Connectors: DoubleClick/DFA - Delay in data update?

March 29, 2012 2:52AM

A media agency client in Australia is finding that he can make campaign updates in DoubleClick's ReportCentral (web UI) and immediately download the updated data (via the web UI), but the updated data is not immediately available via the Omniscope DoubleClick API connector.

From the client: "There has been instances where we have updated DFA data and it is visible when I pull a report from the DFA website but not in the Omniscope API. I know there is a delay from when you update the data within DFA, till you are able to extract it into your reports. However, there appears to be another lag till the API picks it up."

DoubleClick has confirmed the "time zone Sydney, Australia" is set in his DFA account.

Any ideas? Could the data update time spread be due to another time zone setting requirement - perhaps in the API connector? Other?

Many thanks,
James

chris · March 29, 2012 8:58AM

Hi,

How long is the delay between the data being updated in DFA and being available to extract in Omniscope?

chris · March 29, 2012 11:13AM

I've had a look into this, and I can't see any way to set the timezone using the API.

When using the DoubleClick connector you use a different login to when you use the online tool. Is it possible that the timezone hasn't been set in the API key?

If you need us to investigate this further can you let us know what report their trying to execute and provide us with a screenshot of the block configuration. Can you also provide us the contact details for their DoubleClick representative, as it looks like we may need to speak to DoubleClick about this issue in order to resolve it.

shaji_o · April 10, 2012 8:15PM

Typically the delay is a few hours. If I make changes in DFA in the morning, I usually can't access them through ReportCentral in DFA until the afternoon. When I access DFA via the API in Omniscope, I typically can't access the new data till the next day. I'm not sure if it makes a difference, but the updates we are making in DFA are around costing.

When I setup the API I didn't specify any timezone, so I assume it defaults to the timezone that the user is setup with?

chris · April 11, 2012 1:02PM

Hi,

Do you have a DoubleClick representative that we can speak to about this. Please feel free to contact us directly to provide us with this information. I've sent you a private email with my contact details.

steve · May 20, 2012 8:39AM

Shaji, did you resolve this issue? If not, please separately try each of the following, where possible, and report back what effect it has on the issue, if any:

1. Changing the DFA account timezone to UTC ("Europe/London" is close enough)

2. Changing the local Windows timezone settings to UTC or London

We've identified a possible fault in the Google library we're using, but lack of clear documentation regarding timezones prevents us from being sure.

JfJf · July 19, 2012 11:16AM

Hi, I have been using the DFA API, it has worked perfectly. However there is one particular configuration in which the API is not able to load data from DFA.

To test if it was a problem with the data, I replicated the API configuration in the DFA Report Builder, after this I got a .CSV full of data from DFA, but in Omniscope nothing happened... it is a Custom Floodlight Variables Report, it is called in Omni as Query: 'Custom Spotlight Variables'.

It just comes as a (0 fields, 0 records)

Anyone had the same issue?? any possible solution?

Cheers,

JF

chris · July 19, 2012 11:42AM

Hi,

I think it would be useful if you could demonstrate this issue to me. Would it be possible to arrange a phone call/screen-sharing session? We normally use join.me (http://join.me) to manage screensharing. Please check that you can access this website and let us know a convenient time to arrange this. I've sent you a private email so you can contact me directly.

chris · July 23, 2012 10:15AM

Hi,

Thanks to JF we have managed to get to the bottom and fix this problem. This issue will occur if you select the "Placement group" field in the "Custom floodlight variables" report. When you select this field you will not get any data back.

The fix will be available in tomorrow's 2.7 release (b393).

Welcome!

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