Overview
Troubleshooting integrations can sometimes be tricky because it can be hard to tell where the problem in originating. Because an integration involves at least two applications that were most often times built by different developers working in different companies using different technologies, it's important to focus on the origination of the issue so that it can be found more easily.
Good troubleshooters use the process of elimination when troubleshooting. By eliminating items from a potential cause list, one can more quickly narrow down the possibilities and find the issue. Let's use a printer issue as an example. Here's how to troubleshoot effectively.
1) Determine all things necessary for the object in question to work properly. For a printer we need the following things in order for the printer to work successfully:
- Power
- A connection to a computer or a network
- Ink
- Paper
- Physical machine components that are working correctly
2) Start to eliminate each of the above items from the list. Do NOT pick the hardest one, you will waste time trying to figure out something that you probably can't figure out on your own. Start with the easiest. How about power? Is the printer plugged in? Does it turn on correctly? Does it respond when hitting the power button? If so, you have successfully eliminated the power.
Now let's move on to the connection - if connected to a computer, does the computer recognize it in the list of printers? By eliminating options in the easiest to eliminate to the hardest, you can save time by finding the issue in the most efficient manner. When it comes to the harder things to eliminate, it may take assistance to find the issue. For example, if there is a bad chip or a printer than is no longer supported by your operating system, you may need to call the manufacturer for assistance.
In the case of integrations, the first step is to figure out which application is the source of the issue.
Troubleshooting Steps for integrations
1. Determine the source of the issue.
This can be a bit tricky, but a potential easy way is to check the status page of both applications in question. Here are the status pages of some our our most popular integrations:
Some systems. (like Cloud Banking) have a very complicated set of interconnectedness and the status will need to be researched by our support team.
2. Narrow down by symptoms (are you receiving an error? is the behavior different than you'd expect?).
3. Start over with the elimination method and break down the things that are needed in order to make this function work. For example, if you are trying to print a shipping label, do you have all of the necessary information entered in order for the label to be generated?
4. Narrow the list as far as you can by eliminating things and if you have not yet solved the issue, can the appropriate support team for assistance in resolving the issue.