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Create a Data Import from a Data File

You create a data import using a source data file (delimited text file) that contains the data that you want to import. You select the file, configure the import parameters, and specify the delimiter (for example, a comma or a tab) that separates the data in the file.

You can also create a data import using a legacy map file from a previous product release. For more information, see creating a data import from a legacy map file.

Follow these steps:

  1. Log in to CA APM as the administrator.

    Important! In this scenario, the system administrator performs the data import. However, the administrator can grant Data Importer User Access or Data Importer Admin Access to any CA APM user role. User access allows users to create imports, modify or delete their own imports, and view any import that was created by another user. Admin access allows users to create imports and modify or delete any import that was created by any user.

  2. Click Administration, Data Importer.
  3. Click New Import.
  4. Enter the required information in the Basic Information area and supply optional information as needed. The following fields require explanation:
    Data File

    Specifies the source data file that you want to import.

    If this file is available on the CA APM application server, search for the data file and select the file. If this file is not available on the application server, upload the file.

    Upload File

    Browse on your local server for a source data file that you want to import or a legacy map file that you want to use to create mappings. This file is uploaded to the CA APM application server.

    Important! The file size is limited by the product environmental settings. For more information, contact your administrator.

    Main Destination Object

    Specifies the main object for the import.

    Asset and Model objects are listed with their corresponding families. You can also specify All Families. Legal Document objects are listed according to legal template. You can also specify All Templates. The objects include all objects that can be imported.

    Note: For assets or models that include multiple asset family types or legal documents that include multiple legal templates, use the following selections for this field. Specify the particular family or template for each record in your source data file.

    • For an asset, select Asset (All Families).
    • For a model, select Model (All Families).
    • For a legal document, select Legal Document (All Templates).

    Important! Ensure that you select the correct main destination object for your import. You cannot change the main destination object after you save or copy an import.

    First Row Has Column Names

    Specifies whether the first row in the source data file contains the column names. If the first row does not contain the column names, the names display as generic names, such as Field 1 and Field 2.

    Tenant

    Specifies the tenant that applies to the import (if you are using multi-tenancy).

    You can select a tenant only when multi-tenancy is enabled in CA APM and you are authorized to access different tenants. If you have access to public data and you have multiple tenants, you can select all tenants.

    Note: If you specify all tenants, your source data file must have a tenant name column that you map to the Tenant Name field.

    Important! If you specify one tenant, verify that all data in your source data file belongs to your selected tenant. If you have data for more than one tenant, data for all tenants is imported into the selected tenant.

    Data Delimiter

    Specifies the delimiter (for example, comma or tab) that you used in the source data file.

    Important! If a data value in your source data file contains the selected delimiter, you must use double quotation marks around the data value. For example, you select a comma as the delimiter to import companies. You want to include the data value Document Management Company, Inc. in your source data file. Specify this data value with double quotation marks:

    "Document Management Company, Inc"

    Data File Locale

    Specifies the locale for the source data file. This setting determines the date and time format.

  5. Enter the required information in the Advanced Settings area and supply optional information as needed. The following fields require explanation:
    Maximum Error Threshold (in %)

    Defines the number of errors after which the import stops. The threshold is based on the percentage of records processed. We recommend a minimum threshold of 15 percent.

    Note: The Data Importer processes the number of records that are specified on Administration, System Configuration, Data Importer (Maximum Batch Record Size field) before calculating if the error threshold has been reached.

    Primary Lookup Object Processing Type

    Specifies the type of import activity (for example, insert or update).

    Create Secondary Lookup Object

    Creates new secondary lookup objects during the import process. If this option is not selected and a secondary object does not exist, an error occurs.

    Update Secondary Lookup Object

    Updates the existing secondary lookup objects during the import process. If a secondary object does not exist, an error occurs.

    Error on Secondary Lookup Object Errors

    Indicates that the Data Importer does not process a primary object insert or update if the secondary object process fails. If a secondary object insert or update process fails and this check box is selected, the insert or update for the primary object also fails. If this check box is not selected, the primary object is created or updated (as long as the object is not dependent on the secondary object). However, the secondary object value is not created or changed. In both situations, the secondary object error is logged in the import log file.

    Example: You import a location and the location has a country. If the import fails while trying to update the country object and this check box is selected, the location record is not created. If this check box is not selected, the location record is created, and the country information is not updated.

    Normalization Behavior

    Specifies whether to normalize the data or write an error message in the log file without normalizing the data.

    Note: This field appears only if you have defined normalization rules.

    Error on Normalization

    Writes an error message to the Data Importer log file when data that can be normalized is found in the data that you are importing. The data involved is not imported. The log file error message includes the details about the data.

    For example, your data includes the company name Microsoft. The company normalization rules that you created identify Microsoft as a collected (nonauthoritative) value and specify Microsoft Corporation as the normalized (authoritative) value. If you select this option when importing your data, the object with the company name Microsoft is not imported and an error message is written to the log file.

    Apply Normalization without Error

    Uses the normalization rules to normalize the data that you are importing. If data that can be normalized is found, the data is normalized and imported. No error message about the data is written to the log file.

    For example, your data includes the company name Microsoft. The company normalization rules you created identify Microsoft as a collected (nonauthoritative) value and specify Microsoft Corporation as the normalized (authoritative) value. If you select this option when importing your data, the object with company name Microsoft is normalized. In this example, the company name is changed to Microsoft Corporation and the associated object is imported.

  6. Click Save.

    The import is saved. The Mapping, Exclusion Filter, and Schedule areas of the page are now available for your input.

Example: Create a Data Import of New Employees from a Data File

Sam, the CA APM system administrator, performs the following actions to create the data import:

  1. Navigates to Administration, Data Importer and clicks New Import.
  2. Enters New Employees.csv in the Data File field.

    This CSV file is the source data file that Sam received from Human Resources with the new employee information.

  3. Selects Contact for the Main Destination Object and comma for Data Delimiter.
  4. Selects Insert or Update in the Primary Lookup Object Processing Type field and clicks Save.