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RDLA User Guide · Stage 1 of 6
This guide explains how to record a new research database in the system.
This tool walks you through adding a research database to the system and linking it to its vendor. Depending on how it is opened it will either help you build a brand-new database record from scratch, review a database that someone has requested, or add more detail to a database that already exists. You enter as much information as you have, and the tool creates the database record and its related vendor records for you in one step.
Getting started
You open this tool from a Database record or database request in Salesforce (usually from a button or automatically after a request is submitted). When it opens, it shows one of three starting screens, depending on how you got there:
- Start Screen – You are creating a new database that isn't in the system yet.
- Review Requested Database – Someone submitted a database request and you're reviewing and completing the details.
- Update Database – The database already exists and you're adding more information or taking ownership of it.
Work through the screen from top to bottom, then use the buttons at the bottom (Next, Previous, or Finish) to move on. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk (*).
Golden rule – search before you create
Always search for the database first using the Database Search box at the top of the Start Screen. Only tick “Database not in Salesforce” once you are sure it isn't already there — this is what prevents duplicate databases.
The same applies to the vendor: search Vendor Account Search first, and only tick “Vendor Not Found” if you truly can't find it.
Screen by screen
A. Start Screen — creating a brand-new database
You'll see a short introduction reminding you to enter as much information as you can (you can edit anything later) and to search first to avoid duplicates.
- Search first. Type the name into the Database Search box near the top and check whether the database already exists in the results list.
- “Database not in Salesforce” checkbox. If you find it, select it from the list and continue — you don't need to create it again. If you don't find it, tick this box to reveal the fields for creating a new database.
- Database Information. Fill in the Database Information section — Database Name is required. You can also record the status and any previous names the database has been known by.
- Vendor Details. Search for the vendor in Vendor Account Search. If you can't find it, tick “Vendor Not Found” and type the Vendor Name (and Vendor Account ID if you have one).
- Database Details. Optionally add the Database URL, update frequency, size, user groups, description, college/areas, research and teaching use, research goal, and notes.
- Database Controls. Optionally set the access-related options — account access, approval process, access level, current access, and whether to include the database on the intranet.
- Click Next. This creates the database record and takes you to the next stage, where you assign Vendor Contacts, Cornell Contacts, and/or Primary Stakeholders. To leave without continuing, simply close the window to return to Salesforce.
B. Review Requested Database — completing a request
If you opened the tool from a submitted database request, you'll see the details that were requested so you can check and complete them. The screen invites you to “review the requested database details below — you can make edits here and add more information.”
- Requested Database Details: database name, URL, user groups, college/areas, research goal, need-by date, and any deadline details.
- Vendor Details: vendor name and the vendor contact's first name, last name, title, email, and phone.
Adjust anything that needs correcting, add the information you have, and continue.
C. Update Database — adding to an existing database
If the database already exists, you'll see its current details so you can add to them. The screen notes that you can also edit the record directly in Salesforce using the Edit button. The vendor is shown for reference at the top.
- Sections you can add to: Database Information (name, college/areas), Database Details (update frequency, size, description, notes, research use, user groups, research goal), and Database Controls (account access, approval process, access, current access, intranet).
- Take ownership: In the Database Ownership section, tick “Take ownership of this Database” to transfer ownership to yourself when you save. Leave it unchecked to keep the current owner.
Two short screens may appear if something essential is missing:
- “A database record needs to be selected”: You haven't selected or created a database yet. Click Previous to go back and pick an existing database or create a new one, or click Finish to return to Salesforce.
- “The vendor is missing from the database”: The database has no vendor. Add or create the vendor account and link it to the database before continuing.
What happens automatically when you save
When you move on from the Start Screen, the tool does several things for you in the background, so you don't have to create them separately:
- The new database record is created.
- If you marked the vendor as not found, a new vendor account is created for you.
- A vendor contact record is created and linked (affiliated) to the database.
- If you ticked “Take ownership,” ownership of the database transfers to you.
Related cleanup and expiration automations exist elsewhere in the RDLA process but do not run during database creation: when a database access connection (a Database User, Database Funder, or Database Access Requestor) is later deleted, its related access records are removed automatically; and a nightly job marks approved database access as “Expired” once its end date has passed. Both belong to the later access/contract stages, not to creating a database.
Finishing
When your changes are saved you'll see a confirmation: “Your changes have been successfully saved.” Click Finish to return to Salesforce. If you started creating a new database, clicking Next carries you straight into Stage 2, where you assign the database's contacts and stakeholders.
Tip
You don't need every detail to get started — enter what you know now, and edit the database record any time afterward in Salesforce. Closing the window without clicking Next simply returns you to Salesforce.
Walkthrough
Review Faculty Requested Databases
Faculty can request new databases through FastApps. All those new database requests will need to be reviewed in RDLA in Salesforce.