Imports in DRM

Using Data Relationship Management, you can import data extracted from external systems or manually created by users using a multi-section, text file format. Imports are always performed on new, empty versions created as part of the import process. This approach allows you to verify that data was imported correctly and resolve any issues before saving the data to the database or merging with data in other versions. After you verify the data, you can use the blender to combine imported data with data originating from other sources.
Any Data Relationship Management user authorized to run imports can customize and save.
Caution!
When running imports, the regional settings of your client session are used to define the expected format for date and time values that are being imported. If these settings are not detected, then the regional settings for the server are used. For example, if the regional setting for your session specifies that date should be formatted as dd.mm.yyyy, then the data given to the import should be in that format. Otherwise, the information does not display or displays incorrectly.


Import Elements
An import consists of the elements in the following table.
Table 9 Import Structure
Import Element
Import
Sections
Description
Attributes of the import, such as version, error-handling settings, and file names
Information about the import, such as hierarchy, node, and relationship (Configuring a section can include designating section headers and delimiters.)
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Import Element
Columns
Description
Data attributes to be imported (An Import Column is mapped to a corresponding non-read-only property in Data Relationship Management, such as name and description. Configuring a column involves selecting a property to populate, ordering the column, and sometimes mapping the column to a set of hierarchies. If the input format is a fixed-width text file, the column width should also be configured.)


Import Sections
An import can contain any or all of the following sections:
Table 10 Import Sections
Import Section
Version
Hierarchy
Node
Relationship
Hierarchy Node
Description
Version property values
Required column: Version Name
Structural information about each hierarchy and top node to be imported and, perhaps, hierarchy property values.
Required columns: Hier Name, Top Node
Structural information about each node to be imported and, perhaps, node property values
Required column: Node
Parent-child information about each relationship to be imported and, perhaps, node property values for the child in each pair.
Required columns: Parent Node Name, Node
Node values specific to a specified hierarchy
Required columns: HierName, Node
Creating Imports
When you create or open an import, it is displayed on a named tab.
The import wizard is used to define the parameters and criteria for the import. The wizard content is organized across Source, Style, Filters, Columns, and Target tabs to guide input. Although the wizard tabs are ordered to gather input in a sequence, you can navigate between any tabs.
ä To create an import: 1 From the Data Relationship Management navigation bar, select Import.
2 Click . 3 On the Source tab, select the import source from the Device list.
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If you selected Client File, click Browse and navigate to and select the import file.
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If you selected Server File, select the connection and a file name. 4 Select File Format options:
l Character Encoding — UTF8, ANSI, ASCII, UTF16BE, UTF16LE. l Strip Quoted Strings — Select to remove quotation marks during data import.
Note: Single ( ' ) and double quotation marks ( “ ) are removed. If both types of quotation marks are used at the same time, only the outer set of quotations is stripped.
l Fixed Width or Delimited — For Delimited, enter the delimiter character. For Fixed Width, enter fixed width column values in Columns Options of the Columns tab.
5 Select from the following Section Headings options: l Prefix Delimiter — A character that is displayed at the beginning of a section heading,
such as /, /**, or [.
l Suffix Delimiter — A character that is displayed at the end of a section heading, such as /, /**, or [. The delimiter suffix is optional.
l Select section headings that are in the import source and enter text for the section heading.
Note: All import sections are selected by default. Uncheck sections that are not in the import source.
6 Select the Style tab and choose Relationship Sorting options:
l Sort Relationships — Select to enable the import to sort the nodes based on the order in which they are displayed in the relationship section of the source file, and complete both of the following actions:
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Sort Property to Populate — Select the node property in which to store the sort order.
Hierarchy to be Sorted — Select the hierarchies to which to apply the sort.
l Determine Leaf Nodes at the End of Import Process — Select to specify that, at the end of the import process, the import automatically sets the leaf property to True for any node that has no children.
Note: This option requires a second pass of the imported data and may require additional time to process. If this option is not selected, all nodes will be imported as limb nodes unless the Leaf property is specified as a column in the Node or Relationship section of the imported data.
7 Select Duplicate Handling options:
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Append Unique Text to the End of the Node Name — Select to append the unique portion of the name to the end of the original node name.



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On the Columns tab, from the Section list, select a file section. From the Available list on the Select Columns tab, select the columns for the import.
Note: Use the Category list to select a property category to ease navigation. A special column called Ignore Column is available as a placeholder for any column in the
input source that should not be processed during the import.
Tip: Use the arrows to position the column in the Selected list. The first item in the list is the first column, the second item in the list is the second column, and so on.
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Working with Imports
Note: If you select this option, use the Unique String, Delimiter, Unique ID Seed, and Zero Pad Length parameters to create a naming convention for duplicate nodes. The unique portion of the name is added to the end of the original node name. If not selected, the unique portion of the name is prefixed to the beginning. For example, 001NodeA, 002NodeA.
l Unique String — Enter a string to be used to form part of the new unique node name. l Delimiter — Enter a delimiter character to be used to separate the original node name
from the unique portion of the name. l Unique ID Seed — Select a starting point for this ID.
For example, if NodeA occurs three times in a hierarchy and the unique ID seed is 1, the original node is not changed, and the other node names are replaced with NodeA1 and NodeA2. This example ignores the other Duplicate settings in order to illustrate the use of unique ID seed.
l Zero-Pad Length — Enter the minimum number of digits required in the unique ID portion of the duplicate name.
For example, a value of 3 for zero-pad length creates duplicate nodes named NodeA001, NodeA002, and so on. A value of 2 creates duplicate nodes named NodeA01, NodeA02, and so on.
l Associated Property — Select a property to enable duplicate nodes to be grouped so they can be easily queried after the import is complete.
If an associated property is set, the property is populated with the node name of the original node in all duplicate nodes. This option must refer to a global, associated node property.
l Duplicate Error Mode — Select a mode to determine the severity with which the import processor treats a duplicate:
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Generate Warning — Warning message is added to the log for each duplicate. Generate Error — Error message is added to the log for each duplicate.
Note: Processing stops if the number of errors exceeds the Max Errors value (on Target tab).
10 On the Column Options tab, you can map a column to hierarchies. Double-click a column name row and select from these options:
l Select Apply Value to All Hiers if values in the column should be applied to all hierarchies. By default, this option is selected.
l In the Hierarchy Listing field, enter the name of each hierarchy to which the column applies. The property value is set only in the hierarchies designated in the list.
Note: The listed hierarchies must match the names of hierarchies specified in the import source.
l If you selected Fixed Width on the Source tab, enter a value in the Fixed Width column. 11 On the Filter tab, make selections to skip blank and use defaults for certain property types.
Note: It is recommended to skip blank and use default values to minimize the size of the imported version.
12 On the Target tab, enter a name and, optionally, a description for the new version that will be created by the import.
13 Select a value for the maximum number of errors that can occur during processing before the import stops.
Note: The recommended maximum number of errors is 20. 14 Do either or both of the following:
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Click to save the import. Click to run the import.



Running, Copying, and Deleting Imports
You can run, copy, and delete imports. You must open an import before you can run it. ä To run an import:
1 On the Import tab, select an import. 2 Click . 3 Click the tabs to modify import parameters, and then click to run the import.
ä To copy an import: 1 On the Import tab, an import. 2 From Imports, select Copy. 3 Enter a new name and description for the import.
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4 From Object Access Level, select User, Standard, or System (depending on your user role) and click OK.
ä To delete an import: 1 On the Import tab, select an import. 2 From Imports, select Delete.