Siebel Order Management Guide Addendum for Communications > Employee Asset-Based Ordering > Roadmap for Configuring Bulk Requests >

Creating Bulk Import Template Files

To save time when creating a bulk request, users can import the data from a template XML file to populate the action set, contact, service, and action fields for the bulk request. For more information, see Importing Bulk Request Data from a Template File.

To create import template files for bulk requests, administrators can use the BulkRequest.xls source file, a Microsoft Excel file, that is provided with your Siebel application. BulkRequest.xls is supported in Excel 2003 and Excel 2007. You use this source file in conjunction with a schema file. Each action set worksheet in this source file results in one XML import template file. The only supported data format for import template files is XML. A BulkRequestTemplate.xsd schema file is also provided with the software.

This task is a step in Roadmap for Configuring Bulk Requests.

To create a bulk import template file

1. On the installation media for your Siebel application, locate the Siebel Tools Installation Directory\REPPATCH folder.
2. From the ZIP file in the REPPATCH folder, extract the BulkRequest.xls source file and BulkRequestTemplate.xsd schema file to the D:\BulkRequestTemplate directory.
3. Copy, rename, and save the BulkRequest.xls source file.
4. Open the copied BulkRequest.xls source file in Excel.
5. In the copied BulkRequest.xls source file, enter the version number for the import template files in the Version Number field of the Meta Data worksheet.
6. To create Action Set worksheets in the source file:
   1. Click Create Worksheet in the Meta Data worksheet.

      A new worksheet named Action Set 1 is created in the source file, the VersionNumber field in the new worksheet is populated with the version number from the Meta Data worksheet, and the cells in the new worksheet are populated with the field names from the schema file in the Schema File Name field of the Meta Data worksheet.

   2. In the Action Set 1 worksheet, enter data in the cells under the field names.

      For some fields, empty cell values are acceptable. For more information, see About Required XLS Source File Fields.

   3. Repeat Step a and Step b for each new worksheet that you want to create in the source file.

      Subsequent worksheets are named Action Set 2, Action Set 3, and so on.

7. Click Export to XML in the Meta Data worksheet.

   Each worksheet in the source file results in one XML import template file in the folder specified in the last leg of the Export File variable path in the Meta Data worksheet.

About XLS Source File Macros

The macros in the BulkRequest.xls source file contain the following procedures:

• ReadMetaData. Reads the cell values for the variables in the Meta Data worksheet. You must update this procedure if you change the location of the cell values for existing variables in the Meta Data worksheet or if you add new variables to the Meta Data worksheet.
• SetupMapping. Inserts a new worksheet after the last worksheet in the source file, populates the VersionNumber field of the new worksheet with the version number from the Meta Data worksheet, loads the schema file from the location specified in the Schema File Name variable in the Meta Data worksheet, and calls the HeaderMap, ActionMap, and UserMap procedures to map each field name in the schema file to a cell in the new worksheet. When you click the Create Worksheet button in the Meta Data worksheet, you call this procedure.
  • HeaderMap. Maps the field names from the schema file to the action set section of the new worksheet. The SetupMapping procedure calls this procedure.
  • ActionMap. Maps the field names from the schema file to the action section of the new worksheet. The SetupMapping procedure calls this procedure.
  • UserMap. Maps the field names from the schema file to the instances section of the new worksheet. The SetupMapping procedure calls this procedure.
• ExportXML. Iterates through the worksheets in the source file, and exports each exportable action set worksheet to an XML file. Each XML filename begins with the filename specified in the last leg of the Export File variable path in the Meta Data worksheet. Each XML filename ends with an index number (for example, 1, 2, 3, and so on) that corresponds to the action set number for the worksheet from which the XML file is generated. When you click the Export to XML button in the Meta Data worksheet, you call this procedure.

About Required XLS Source File Fields

The XLS source file must contain the fields listed in the following sections:

• First Section. Include the following field: VersionNumber. The version number of the import template files.
• Second Section. At a minimum, include the following fields:
  • Sequence. The sequence number for the action set.
  • Type. The type of action set, for example, New, Modify, or Update.
  • CustomerAccount. The name of the customer account for the action set.
  • ChildInstanceType. The type of instance for the action set, for example, Contact Id, Service Id, Agreement Id, or Network Id. You must include this field only if you include the Service Id field in the fourth section. Otherwise, this field displays a default value of the Contact Id for the records that you import into the Siebel application.

    This field maps to the ChildType field in the Siebel application user interface.

• Third Section. At a minimum, include the following fields:
  • ActionSequence. The sequence number for the action.
  • ActionName. The name of the action, for example, Add, Update, Suspend, Resume, Delete, or Upgrade.
  • BaseProduct. The base product for the action.

    Additional fields apply to some actions. For more information about the following fields to include, see Adding Actions to a Bulk Request Action Set:

  • Component. The component product for the base product.
  • Attribute. The attribute for the base product or component product.
  • Field. The field for the base product or component product.
  • AttributeValue. The value of the attribute.
  • FieldValue. The value of the field.
  • UpgradeProduct. The product to which the base product is upgraded.
• Fourth Section. At a minimum, include one of the following fields:
  • Email. The email address of the contact who is associated with an asset. You must include this field if the ChildType field is Contact Id or if the source file has no ChildType field.
  • ServiceId. The service ID of an asset. You must include this field if the ChildType field is Service Id.
  • Component Product Number. The number that identifies the component product associated with an asset. You must include this field if the ChildType field is Network Id.
  • Agreement Id. The agreement ID associated with an asset. You must include this field if the ChildType field is Agreement Id.