The Import engine allows administrators to collect data from various data sources and then map this data into relevant tables.

The SimpleOne import engine supports:

  • different data source types.
  • different file formats (if you select File as the data source).

Select the data source, place the data from it to the temporary table (an Import Set), and map the data from the source to the target table with the transform map field maps.

Role required: admin.

You can find a diagram illustrating the import process below.

    

    


Key concepts

ConceptDescription
Import sourceA record that specifies what data an import set should import. 
Import set

A record that contains references to raw data uploaded to the temporary table. The record also returns information about the import process state.

Import set table

An automatically generated table that is used as the temporary storage for the imported records before the transformation. The structure of the table is automatically generated depending on the imported data.

Transform

The process of data conversion according to the transform map and transform scripts that define the source table (the import set) and the target table.

Transform map

A set of field maps that defines correlations between the fields in an import set table and the fields in a target table.

Transform scriptA script that allows for customizing import operations using native JavaScript extended with SimpleOne Server-Side API.
Field mapA record that specifies the relationship between a field in an import set table and a field in a target table.
Coalesce

This option allows you to update existing table records within the transformation process.

For more information, navigate to the relevant article part: Coalesce.

Import sources


Create an import source to load raw data into the system for further processing and transformation. Set up an import source with different data source types and file formats.

  1. Navigate to Import → Import Sources.
  2. Click New and fill in the fields.
  3. If the File type is selected, click the attachment icon   and attach the file you need. You can attach JSON, XML, or Excel files.  

  4. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.

Import Source form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
NameYSpecify the import source name.
Import set table nameYSpecify the import set table name.

Type

N

Choose the type of import source. Available options:

File tetrieval methodN

Select the method to add the file to the import source. Available options:

  • Attachment

This field appears if the File type is selected.

FormatY

Select the file format and attach it to the form. Available file format options:

  • JSON
  • XML
  • Excel (only when the File type is selected)

This field appears if the File or Text type is selected.

Import textN

Specify the text you need to import. This field appears if the Text type is selected. 

Text format
[
  {
    "property": "value"
  },
  {
    "property": "value"
  }
]
LDAP definitionN

Click the magnifier icon to select the protocol you need. This field appears if the LDAP type is selected. 

See the LDAP Import Source article to learn more.

After saving, the following UI-actions appear on the import source form. Use them for further import processing.

ActionDescription
Test load (20 records)

Click to create a pilot import set with 20 records to analyze the importing data structure. 

Do not use the test set for further transformation.

Load all records

Click to create an import set record by loading full data from the import source.

This import set can be used for further transformation.

After loading data into the import source, saving the record and calling one of the data loading actions, a new record appears in the Import Sets related list. 

Using JSON format


You can use files containing data formatted in JSON as an import source. In this case, make sure that the files follow the criteria below:

  1. JSON files should be valid. Use the RFC 8259 document as the guideline.
  2. Data types available to use in JSON structure are listed below. Dot-walking is not supported.
JSON Object
  {
    "top500": 1,
    "name": "More",
    "sector": "Oil and gas"
  }

Result: one element. The table has top500, name, sector fields and contains one record.

Array of objects
[ 
 {
    "top500": 1,
    "name": "More",
    "sector": "Oil and gas"
  },
  {
    "top500": 2,
    "name": "Nevermore",
    "sector": "Oil and gas"
  }
]

Result: an import set with the related table is created. The table has top500, name, sector fields and contains two records.

Object with array of objects
// Path for Each Row == exportField
{
   "exportField":[
      {
         "top500":1,
         "name":"More",
         "sector":"Oil and gas"
      },
      {
         "top500":2,
         "name":"Nevermore",
         "sector":"Oil and gas"
      },
	  {
		"top500": 4,
		"name": "Givememore",
		"sector": "Oil and gas",
		"more_info": "https://instance.example.com/company/34"
	  }
   ]
}

Result: an import set with the related table is created. The table has top500, name, sector fields and contains three records.

Table and column name transformation


When converting data for import, the system names of columns and tables that appear in the Import set table name field of the Import Sources (sys_import) table are transliterated and converted according to the following rules:

  1. The system changes all Cyrillic letters to the Latin ones according to their ordinal number in the list of the Latin symbols. See below how the transliteration is done:
    CyrillicLatin
    аАaA
    бБbB
    вВvV
    гГgG
    дДdD
    еЕeE
    ёЁioIo
    жЖzhZh
    зЗzZ
    иИiI
    йЙjJ
    кКkK
    лЛlL
    мМmM
    нНnN
    оОoO
    пПpP
    рРrR
    сСsS
    тТtT
    уУuU
    фФfF
    хХhh
    цЦtsTs
    чЧchCh
    шШshSh
    щЩshchShch
    ъЪ\\
    ыЫyY
    ьЬ\\
    эЭee
    юЮyuYu
    яЯyaYa
  2. All symbols that are not relevant to the regular expression /[^A-Za-z0-9_]+/u are substituted with an underscore _  symbol. That is, all symbols except capital and lowercase letters, digits, and the underscore are substituted with _ .
  3. A system column name is split into parts by an underscore _. Then, the parts are connected with an underscore _ . For example, the name _DOC_____1 is transformed to doc_1 as a result.
  4. The current system name of the column is transformed to lowercase.

    If a column name is empty, then, when converting, the system sets the following name imp_invalid_column + column number. The column number is determined by its order in the table. The numbering starts from 0. For example, imp_invalid_column0.

  5. The imp prefix is added to the name, for example, imp_client_list.

Import sets


An import set is created automatically based on the raw data uploaded from the import source. An import set is a temporary storage for records imported from the data source.

Import Set form fields

FieldDescription
Number

The field contains the import set unique number and is populated automatically.

Import source

The field contains the related import source name and is populated automatically.

Import set table

The field contains the related import set table name and is populated automatically. 

System names of table fields begin with the imp_ prefix. 

State

Import set loading state. The field is populated automatically and is always read-only. Possible values:

  • Loading – data loading into the import set is in progress.
  • Loaded – data loading into the import set has been finished.
  • Processed – the import set transform has been processed.
  • Canceled – data loading has been canceled.
Short description

The field describes the structure of the table created and is populated automatically.

Field value example:

Table structure: (top500 | name | sector)

Import Set records are in the parent-child relationship with the Import Set Rows table records.

Transform maps

A transform map is a set of field maps. In this set of field maps, correlations between the fields of the import set table and the fields of the target table are specified.

Each import operation requires at least one transform map that specifies the relationship between the import set table and the target table.

After creating the first import set, create a related transform map. To do so, complete the steps below:

  1. Click View transform map on the import source form you are configuring.
  2. In the message that appears, follow the link Create transform map.
  3. Fill in the fields in the form that appears.
  4. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.

A transform map can also be created from scratch. To do so, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Import → Transform Maps to open the transform maps list.
  2. Click New and fill in the fields.
  3. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.

Transform Map form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
NameYSpecify a displayed transform map name.
ActiveNSelect this checkbox to make the transform map available for use.
Source tableYSelect the table containing the import set data.
Target tableYSelect the table where you need to place imported data.
Silent loadN

Select the checkbox to ignore business rulesnotification rules and other server-side engines that can be triggered by the insert or update actions. In particular, workflows related to this record will not start, the field changes history will not be recorded and will not be displayed in the Activity Feed, respectively.

You can find engine and business rule execution orders in the Execution order article.

Ignore mandatory fields

NSelect the checkbox to ignore mandatory fields in the target table.
Use scriptN

Select the checkbox to display the Script field, where you can define the transform script.

If you clear the checkbox after inserting a script, the script will not be applied within the transformation.

ScriptN

Insert the transform map script you need to use to transform field values from the source table to the target table.

Use the runTransformRow() function with the following parameters:

  • source – the Import Set Row record that will be transformed. Call a specific field from the record just like a regular SimpleRecord object. For example, source.imp_name.
  • map – the Transform Map record used for the transformation process. 
  • log – the object that contains info, warn, error methods. The methods are intended to log the transformation process. 
  • target – the record in the target table that will be inserted or updated within the transformation of the source record. Call a specific field from the record just like a regular SimpleRecord object. For example, target.name = source.imp_name.
  • isUpdate – a boolean parameter that checks whether the target record is updated.

This script can be used to define field relationships before the transformation. You can also configure relationships by creating related records via the Field Map related list of the specified transform map.

If you are configuring field mapping within the script, it is recommended to create one more Field Map record to define the Coalesce settings for this transformation session.

See the Developer API articles to learn more about the advanced import.

Transform scripts

Transform script allows you to customize import operations using JS-scripts with SimpleOne Server-Side API

Transform Script form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
Transform MapYSpecify a transform map to which this script is related.
ActiveNSelect the checkbox to activate the script.
WhenY

Specify when to execute the script. Available options:

  • onStart – the script runs at the start of the transformation before any Import Set Row record is read.
  • onBefore – the script runs at the start of the Import Set Row record transformation into the target table.
  • onAfter – the script runs after each Import Set Row record is transformed into the target table.
  • onComplete – the script runs when all Import Set Row records are transformed.
OrderN

Specify the order of the transform script execution. Fill in this field with an integer number. 

The Order field is temporarily not working correctly – our team is working on its logic improvement to make it more efficient. We will inform you about the changes in one of our next releases.

 

ScriptN

Insert the transform script using the Server-Side API

Use the runTransformScript() function with the following parameters:

  • source – the Import Set Row record that will be transformed. Call a specific field from the record just like a regular SimpleRecord object. For example, source.imp_name.
  • map – the Transform Map record used for the transformation process. 
  • log – the object that contains info, warn, error methods. The methods are intended to log the transformation process. 
  • target – the record in the target table that will be inserted or updated within the transformation of the source record. Call a specific field from the record just like a regular SimpleRecord object. For example, target.name = source.imp_name.
    When specifying the object of the target parameter, take into account the type of the field in the target table. An example of filling in the fields in the onBefore script:
Filling in the fields in the onBefore script
(function runTransformScript(source, map, log, target /*undefined onStart*/) {
  target.email = source.imp_mail; // string
  target.username = source.imp_samaccountname; // string
  
  const parsedPhoneDigits = source.imp_mobile.match(/\d/g);
  target.phone = parsedPhoneDigits ? parsedPhoneDigits.join('') : null;  // phone

  const company = new SimpleRecord('org_company');
  company.addQuery('name', 'like', source.imp_company);
  company.selectAttributes('sys_id');
  company.setLimit(1);
  company.query();
  target.company = company.next() ? company.sys_id : null;  // reference
})(source, map, log, target);

  • ignore – a boolean parameter that allows you to skip the Import Set Row record.
  • status_message – the message that describes the process of transformation.
Import skip in onBefore script
(function runTransformScript(source, map, log, target /*undefined onStart*/) {
  const duplicate = new SimpleRecord('task');
  duplicate.addEncodedQuery(`number=${source.imp_number}^sys_id!=${target.sys_id}`);
  duplicate.selectAttributes('sys_id');
  duplicate.setLimit(1);
  duplicate.query();
  if (duplicate.next()) {
    ignore = true; // skip Import Set Row
    status_message = 'The "Number" [number] field should be an unique.'; // write message to Import Set Row -> Description
  }
})(source, map, log, target);

Field maps

Field maps are used to define the correlation between the fields of the import set table and fields of the target table. For this, you need to determine the values from the source table that will be added to the target table.

During the import process, you may need to update the existing records in the target table. To set up the relationships between the Source table and the Target table, create at least one field map record with the Coalesce checkbox selected. This checkbox should be selected for a field map that contains relationships of columns with unique values. It can be an email for a user or a serial number for a configuration item (CI).

You can select the Coalesce checkbox for more than one Field Map record.

To create a field map, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Import → Transform Maps.
  2. Open the transform map you need to configure.
  3. Click Create field map to open the Field Mapping widget. See the screenshot in the table below.
  4. Configure field mapping within the current transformation process.
  5. Click Set to save the changes or Cancel to discard the changes.

Here is another way to create field maps:

  1. Navigate to Import → Transform Maps.
  2. Open the transform map you need to configure.
  3. In the Field Maps related list, click New and fill in the fields.
  4. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.
  5. Repeat the previous steps for each field map that needs to be set.

Field Map form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
Transform mapYDisplays the transform map that contains this field map. The field is populated automatically if the record is created via the related list or the Field Map widget.
Source fieldYSelect the field of the source table that should be transformed.
Target fieldYSelect the field of the target table that should store the values from the source table.

Coalesce

N

If this option is active within the transformation process, the engine checks whether the values in the Target table are equal to the values in the Import Set table. 

If the values are equal, the record in the Target table is updated; otherwise, a new record is created.

This option can be set up within the widget. Click Create Field Maps on the transform map form to open a widget that contains the Add coalesce or Drop coalesce button.

Use source scriptN

Select the checkbox to define the transform script in the Script field.

ScriptY

Insert a script to determine a function that takes the record object of the Import Set table as an argument and returns the value to put into the Target field.

The field appears when the Use source script checkbox is selected.

Do not clear the Use source script checkbox after inserting a script; otherwise, it will not be applied.

Use the transformEntry() function with the following parameters:

  • source – the Import Set Row record that will be transformed. Call a specific field from the record just like a regular SimpleRecord object. For example, source.imp_name.
  • target   the record in the target table that will be inserted or updated within the transformation of the source record. Call a specific field from the record just like a regular SimpleRecord object. For example, target.name = source.imp_name.

Run a transform

  1. Navigate to Import → Import Sets.
  2. Open an import set you need to transform. Ensure that the state is Loaded.
  3. Click Transform.

As a result, the message Import is completed appears. Imported data will be transferred into the target table.

Transform sequence


The scheme below shows the sequence of events triggered by the transformation: 

  1. The sequence begins with the onStart transform script. It will be executed at the start of the transformation before any source row is read.
  2. (optional) The script specified in the Field Map record takes a record object of the Import Set Row table as an argument and returns a value to put into the Target Field.
  3. (optional) The script specified in the Transform Map record transforms field values from the source row to the target row.
  4. The onBefore transform script is executed before the source row is transformed into the target row. 
  5. Between the execution of the onBefore and onAfter scripts, the target record is inserted or updated.
  6. The onAfter transform script runs after the source row is transformed into the target row.
  7. The onComplete transform script is executed when all source rows are transformed.

The onBefore and onAfter scripts are repeated for each record, they run until each record is transformed. 

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