Inventory Data One-Off Upload Page

FlexNet Manager Suite 2019 R1 (On-Premises Edition)

This page supports a single import of different kinds of inventory data, arranged in fixed-format files of a common type (all must be either .csv or .xlsx files). The files are uploaded once, and saved on the central application server. The connection to the upload is then disabled, and cannot be re-enabled, so that this one-off upload cannot be repeated. At each inventory import and license consumption calculation, the data in the server-side copies of the inventory spreadsheets is re-imported to the central operations databases, maintaining the values there. However, because the import date of the inventory data is fixed, this inventory ages, and eventually appears in the Out-Of-Date Inventory page.

The data from a one-off upload cannot be updated, only deleted (by deleting the connection name from the list of connections on the Inventory Data tab of the Data Inputs page). When the connection is deleted, all inventory records that came only through that connection are deleted from the operations databases.

Tip: If, instead of a one-off upload, you want a scheduled and repeatable upload of inventory spreadsheets where values can be updated, work through an inventory beacon (see Managing Inventory Spreadsheet Connections).

For more information about importing inventory spreadsheets, either as a one-off upload or as scheduled uploads, see the Importing Inventory Spreadsheets and CSV Files chapter of the FlexNet Manager Suite 2019 R1 System Reference PDF, available through the title page of online help. For details of the available columns in the spreadsheets, and how these map to the underlying operations databases, see the Inventory Spreadsheet Templates chapter of the companion volume, FlexNet Manager Suite 2019 R1 Schema Reference.

Remember: You cannot import data from any secondary inventory data source, including this one, until at least the first import from your primary inventory data source has been successfully completed. Attempting to do so results in the error Inventory import failed because data has not been imported from the primary data source.

Use this process for a one-off import of inventory data:

To prepare your inventory data:
1. Click the hyperlink to download the InventoryTemplates-version.zip file to your workstation.
  The following inventory types are supported:
  - Computers and VMs
  - CAL usage inventory, called access evidence (see Access Evidence Properties for details)
  - Installation evidence
  - File evidence
  - Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) evidence
  - Oracle evidence
  - Virtual machine (VM) pool data
  - Cluster evidence
  - Cluster group data
  - Cluster host affinity rule data
  - File evidence and installer evidence for remote access (use these templates for lists of all users who can access a cloud-based service, or virtual desktops and applications).
2. Populate the template(s) that you need with inventory data.
  Important: Observe the following:
  - Use only one file type (.csv or .xlsx) for all files in each one-off import.
  - The Computers and VMs file is mandatory.
  - Do not change the names of any columns in the templates.
  - Do not re-order the columns in the templates.
  - Do not remove any columns from the templates, nor add any additional columns to the template.
3. Save completed spreadsheet files to a suitable upload directory on your workstation (network shares are also supported).
  
  Tip: You may rename these completed files as you save them, if you wish.

To upload your completed inventory spreadsheets, complete the following fields:

Field	Comments
Upload name	This subsequently appears in the list of inventory connections as a connection name. Use a recognizable naming convention that makes it easier to pick the connection for later deletion.
Spreadsheet type	Identify the common file type (.csv or .xlsx) used for all the files in this upload.
Computers and VMs	Click Browse, and select the matching spreadsheet file for this inventory data type. Then click Upload (adjacent). When the upload is completed, a "`File uploaded successfully`" message displays.
Remaining inventory types	For each remaining inventory type that you are including in this upload, Browse to the individual file and Upload it. Be careful to match the correct inventory spreadsheet file with the inventory types listed on this page.

When all files are uploaded, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Start processing.
This inventory connection is added to the Last 5 uploads list at the bottom of the page, with Status of In progress. License consumption is recalculated for all inventory sources, including all your imported spreadsheets which are validated during this processing.
To investigate problems, you can:
1. Check the status indicator under the the system menu ( in the top right corner). A red dot indicates a failure of some kind.
2. In the Last 5 uploads list, click the + expander in the Task/Step column to reveal individual steps in the processing, and their results.
3. For any steps with errors, click the Validation errors hyperlink and troubleshoot as needed (see Inventory Upload Validation Errors Page).
  Example: An error in the Import into staging step indicates an issue with the staging of the spreadsheets on the central application server, or with in-memory tables during processing, or an invalid spreadsheet type (including any change to column number, naming, or ordering).
4. In the Logs column for a step with errors, click the Download log hyperlink, and inspect the resulting file for further troubleshooting.

The following columns (listed alphabetically) are available in the Last 5 uploads list. (The list covers both one-off uploads, and scheduled uploads through inventory beacons.) Some columns are displayed by default, and others are available in the column chooser:

Column	Details
Beacon name	When the inventory data is imported through FlexNet Beacon rather than one-off uploads, the column displays the inventory beacon's name.
Connection type	Displays the type of a data upload connection, for example `CSV`.
Created by	Displays the name of a user who started the inventory data upload.
End date	The date and time when a step or task related to the inventory data upload was completed.
Logs	When the inventory data upload is completed, the hyperlink is displayed in this column: click it to view a detailed list and the descriptions of events.
Server name	Displays the name of the server where the uploaded inventory data is hosted. Tip: To view the server name, click in the Task/Step column.
Start date	The date and time when a step or task related to the inventory data upload was initiated.
Status	Displays the status of a task or its step, for example: `Completed`, `Failed`, or `Skipped`.
Summary	Displays the information about a task or one of its steps.
Task/Step	Displays the name of a data upload task, or its step.