If you need to perform quick data migration between instances without additional field mapping configuration, then you can use the quick import engine.

The difference between Quick Import and usual Data Import is that the quick method inserts records to the database directly while the standard import method allows entering additional settings and scripts, for example, Business Rules.

  1. Quick import functionality is available for importing only non-versioning tables (those that have the Is VCS enabled attribute disabled). If you try to import any versioning table, the records from the importing file will be skipped with the message in the Main Log (sys_log) table:
    Is not possible to import to the {table_name} table.
  2. You cannot do quick import to the VCS Record (sys_vcs_record) table.


Role required: admin.

Importing data should fit the format below:

{
    "article": [
        {
            "state": "1",
            "service": null,
            "number": "ART0000035",
            "sys_id": 159497384530294161,
            "metainfo": null,
            "object_category": null,
            "sys_updated_at": "2020-07-17 08:17:25",
            "body": null,
            "sys_db_table_id": 156846397908814773,
            "content_item_class": 157935401911817831,
            "sys_created_at": "2020-07-17 08:17:25",
            "sys_updated_by": 155931135900000001,
            "sys_created_by": 155931135900000001,
            "published_at": "2020-07-17 08:17:25"
        }
    ],
    "itsm_incident": [
        {
            "active": true,
            "sys_updated_at": "2020-06-18 23:24:13",
            "sys_created_at": "2020-06-18 23:24:13",
            "wf_executing_activity": null,
            "number": "INC0000351",
            "description": null,
            "urgency": "1",
            "impact": "1",
            "assignment_group": null,
            "sys_db_table_id": 156950677111866258,
            "display_name": "INC0000351 asd",
            "subject": "asd",
            "company": null,
            "service": 158825569619498427
        }
    ]
}

The main object keys are dictionaries system names. The value is the records objects array.
Every record object contains keys matching the dictionary column system names and the database relevant attribute value.

A file containing data to import can be obtained by exporting the dictionary records list. 

To process quick import, please complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to any dictionary list view. 
  2. Click on the title area and select Import JSON in the context menu.
  3. Choose a JSON file (or several files at once).

Please note that the target table is mentioned within the file. New records will not be added in the list view where you perform the Quick Import.

Within the importing process, the import engine checks the records to whether their sys_id attribute values match with the ones in the importing object. If such a record exists in the target dictionary, then the existing record will be updated; otherwise, a new record is created. For example: when records with a new sys_id attribute value are imported or records are without the 'sys_id: value' pair.

After import processing, every file will have a Main Log (sys_log) record with Quick Import value in the Source column. The link to the Import log records will appear in the informational message in the lower right corner.

These records will have information about import results. For example: 

Import result for knowledge_base_category.json
Total: 55
Inserted: 45
Updated: 10
Skipped: 0


Also, the field validation on the server-side is not taken into account when the quick import is used.

That is, you can import records with empty mandatory fields or with non-unique values in the fields, which have Unique attribute. 


Please note that after importing with these parameters, you will not be able to update records in any way until you normalize data and re-import it.