Defining Import Rules for a Database Item

Ensure your business adapter is open in Business Adapter Studio.

Import rules may be set separately for objects and attributes. This topic covers the higher-level objects/items.

To specify import rules for database objects:

1. Select a compliance database item (object, relationship, or query) in the structure tree on the left side.
   The main page displays the import rules for that item.

   Figure: The import rules for an object in the compliance database

   

2. Complete the settings for the available fields:

   Update existing Object in the database

   The Business Importer always attempts to find a matching record in the compliance database for each imported record. When a matching record is found:

   • If this check box is selected (the default, and recommended), updates of the matching record may proceed according to the detailed settings you define later
   • If this check box is clear, existing compliance database objects will not be updated by this import. This setting may be useful if you wish to use this imported data to construct information that updates a different object (for example, construct information for a manager to update a user record).

   Create new object in the database

   When the Business Importer cannot find a matching record already in the compliance database:

   • If this check box is selected (the default, and recommended), a new database object will be created for the imported record
   • If this check box is clear, a new record will not be created for this new data in this import. You may wish to use this imported data to construct information that updates a different object (for example, construct information for a manager to update a user record).

   Object ID

   A unique ID for the data being imported in relation to this object. This ID appears in your finished XML file, and relates only to your import process: it is completely independent of the object’s identification field in the compliance database. You may use this ID to differentiate between similar imported items, making your finished XML file easier to read and maintain. For example, if you are importing a spreadsheet of computer assets, one column might identify the leasing contract, and another identify the maintenance contract. This import requires (in addition to the asset record) the creation/update of two contract records, which you can usefully identify with this ID field (such as LeaseContractID and MaintenanceContractID).

   Update Rule

   For database objects (not relationships or queries), there are only two choices:

   • Leave this blank to have duplicate records in the source data silently ignored
   • Select Reject duplicate records to have duplicate records recorded in the log file.

   If, instead, you have selected a relationship between database objects, the available values depend on which relationship is selected. These choices control how the Business Importer should handle relationships already existing in the database that are not supported by evidence included in the current import through this adapter.

   • Link Contract - Asset
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach unfound assets from the considered contracts — Removes asset links from contracts where assets were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach unfound contracts from considered assets — Removes contract links from assets where contracts were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered assets and contracts — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Link Contract - License
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach unfound licenses from the considered contracts — Removes license links from contracts where licenses were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach unfound contracts from the considered licenses — Removes contract links from licenses where contracts were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered licenses and contracts — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Link Purchase Order Line - License
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach all unfound licenses from the considered PO lines — Removes license links from purchase order lines, where licenses were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound PO lines from the considered licenses — Removes purchase order line links from licenses, where purchase order lines were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered licenses and PO lines — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Link Purchase Order Line - Asset
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach all unfound assets from the considered PO lines — Removes asset links from purchase order lines, where assets were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound PO lines from the considered assets — Removes purchase order line links from assets where purchase orders were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered assets and PO lines — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Link Payment Schedule - Asset
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach unfound assets from the considered payment schedules — Removes asset links from payment schedules where assets were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach unfound payment schedules from considered assets — Removes payment schedule links from assets where payment schedules were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered assets and payment schedules — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Link Payment Schedule - License
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach unfound licenses from the considered payment schedules — Removes license links from payment schedules where licenses were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach unfound payment schedules from considered licenses — Removes payment schedule links from licenses where payment schedules were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered licenses and payment schedules — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Link Users - Contracts
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched. — (default) Never delete any existing relationships
     • Detach unfound users from considered contracts — Removes user links from contracts where users were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach unfound contracts from the considered users — Removes contract links from users, where contracts were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered contracts and users — Removes all links not provided in the incoming data.
   • Software Allocation (covers individual allocations made on licenses that may influence consumption calculated for linked software applications)
     • Add new links, leave the existing ones untouched — (default) Never delete any allocations already existing in the database
     • Detach unfound software allocations from the considered computers — Removes license allocation links from computers included in the import, where application installations linked to the same license were not found in the incoming data
     • Detach unfound computers from considered software allocations — Removes license allocations (mentioned in the import) from those previously-linked computers that were not also found individually listed in the incoming data
     • Detach all unfound links between the considered computers and software allocations — All computers and license allocations mentioned in the imports have their existing records in the database checked; and any links in the database that are not also repeated in the incoming data are removed from the database.
     • Reject duplicate records — Duplicate records of allocations are recorded in the log file, rather than being silently ignored.