GPS sync status
Each GPS provider connection shows whether its last sync worked: Connected, Degraded, Error or Idle. This page explains each status, how often syncs run and what happens after an outage.
Overview#
The platform fetches new GPS data every five minutes from each connection that is not paused, as long as the company and the provider are active. Each sync asks the provider for the company's vehicles that are switched on (Active) and have a GPS external ID, and stores what comes back. The result of the latest sync is shown on the connection, on the GPS Providers list and in the Sync Status panel of the connection's page. There is no manual "sync now"; only Test Connection. A failed sync is retried by the next five-minute cycle.
Statuses#
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Idle | The connection has not synced yet |
| Connected | The last sync worked for every vehicle. A sync that returns no new points, or a connection with no vehicles to sync, is also Connected |
| Degraded | The last sync worked for some vehicles but failed for others. Data for the vehicles that worked is stored |
| Error | The last sync failed, for example because the provider rejected the credentials, limited the request rate, is not configured, could not be reached, or failed for every vehicle. Nothing new was stored |
A connection whose Sync enabled switch is off is paused: it is not synced at all, and the list shows Paused next to its last status. When it is switched back on, the next sync picks up from the last successful sync, within the 14-day limit below.
The status is separate from the Test Connection result, which only reports the last manual test.
Sync Status panel#
| Field (UI label) | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Last sync | How long ago the last sync that ended Connected or Degraded ran, or Never |
| Records synced | How many points the last sync sent for storage, including points that were already stored |
| Last attempt | How long ago the platform last tried, or Never. When the status is Degraded or Error this can be much more recent than Last sync; the list shows it under the status in that case |
| Vehicles failed | How many vehicles failed in the last sync. Shown only when it is not zero |
| Last message | The sync's own summary, such as how many records were synced, or the first error with the number of vehicles that failed. Click to expand a long message |
Rules#
- A vehicle that fails several times in one sync counts once.
- A Degraded sync moves on: the next sync starts from now, so a vehicle that keeps failing does not get its missed period back later. Check Vehicles failed and the vehicle's GPS external ID.
- An Error sync does not move on: the next sync asks again from the last successful sync, so the gap is filled once the problem is fixed, within the 14-day limit. A connection that has never synced successfully has nothing to go back to and fetches only the last hour.
History after an outage#
- Until a connection's first successful sync, each sync fetches the last hour.
- After that, each sync fetches from the last successful sync to now.
- After a long outage, a sync goes back at most 14 days. Data older than 14 days inside the outage is not fetched.
If something goes wrong#
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Error, message starts "Authentication failed" | The provider rejected the credentials | Correct the credentials on the connection, then use Test Connection |
| Error, message starts "Rate-limited by provider" | The provider limited the number of requests | Usually clears on a later cycle; contact the provider if it persists |
| Error, message starts "Provider not configured" | The platform has no service address for this provider | Contact platform support; once it is set, the gap since the last successful sync is fetched, within the 14-day limit |
| Degraded, or Error with "Sync failed for every vehicle" | The provider returned an error for those vehicles; Last message shows the first one | Read the error, check the vehicles' GPS external IDs, and contact the provider if it persists |
| Error with another message | The provider could not be reached or returned an unexpected error | Usually clears on a later cycle; contact platform support if it persists |
| Connected, "No vehicles configured for sync." | No active vehicle has a GPS external ID | Set the GPS external ID on the vehicles |
Permissions#
| Action | Tenant Owner | Tenant Admin | Tenant Supervisor, Tenant Accountant |
|---|---|---|---|
| See connections and their sync status | Yes | Yes | No |
The GPS provider pages also need the live GPS feature on the company's subscription plan.