This article contains information on the following topics:
Overview
If you experience technical difficulties while using EBS (Enterprise Business Systems), review this article for troubleshooting information and known browser and Adobe complications. Use the links below to find troubleshooting tips on the various components of the system.
Adobe
- Adobe Reader is required to use EBS, Adobe Acrobat Professional will not be sufficient on its own. Please download Adobe Reader.
- To display the toolbar on an Adobe form, click within the form and press F8 on your keyboard.
- From the toolbar you can increase/decrease the size (zoom) percentage, or expand the form to full-size.
- You can also print from the toolbar, by clicking on the printer icon.
- To set Adobe forms to always open in full screen mode, follow these steps:
- Right click on any form and choose Page Display Preferences.
- In the Categories menu in the left panel, click Documents. Then under Open Settings (to the right), check the box next to Restore last view settings when reopening documents.
- Next, click on Page Display in the Categories menu.
- Under Default Layout and Zoom (to the right), select Single Page from the Page Layout drop-down, and Fit Width from the Zoom drop-down.
- Click OK.
- How to disable Internet Explorer from redirecting to use Edge, which may prevent forms from opening:
- Open the Edge browser.
- Type "edge://settings/defaultbrowser" in the address bar and press Enter.
- Select Never from the Let Internet Explorer open sites in Microsoft Edge dropdown menu.
- Settings all saved automatically.
- Restart the Edge browser.
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Browsers
- EBS recommends users refer to the Browser Compatibility Matrix to ensure optimal compatibility and results with all EBS processes. This reference is updated quarterly.
- Deleting the browser History/Cookies/Cache (Temporary Internet Files) will often increase the efficiency of a browser. This has been particularly helpful for individuals who use HR/Payroll forms. Instructions for specific browsers are provided below.
- Setting a font size of greater than 100% in Internet Explorer can cause issues in the SAP GUI for Windows. Symptoms include the CATS Profile list not appearing to function. Instructions for adjusting font size in Windows Vista/7/8.1 are provided below.
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Emails from EBS
- To ensure delivery of EBS email communications, please add the following email addresses to a trusted list (e.g. Safe Senders):
- ebsp@msu.edu
- support@ebs.msu.edu
- hrmail@msu.edu
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Errors and Error Messages
- Planning and Budgets system web client installation error:
- If you receive an error message while attempting to install the Planning and Budgets system contributor web client, you may first need to temporarily disable your antivirus program. Contact your department s technical support team/resource, if needed, to assist you with the following:
- Temporarily disable the antivirus program.
- Install the Planning and Budgets system web client.
- Re-enable the antivirus program (select it from the Start menu, or log off your machine then log back on).
- Approving Documents in the Finance System:
- If you receive an error message while approving financial e-docs, (e.g., The system has encountered an error and is unable to complete your request at this time ) you should try deleting your Browser History/Cache/Temporary Internet Files to resolve this error. Then go back to your Action List to approve the documents. To delete History/Cache/Temporary Files, follow these steps:
- Internet Explorer: Click on Tools in your browser toolbar and select Delete Browsing History.
- Firefox: Click on Tools in your browser toolbar and select Clear Recent History.
- HR/Payroll System and/or Portal screen errors:
- Reported issues:
- Blank/partially blank or "shaking" screens.
- Links not functioning.
- Screens freezing or timing out.
- Slow response times (e.g, adding attachments)
- Resolutions:
- These errors may be linked to the existence of add-on toolbars in Internet Explorer (e.g., Bing, Yahoo, MSN and others). Remove these toolbars before proceeding.
- There is a known Microsoft issue with the zoom feature in Internet Explorer. Until Microsoft resolves the issue, EBS recommends using 100% zoom. The issue has been reported at many zoom levels other than 100%.
- Security Warning:
- Users who can approve cost redistributions or pay changes, or who have Manager Self-Service, may encounter a security error. This is caused by the Java Version 7 Update 21, which is required by some functionality in the EBS Portal. To resolve this issue, please update your Java application.
- "No data found for approval":
- Some supervisors may encounter an error when attempting to approve employee time entries which tells them there is no data found for approval. This is a permissions error, not an EBS error, and should be routed to Access Management.
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Logging Off
- To completely exit EBS, you must also log out of the Single Sign-On (SSO) environment. After clicking Log Off from the EBS Portal, you will be directed to the Sentinel EBSP-SecPortal Application Logout page. Click "Logout from Sentinel SSO Access." If you are using Internet Explorer and do not have these options, ensure your Compatibility View is turned on.
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Navigation in the Portal
- Do not use the Back button in your browser.
- Use the links and tabs within the portal screens to navigate. Using the browser Back button can cause a record to become locked, the screen location to be lost, or (in some cases) a timeout.
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Off-Campus Access
- EBS can be accessed from off-campus (e.g., home) using a compatible web browser and logging in with your MSU NetID. Employee Self Service, the Finance and Business Intelligence systems are web-based and require only a web browser. However, to use the HR/Payroll system (requires SAP GUI):
- SAP GUI must be installed. See KB 403342 for further information.
- The system must be connected to the MSU VPN. See this Getting Started Guide (KB 419387) for further information.
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Pop-Up Blocker
- In order to use the EBS HR/Payroll System, your browser pop-up blocker must be turned off, or an exception must be made for the EBS site.
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Timeouts
- Timeouts are used for two important reasons: application security and performance.
- EBS Portal sessions are limited by a two-hour session timeout which begins when you enter your login credentials to log into the portal. If you exceed the two-hour time period you will be prompted to re-authenticate. If the portal session timeout lapses while you are using a system, the system will continue normally but you will be prompted to re-authenticate when you return to the portal or switch systems.
- The Finance, HR/Payroll, Business Intelligence and Planning and Budgets systems have 30-minute inactivity timeouts. Please note that not all of the systems respond to user interaction in the same manner; some systems check for activity frequently, whereas other systems check only when a form is submitted or the user moves from one screen to another.
- All system sessions, active or inactive, use system resources. An inactivity timeout helps return these resources back to the system for other users. As a general recommendation, remember to log out of the systems and portal* and close all browser windows when you have finished your session. When taking an extended break from an activity, please save your work and log out of the system.
- Please remember to log off from both EBS and from the Sentinel SSO Access (prompted after logging off EBS).
- Timeouts are set based upon the security considerations for the university and accepted industry security practices. The timeout settings are periodically reviewed and updated as needed.
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Zoom
- When using forms, ensure zoom is set to 100%.
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