For many institutions, moving to Ellucian Banner SaaS feels like a fresh start. Systems become faster, data becomes safer, and upgrades stop being a headache. The only puzzle left is how to reconnect those essential integrations that once lived in the on-prem world.
That’s exactly what happened at a large higher education institution in the United States. For years, their on-prem Banner system exchanged financial and project data with BMET (Bond Management Executive Tools), a web platform used to manage multi-funded construction projects, budgets, and bond reporting.
In the on-prem world things were running smoothly in a very familiar way: the integration had been using SQL scripts and direct database connection to Oracle db. Banner would export financial and vendor data for BMET’s reporting, while BMET provided updates on project expenses and contract history. But in the SaaS world, where database access is off the table, that old setup could not survive.
Our mission was to rebuild this entire data exchange inside Ellucian’s cloud ecosystem. Using Ellucian Data Connect and Ethos APIs, we had to design new automated pipelines that could securely extract, transform, and deliver data between Banner SaaS and BMET, while keeping the precision and reliability that the institution depended on.
In this post, we will share how our team at ABCloudz turned a legacy SQL based integration into a modern API driven data flow built entirely on Ellucian’s native SaaS tools.
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The legacy setup that got the job done
Before the migration, the institution relied on a fully automated integration between its on-prem Ellucian Banner environment and BMET. The setup had worked reliably for years, quietly moving data back and forth between the two systems. Banner served as the source of truth for financial and vendor information, while BMET used that data to manage bond-funded construction projects, track expenses, and prepare reports for state and federal compliance.
Each night, Banner exported data from its Oracle database using SQL scripts and stored procedures. The extracted data was formatted into CSV files, which were then transferred to BMET through a secure SFTP connection. BMET consumed these files, processed the financial transactions, and generated reports for project managers, accountants, and administrators.
Although the process was stable, it was tightly coupled to the on-prem infrastructure. The integration depended on direct database queries, local file servers, and custom job schedulers. None of these components could operate once Banner was migrated to SaaS, where access to the underlying database is restricted and integrations must rely on Ellucian’s official APIs.
This is where the challenge began: how to preserve the existing data logic and reporting accuracy in a world that no longer allows direct database access.
Rebuilding the data flow in Ellucian SaaS
Once the on-prem integration was retired, our team stepped in to design a new one that would live and breathe inside the Ellucian SaaS ecosystem. We began by studying the legacy scripts line by line, identifying every SQL statement, filter, and business rule hidden in the automation. Each one told a story, a specific financial use case or reporting requirement that BMET depended on. Those user stories became our blueprint for the new design.
Next, we translated that logic into Ellucian’s native SaaS tools. The new architecture centers around Ellucian Data Connect, which now runs four independent outbound pipelines:
- Contracts — sending contract metadata and financial details.
- Contract history — tracking adjustments and transaction activity.
- Expenses — exporting spending data tied to encumbrances.
- Vendors — syncing vendor identifiers and contact information.
Each pipeline extracts the same data that the old SQL jobs once did, but now through Ethos-authenticated API calls instead of direct database queries. Data Connect handles the full flow: it retrieves data from Banner SaaS, applies transformations, and generates CSV outputs in real time. Those files are then delivered to BMET through a secure SFTP connection, just like before, only now the process runs fully within Ellucian’s supported cloud framework.
We also added monitoring and validation layers that simply did not exist in the on-prem world. Every pipeline includes built-in checks for data consistency and field mapping, and administrators receive automatic notifications if something goes off track. No more digging through log files or rerunning manual exports.
Results and impact
What used to be a collection of shell scripts is now a clean, modular automation built entirely on Ellucian’s SaaS platform, transparent, secure, and easy to maintain as the system evolves. Each pipeline runs independently, pulling the right data from Banner SaaS and delivering it to BMET without manual oversight. Administrators receive validation reports for every run, so data consistency can be confirmed in minutes instead of hours.
The institution now benefits from faster processing, better traceability, and complete compliance with Ellucian’s SaaS standards. More importantly, this solution can scale as new data requirements appear, giving the IT team confidence that their integration will keep pace with future Ellucian updates.
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Build your SaaS-ready integrations with ABCloudz
This project reflects our Modernize integrations with Data Connect offering in action. We help higher education institutions rebuild their Ellucian integrations for SaaS using native tools to create secure, scalable, and future-ready solutions that preserve existing business logic.
If your team is moving forward with a Banner SaaS project, let’s talk. We can help you turn your integration landscape into a fast, stable, and SaaS-aligned ecosystem.