Chris21 rollback is functionality that lets you ‘reverse’ processing during a payrun, For example, you might have run the Leave Pre Process (LPP) function in update mode but then decide you would like to reverse that process. The LPP process updates the following files; PRRUN.DAT, EMLVE.DAT, EMTIM.DAT, EMLVA.DAT and EMNPA.DAT. Without the ability to rollback the process you would have to restore these files from backup to ensure you have completely reversed the process. Chris21 rollback gives you the functionality to do this directly from the Chris21 interface.

Configuring Chris21 Rollback functionality

Setting up Chris21 rollback is a straightforward process. Go to Rollback Details (ROD) and select the process that you want to configure for rollback by selecting the Rollback Enabled checkbox.

It’s important to note that not all Chris21 forms can be selected for rollback. Below is a list of processes that are rollback compliant. These are the ones that you can enable for rollback, as mentioned above:

How to Rollback a Process

If you need to rollback a process go to the Rollback Update (ROU) form. You will see a list of all processes that have been run during the current payrun and that are rollback enabled:

Double click the process you would like to rollback, then click the File Name drop down and select the file to rollback:

Once you have selected the process to be rolled back, click the Rollback button:

The rollback process will produce a report showing the changes that were made. You can also choose the Report Only button, prior to selecting the Rollback button, to view the changes that the rollback process will make.

Be Mindful of Housekeeping Requirements

The Chris21 rollback feature will create rollback files each time a rollback enabled process is run. While you may never need to rollback a function, the file will remain in the system DAT directory until it is deleted. Over time, a large amount of rollback files will accumulate in the DAT directory. To avoid this issue, enter a value in the Days to Hold field on the Rollback Details (ROD) form. This defines the number of days to hold the files before they are deleted. In the example below, rollback files will be deleted after 7 days:

A final note: The Chris21 rollback functionality is an easy and efficient way for selected payroll processes to be reversed from within the Chris21 interface. In my opinion, however, it is always a good idea to make full backups of the Chris21 DAT directory prior to running key processes such as UPD and CLR.