Drivers for Spreadsheet Imports

It is quite likely that at some stage you will need to import data from spreadsheets or CSV files. For example, you may have purchase records in spreadsheets, or inventory exported from a hard-to-reach system, or you may have a record of entitlements from a reseller in a spreadsheet format. Documentation is available for these different uses, including the chapter Importing Inventory Spreadsheets and CSV files in FlexNet Manager Suite System Reference.

You need a driver update if all of the following conditions apply to your future use of FlexNet Manager Suite:

  • You will import data from spreadsheets (the export of data to spreadsheets is not relevant, and the import of data from CSV [comma-separated values] file is also not relevant)
  • The spreadsheets will be Excel spreadsheets in .xlsx format (the earlier .xls format does not require the driver update; but be aware that this older format limits each spreadsheet to about 65,000 records/rows)
  • The .xlsx files will be imported to the batch server (or processing server, or application server in a single server implementation); or they will be imported to an inventory beacon — obviously, drivers are needed only on servers (whether a central server or inventory beacon servers) where such imports actually occur, so that this prerequisite applies only to those relevant server(s).
In these conditions, you must install a 32-bit version of Microsoft Access Database Engine on the relevant server. The particular release is not important: for example, Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010-32 is adequate. Drivers are supplied within the Microsoft Access Database Engine.
Important: Only the 32-bit version is supported by the Business Importer mechanism, and this version is incompatible with the 64-bit version of Microsoft Office products installed on the same machine. This means that, when you need imports in .xslx format, 64-bit Office cannot be installed on the central batch server (or application server), or on applicable inventory beacons. Naturally, Office documents including spreadsheets prepared on other machines running 64-bit Office can successfully be imported. The limitation is only on co-installation on the same computers.