails with timeouts
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- **Off-hours processing** - Running overnight syncs for historical data
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**Important notes:**
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- 📊 **Progress tracking** - Shows which month is currently syncing
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- 🔄 **Resilient** - Continues even if individual chunks fail
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- 🎯 **Tickets only** - Does not sync other entities
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- ⏱️ **Slower but reliable** - Takes longer but handles large datasets
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**Example use case:**
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> "I need to sync 5 years of ticket history. A regular sync times out, so I'll use Chunked Tickets to process it month by month."
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**How it works:**
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1. Calculates monthly chunks based on selected date range
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2. Processes each month sequentially (e.g., "Jan 2024", "Feb 2024", etc.)
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3. Shows progress: "Processing chunk 15/60: Mar 2023"
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4. Continues even if some months fail (logs failures)
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5. Displays final summary with total records processed
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**Date range examples:**
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- Last 7 Days → ~1 chunk
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- Last 2 Years → ~24 chunks
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- Last 5 Years → ~60 chunks
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- All Time → Could be 100+ chunks
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---
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### 4. **Sync Selected** 🎯
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**What it does:**
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- Syncs **only the entities you select** from the entity list
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- Full sync for selected entities (not incremental)
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- Respects date range for time-based entities
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- Does **NOT** soft-delete missing records
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**When to use:**
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- **Targeted updates** - Only need to refresh specific entities
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- **Dependency sync** - Sync Companies before syncing Tickets
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- **Troubleshooting** - Re-sync a specific entity that had errors
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- **Testing** - Verify sync works for a single entity
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**Important notes:**
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- ✅ **Requires entity selection** - Must select at least one entity
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- 🎯 **Selective** - Only syncs what you choose
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- ⚠️ **Respect dependencies** - Ensure parent entities are synced first
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- 📅 **Uses date range** - For Tickets/Tasks/Projects
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**Example use case:**
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> "We just imported 50 new companies into Autotask. I only need to sync Companies and Contacts, not everything else."
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**Entity dependencies to consider:**
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- **Contacts** → Requires Companies
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- **Tickets** → Requires Companies, Resources, Contacts
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- **Tasks** → Requires Resources, Projects, Tickets
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- **Configuration Items** → Requires Companies, Contacts
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- **Time Entries** → Requires Companies, Resources, Projects, Tasks, Tickets
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**How to use:**
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1. Click entity checkboxes to select (e.g., Companies, Contacts)
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2. Set date range if syncing time-based entities
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3. Click "Sync Selected (2)" button
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4. Monitor progress in sync history
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---
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## Date Range Selector 📅
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**Applies to:** Tickets, Tasks, Projects, Time Entries
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**Available ranges:**
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- **Last 7 Days** (0.019 years) - Quick updates, minimal data
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- **Last 30 Days** (0.082 years) - Monthly refresh
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- **Last 90 Days** (0.25 years) - Quarterly data
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- **Last 1 Year** - Recent history
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- **Last 2 Years** ⭐ **Recommended** - Good balance of history and performance
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- **Last 3 Years** - Extended history
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- **Last 5 Years** - Long-term analysis
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- **Last 10 Years** - Comprehensive history
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- **All Time** ⚠️ - Complete history (very slow, use off-hours)
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**Why limit date ranges?**
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1. **Performance** - Fewer records = faster sync
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2. **API limits** - Autotask has rate limits and timeout thresholds
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3. **Relevance** - Most reporting focuses on recent data
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4. **Resource usage** - Large syncs consume more memory and CPU
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**Recommendation:**
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- **Daily syncs:** Last 7-30 Days
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- **Weekly syncs:** Last 90 Days
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- **Monthly syncs:** Last 1-2 Years
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- **Initial setup:** Last 2 Years, then run "All Time" overnight if needed
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---
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## Entity Selector
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**Available entities:**
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| Entity | Description | Dependencies |
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|--------|-------------|--------------|
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| **Companies** | Customer/vendor organizations | None |
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| **Resources** | Autotask users/technicians | None |
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| **Statuses** | Ticket/task statuses | None |
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| **Issue Types** | Ticket categorization | None |
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| **Sub-Issue Types** | Ticket sub-categories | None |
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| **Work Types** | Time entry work types | None |
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| **Contacts** | People at companies | Companies |
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| **Projects** | Customer projects | Companies, Resources |
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| **Tickets** | Support tickets | Companies, Resources, Contacts |
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| **Tasks** | Project/ticket tasks | Resources, Projects, Tickets |
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| **Configuration Items** | Assets/devices | Companies, Contacts |
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| **Contracts** | Service agreements | Companies, Contacts |
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| **Billing Items** | Billable items | Companies, Tasks, Tickets, Projects |
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| **Time Entries** | Time tracking | Companies, Resources, Projects, Tasks, Tickets |
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**Selection tips:**
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- ✅ **Select dependencies first** - e.g., Companies before Contacts
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- 🔄 **Use "Select All"** for full sync
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- 🎯 **Deselect unneeded** - Skip entities you don't use
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- ⚠️ **Check order** - Entities sync in dependency order automatically
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---
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## Sync Progress & Monitoring
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### Real-time Progress
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- **Progress bars** - Visual indication of sync status
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- **Record counts** - Shows records added/updated/deleted
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- **Chunk tracking** - For chunked syncs, shows current month
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- **Error alerts** - Immediate notification of failures
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### Sync History Table
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- **Recent syncs** - Last 50 sync operations
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- **Status indicators** - ✅ Completed, ❌ Failed, ⏳ In Progress
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- **Timing data** - Duration and timestamps
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- **Error messages** - Detailed failure information
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- **Filter options** - By entity, status, or date
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### Background Processing
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- Syncs run in the **background** (server-side)
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- UI remains responsive during sync
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- Dashboard auto-refreshes every 30 seconds
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- Can close browser - sync continues on server
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---
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## Best Practices
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### Daily Operations
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```
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Morning: Incremental Sync (Last 7 Days)
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→ Fast refresh of overnight changes
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→ 2-5 minutes
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```
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### Weekly Maintenance
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```
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Monday: Full Sync (Last 90 Days)
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→ Ensure data consistency
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→ Clean up deleted records
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→ 10-15 minutes
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```
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### Monthly Deep Sync
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```
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First of Month: Full Sync (Last 2 Years)
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→ Comprehensive data refresh
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→ Historical accuracy
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→ 20-30 minutes
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```
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### Initial Setup
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```
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Step 1: Full Sync (Last 2 Years)
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→ Get recent operational data
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→ 20-30 minutes
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Step 2: Chunked Tickets (All Time) - Optional
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→ Run overnight for complete history
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→ 1-3 hours depending on volume
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```
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### "Sync is taking too long"
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**Solution:** Use Chunked Tickets for large date ranges
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- Switch from "All Time" to "Last 2 Years"
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- Use Chunked Tickets for historical data
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- Run large syncs during off-hours
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### "Sync failed with timeout error"
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**Solution:** Reduce scope
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- Decrease date range (e.g., from 5 years to 1 year)
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- Use Chunked Tickets instead of Full Sync
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- Sync entities individually using Sync Selected
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### "Missing records in database"
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**Solution:** Run Full Sync
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- Full Sync will fetch all active records
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- Check date range - records outside range won't sync
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- Verify records exist and are active in Autotask
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### "Deleted records still showing"
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**Solution:** Run Full Sync
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- Only Full Sync performs soft-deletes
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- Incremental and Entity syncs don't remove records
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- Check `is_deleted` flag in database
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### "Foreign key constraint errors"
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**Solution:** Sync dependencies first
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- Sync Companies before Contacts
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- Sync Resources before Tickets
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- Use Full Sync to handle dependencies automatically
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### "Some entities failed, others succeeded"
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**Check:** Sync History table
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- Review error messages for failed entities
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- Re-sync failed entities individually
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- Check Autotask API connectivity
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- Review logs: `npx tsx scripts/analyze-sync-failures.ts`
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---
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## Understanding Sync Results
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### Record Counts
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**Records Added** (+)
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- New records inserted into database
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- First time seeing this record from Autotask
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**Records Updated** (~)
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- Existing records modified
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- Changes detected from Autotask
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**Records Deleted** (-)
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- Records soft-deleted (Full Sync only)
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- Set `is_deleted = true` when not found in Autotask
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- Only happens during Full Sync
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### Example Results
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```
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✅ Companies: +5 ~23 -2
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→ 5 new companies
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→ 23 companies updated
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→ 2 companies soft-deleted (no longer in Autotask)
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✅ Tickets: +142 ~67 -0
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→ 142 new tickets
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→ 67 tickets updated
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→ 0 deleted (incremental sync doesn't delete)
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```
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---
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## Sync Timing Recommendations
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### Business Hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
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- ✅ Incremental Sync (Last 7-30 Days)
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- ✅ Sync Selected (specific entities)
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- ⚠️ Avoid Full Sync with large date ranges
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- ⚠️ Avoid Chunked Tickets for All Time
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### Off-Hours (Evening/Night)
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- ✅ Full Sync (Last 2+ Years)
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- ✅ Chunked Tickets (All Time)
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- ✅ Large historical syncs
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- ✅ Data recovery operations
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### Automated Schedule (Recommended)
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```
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Every 4 hours: Incremental Sync
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→ Keeps data fresh throughout the day
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Daily at 2 AM: Full Sync (Last 90 Days)
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→ Maintains data consistency
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Weekly Sunday 1 AM: Full Sync (Last 2 Years)
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→ Deep refresh and cleanup
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```
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---
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## API Rate Limits & Performance
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### Autotask API Limits
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- **Rate limit:** ~500 requests per hour per integration
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- **Timeout:** 60 seconds per request
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- **Page size:** 500 records maximum per page
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### Sync Performance Tips
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1. **Use Incremental Sync** for routine updates
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2. **Limit date ranges** to reduce API calls
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3. **Avoid concurrent syncs** - wait for one to finish
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4. **Use Chunked Tickets** for large datasets
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5. **Schedule heavy syncs** during off-hours
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### Estimated Sync Times
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| Sync Type | Date Range | Estimated Time |
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|-----------|------------|----------------|
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| Incremental | N/A | 2-5 minutes |
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| Full Sync | Last 7 Days | 5-10 minutes |
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| Full Sync | Last 90 Days | 10-15 minutes |
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| Full Sync | Last 2 Years | 20-30 minutes |
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| Chunked Tickets | Last 5 Years | 1-2 hours |
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| Chunked Tickets | All Time | 2-4 hours |
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*Times vary based on data volume and API performance*
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---
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## Analyzing Sync Failures
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Use the sync failure analysis script to investigate issues:
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```bash
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# Show failures from last 7 days
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npx tsx scripts/analyze-sync-failures.ts
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# Show all syncs from yesterday
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npx tsx scripts/analyze-sync-failures.ts --days 1 --all
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# Check specific entity failures
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npx tsx scripts/analyze-sync-failures.ts --days 30 --entity tickets
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# Show all completed syncs
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npx tsx scripts/analyze-sync-failures.ts --status completed --all
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```
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The script provides:
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- Failure summary by entity
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- Error categorization (NETWORK_ERROR, DATABASE_ERROR, etc.)
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- Success rate statistics
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- Detailed error messages
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- Timing information
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---
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## Quick Reference
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| Need | Use This | Time |
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|------|----------|------|
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| Quick update | Incremental Sync | 2-5 min |
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| Daily refresh | Incremental (Last 7 Days) | 2-5 min |
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| Weekly cleanup | Full Sync (Last 90 Days) | 10-15 min |
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| Monthly deep sync | Full Sync (Last 2 Years) | 20-30 min |
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| Initial setup | Full Sync (Last 2 Years) | 20-30 min |
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| Historical tickets | Chunked Tickets (All Time) | 1-3 hours |
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| Single entity | Sync Selected | 1-10 min |
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| After timeout | Chunked Tickets | Varies |
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| Data recovery | Full Sync (appropriate range) | Varies |
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---
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## Support & Additional Resources
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- **Sync Logging Documentation:** `docs/SYNC_LOGGING_IMPROVEMENTS.md`
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- **Analysis Script:** `scripts/analyze-sync-failures.ts`
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- **Sync History:** Admin Dashboard → Sync History Table
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- **Error Logs:** Check structured logs for detailed error information
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---
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## Summary
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**For most users:**
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- Run **Incremental Sync** daily for routine updates
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- Run **Full Sync** weekly/monthly for data consistency
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- Use **Chunked Tickets** for large historical syncs
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- Use **Sync Selected** for targeted entity updates
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**Remember:**
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- ✅ Incremental = Fast, additive only
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- 🔄 Full = Complete, includes soft-deletes
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- 📦 Chunked = Reliable for large datasets
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- 🎯 Selected = Targeted, specific entities
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**Date ranges matter:**
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- Smaller ranges = Faster syncs
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- Larger ranges = More complete data
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- Balance based on your needs and available time
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