Data Importer

Modified on Wed, 19 Jan 2022 at 03:29 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Enabling the Importer
Preparing the Data
Accessing the Data Importer module
The Data Importer Module Layout
The Toolbar
Import Grid
Further Support

Introduction

ManagementStudio uses 'connectors' to automatically import information about users, workstations and applications directly from external data sources, such as Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft Endpoint Manager Configuration Manager, Lakeside SysTrack, SNOW and NexThink. The connectors provide an almost real-time view of the estate, meaning that changes to your project are captured in ManagementStudio as they happen.

A Project admin might also have information about users, workstations and applications stored in spreadsheets that would be useful to the project. The Data Importer utility allows a project admin to import data from a spreadsheet into ManagementStudio. The importer is available within the following modules - User Migrations, Applications, Devices, Deployment Units, Defects, Tasks, Contacts, Mailboxes and Bespoke.

Enabling the Importer

Ensure that the Role Group in use has the correct level of access to the Data Importer:

Administration > User Accounts, Roles and Permissions > Role Groups
Select a role name (1) and click Edit Rules (2)

Enable the Importer role group (1) for all modules that should be enabled in the Import Data menu option.

Click Finished (1) to finish editing the role and click Save Changes (2)

Preparing the Data

Each Module type - User Migrations, Applications, Devices, Deployment Units, Defects, Tasks and Contacts in ManagementStudio have different fields available that can be used to map external data. These fields are detailed in the respective solution articles:

Accessing the Data Importer module

To view the Data Importer module:

Select Import Data (1) from the vertical menu bar on the left.
Choose the relevant module to import, in this case, Applications (2).

Spreadsheet with the corresponding columns and data is required prior to this step.

The Data Importer Module Layout

The layout consist of two core areas:

The Toolbar across the top
The Import Grid

This consist of the following:

Features	Description
Import (1)	Displays the File name to be imported. Import the data into ManagementStudio. Preview the import.
Options (2)	The importer will try to match the headers of the import data to fields in ManagementStudio. If the headers are on the second row then use this option. Select the worksheet to import the data from. Try to match the headers from the Excel data to fields in ManagementStudio.
Basic (3)	Allow the importer to create new items in ManagementStudio. Allow the import to update existing items in ManagementStudio. Show the first 2 rows of data in the grid view to help match the import headers to ManagementStudio fields.
Process (4)	Optionally move all found/created items to a specific process in ManagementStudio.
Blueprints(5)	Optionally add all found/created items to up to two Blueprints in ManagementStudio.
Match On(6)	When trying to find items in ManagementStudio to update the import will try to match items on this list of criteria. The match is done in the order they appear in the Userinterface. e.g. if a matching AppId is found in ManagementStudio it will not try to match the CustomerId or App Name. If no match is found and the 'Create New' option is selected a new item will be created in ManagementStudio.
Import Blanks(7)	By default blank data in the Excel data will not overwrite existing data in ManagementStudio, this option allows blank data to be imported.
Data Contract (8)	Load Import Contract allows the importer to import a previously saved spreadsheet with the predefined settings. Save Import Contract allows the importer to save the current settings to be used next time.

Import Grid

Imported Excel files have their headers listed down the left side of the import grid and can be matched to fields inside of ManagementStudio. The following table describes each of the features:

Controls	Description
Toggle row on/off for Import (1)	If the auto-match finds some columns in the data that you don’t need to import then this can be used to quickly remove those columns of data from the scope of the import.
Import (2)	The header that was found in the Excel data. NB – if headers are on row two of the data, the toolbar has an option to use the 2^nd row as the source of the header.
Row 1 & 2 (3)	Sample data from the Excel sheet to aid in matching columns to ManagementStudio fields NB - these can be hidden via an option in the toolbar
Details (4)	ManagementStudio details fields are the target field that the Excel data can be imported into. Clicking on a cell will bring up a dropdown of available ManagementStudio Fields to target. This fields matches on both the internal name renamed field e.g if 'AppVendor' has been renamed to 'Manufacturer', then the matcher will look for both values in the column headers of the Excel data NB - AppId is generated automatically by ManagementStudio and is not required when creating a new application
Discovery Tab (5)	ManagementStudio Custom Form Fields, these are target fields that Excel data can be imported into. The auto-matcher will look for field-name regardless of the section of the form that field is in. e.g. Excel column: 'Target Directory' will be matched to field 'Installation\Target Directory' 'Installation\Target Directory' with a Field Id of 34 would match an Excel header of 'Target Directory' or '34'

Further Support

If you require further support, please visit ManagementStudio's Service Desk to search the knowledge base or create a new support ticket.