Migrating from Moodle-Only to OpenEduCat + Moodle
Your institution has been running Moodle as its only system. Student records live in spreadsheets or a legacy SIS. Course content is built. Faculty know the platform. You need to add the administrative layer (admissions, fees, payroll, SIS) without rebuilding what already works.
This is the most common implementation path. OpenEduCat sits alongside Moodle as the ERP and SIS layer. Moodle content stays exactly as it is. The integration keeps them synchronized. Typical timeline: 6–12 weeks from install to full operation.
What stays in Moodle, always
Course content (quiz questions, resources, assignments, forums, SCORM packages, H5P activities), submission files, forum posts, and all gradebook history remain in Moodle. The integration never migrates Moodle content into OEC. OEC adds an administrative layer on top; it does not replace Moodle's content management.
Three-Phase Rollout
Each phase adds capabilities without disrupting what is already working.
Install OEC, import data, connect to Moodle
Weeks 1–4
- Install OpenEduCat (cloud or on-premises)
- Import existing student records, CSV upload or manual entry for smaller institutions
- Create department and program structure in OEC to match your Moodle course categories
- Install the openeducat_moodle addon
- Enable 27 required WS functions on the Moodle external service
- Create a Moodle API token and configure the Moodle instance in OEC
- Test connection (core_webservice_get_site_info)
- Run the Initial Import Wizard in "Initial Import" mode to reconcile existing Moodle accounts with OEC student records
- Review the Gap Report CSV, handle unmatched records
- Run the first full push sync (manual trigger)
Phase outcome
OEC has student records. Moodle has the same students, now keyed to OEC by idnumber. Ongoing sync is active.
Enable sync, OEC becomes SIS, Moodle becomes delivery layer
Weeks 5–8
- Enable grade pull, Moodle gradebook scores appear in OEC
- Enable attendance sync (if mod_attendance + local_wsattendance are installed)
- Review role IDs in Moodle (student_role_id, teacher_role_id), confirm they match your Moodle instance
- Enable cron jobs (auto_sync_enabled = True on the instance)
- Configure SSO if required, SAML 2.0 or shared LDAP
- Test enrolment sync: enroll a test student in OEC, verify they appear in Moodle course
- Test grade pull: submit a test assignment in Moodle, verify grade appears in OEC
- Train administrative staff on managing students through OEC (not directly in Moodle)
- Communicate to faculty: course content stays in Moodle, but student management moves to OEC
Phase outcome
Moodle is the delivery layer. OEC is the administrative SIS. Data flows automatically between them.
Add ERP capabilities
Weeks 9–12+
- Enable fee management: configure fee structures, generate invoices, connect payment gateway
- Set up admissions workflow for the next intake cycle
- Import or configure payroll for faculty/staff
- Enable timetable module and configure room/teacher scheduling
- Configure reporting: academic transcripts, attendance reports, fee collection summaries
- Enable additional OEC modules based on institutional need (library, hostel, transport, etc.)
- Set up monitoring: health check cron, stale threshold alerts, sync log review schedule
Phase outcome
Full ERP capabilities added. Moodle remains unchanged as the LMS. OEC handles everything else.
The Initial Import Wizard
The wizard reconciles existing Moodle data with OEC records, building the moodle.mapping table so the sync engine knows which Moodle entities correspond to which OEC records.
Initial Import
When to use
Connecting to a Moodle instance that already has user accounts and courses
What it does
Scans Moodle for existing users (by email, then idnumber), courses (by idnumber pattern), and categories. Builds moodle.mapping rows for every matched record.
Output
Gap Report CSV listing unmatched Moodle records that need manual review.
Reconciliation
When to use
The moodle.mapping table is lost or corrupt after a previous successful integration
What it does
Reads oec_* idnumber patterns already in Moodle (set by a previous sync run). Reconstructs the mapping table from Moodle's own data. Much faster than Initial Import.
Output
Rebuilt moodle.mapping table. No Gap Report needed unless some records lack idnumbers.
Wizard location in OEC
Navigate to: Moodle Integration → Configuration → Moodle Instances → [select instance] → Initial Import Wizard
The wizard's "Create Missing OEC Records" option can auto-create op.student or op.faculty records for Moodle users that have no OEC match. Role detection: Moodle users with roleid 3 or 4 → faculty; others → student.
Typical Implementation Timeline
Most institutions complete the full three-phase rollout in 6–12 weeks. Timeline depends primarily on institution size and how clean the existing Moodle data is.
| Institution size | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (< 500 students) | 1–2 weeks | 1 week | 2–4 weeks |
| Medium (500–2,000) | 2–3 weeks | 1–2 weeks | 4–6 weeks |
| Large (2,000–10,000) | 3–4 weeks | 2 weeks | 6–8 weeks |
| Enterprise (10,000+) | 4–6 weeks | 2–3 weeks | 8–12+ weeks |
Initial sync time for 5,000 students + 500 courses: approximately 20–40 minutes for the first full push sync. Subsequent cron runs are incremental and very fast due to SHA-256 hash change detection.
Migration, Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from institutions planning to add OEC to an existing Moodle deployment.
Ready to Transform Your Moodle Migration?
See how OpenEduCat frees up time so every student gets the attention they deserve.
Try it free for 15 days. No credit card required.