UpdateRule Attribute

The update rule controls how relationships with other objects are managed during the import.

As well as the basic objects in the central compliance database, there are many relationships between them. The Business Importer allows you to manage what happens to the links between database objects, especially when objects referenced by the links are no longer present in the incoming data from the data source. For example, suppose that a user disappears from a regularly-imported list of employees. Should the system check whether that user was linked to any contract records in a particular role, and if so remove the link?

Two settings apply to all object relationships, and the remaining values are variants applying to specific relationships. Use the values appropriate to the object you are importing. For example, suppose your import includes license objects and contract objects, and you wish to remove links (previously imported) when instances of either object are not matched in either the imported data or the existing database records:
  • For the license object, set UpdateRule="RemoveExtraContractsFromLicenses"
  • On the contract object, set UpdateRule="RemoveExtraLicensesFromContracts".

In the following tables, any value wrapped for documentation should be entered as a single unbroken string.

Common to all relationships

UpdateRule value Description
AddToExistingRecords
This setting means that the import never deletes any existing relationships. New links between objects are added where required and permitted.
Note: This is the default behavior when the UpdateRule is omitted.
RejectDuplicateRecord

Normally, duplicate records in the source data are ignored (that is, the first instance is processed, and matching subsequent instances are ignored). This value of the UpdateRule changes behavior so that, rather than being ignored, duplicate records are rejected. As a result, they are logged. You can use the logs to analyze and remove the duplicates at the source.

Contract - Asset relationships

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraAssetsFromContracts

Removes asset links from contracts where assets were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraContractsFromAssets

Removes contract links from assets where contracts were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks AssetsContracts

For contracts and assets in the incoming data (from this adapter only), this setting clears any recorded links that are not also included in the incoming data (that is, repeated since the previous import from this source).

Contract - License relationships

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraLicenses FromContracts

Removes license links from contracts where licenses were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraContracts FromLicenses

Removes contract links from licenses where contracts were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks LicensesContracts

For contracts and licenses in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

Purchase - License relationships

While the web interface for IT Asset Management focuses on individual purchase records, the terminology used in the Business Importer tends to focus more on the purchase orders that contain one or more purchases. Here, each individual purchase is often referred to as a 'purchase order line'.

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraLicenses FromPurchaseOrders

Removes license links from purchases, where licenses were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraPurchaseOrders FromLicenses

Removes purchase links from licenses, where purchases were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks PurchaseOrdersLicenses

For purchases and licenses in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

Purchase - Asset relationships

While the web interface for IT Asset Management focuses on individual purchase records, the terminology used in the Business Importer tends to focus more on the purchase orders that contain one or more purchases. Here, each individual purchase is often referred to as a 'purchase order line'.

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraAssetsFrom PurchaseOrders

Removes asset links from purchases, where assets were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraPurchaseOrders FromAssets

Removes purchase links from assets, where purchases were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks PurchaseOrdersAssets

For purchases and assets in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

Payment schedule - Asset relationships

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraAssetsFrom PaymentSchedules

Removes asset links from payment schedules, where assets were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraPaymentSchedules FromAssets

Removes payment schedule links from assets, where payment schedules were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks PaymentSchedulesAssets

For payment schedules and assets in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

Payment schedule - License relationships

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraLicenses FromPaymentSchedules

Removes license links from payment schedules where licenses were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraPaymentSchedules FromLicenses

Removes payment schedule links from licenses where payment schedules were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks PaymentSchedulesLicenses

For payment schedules and licenses in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

User - Contract relationships

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraUsers FromContracts

Removes user links from contracts where users were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraContracts FromUsers

Removes contract links from users, where contracts were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLinks ContractsUsers

For users and contracts in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

License allocation - Computer relationships

Individual license entitlements can be allocated to specific inventory devices (computers).

UpdateRule value Description
RemoveExtraLicenseAllocation FromComputer

Removes license allocations links from inventory devices, where licenses were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraComputerFrom LicenseAllocation

Removes inventory device links from license allocations, where the inventory devices were not found in the incoming data.

RemoveExtraLink ComputerLicenseAllocation

For licenses and inventory devices in the incoming data, this setting clears all links that are not also included in the incoming data.

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

Current