| Agile Product Lifecycle Management Product Portfolio Management User Guide Release 9.3.3 E39293-05 |
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| Agile Product Lifecycle Management Product Portfolio Management User Guide Release 9.3.3 E39293-05 |
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Agile PLM provides the capability to import or export PLM data by the use of Import and Export wizards. To import or export Agile data, you must have the appropriate privileges.
For generic information on importing and exporting data in Agile PLM, see the Agile PLM Import Export Guide. If you have questions about privileges that are not covered in this guide, contact your Agile PLM administrator or refer to the Agile PLM Administrator Guide.
The Import wizard enables you to add and update large files (product content) from other formats into Agile PPM. Import not only brings in legacy data that is required to start your business processes within Agile, but also enables you to update product content periodically. The Import process must be implemented appropriately to reap the value of Agile solutions.
You can create large data source files and quickly upload them in bulk into Agile through the import procedures described here. Prior to import, you can set preferences to specify the conditions for import.
The Import Wizard enables you to import the following objects into Agile PPM:
Projects and project content such as Discussions or Action Items
User Groups
Users
Discussion and Action items can only be created and not updated. You cannot update or modify existing data.
Before you import data from source files into Agile PPM:
Ensure that you have the appropriate Agile PPM user license and privileges. To import Agile data, you must have Create, Discover, Read, and Modify and Import privileges for each type of Agile object you are importing. You also must have the Import privilege options enabled in Java Client. If you have questions about privileges, contact your Agile administrator or refer to the Agile PLM Administrator Guide. To launch Import, you must have the My User Profile role, Read User privilege and Import privilege.
Ensure that you understand the specifications for each field. Certain fields are mandatory; therefore you must map them in the Import wizard fields. Fields also have data types, which determine how the data should be formatted, and maximum lengths, which the Agile PPM system validates on import. These are set in the Import Wizard Preferences.
Ensure that your data is in the correct file format. If you are importing data from text files, check your source data to ensure that it is in a supported file format, and matches the Import Preferences settings. For details, see "Supported File Formats." To create aXML files, use Agile Content Service (ACS), Agile Integration Services (AIS), or create an aXML file from the Export command. You can view aXML files in any XML viewer, including Internet Explorer.
Ensure that the Agile PPM system has sufficient hard disk space for importing large data files or create an aXML file from Export Wizard.
When you use the Import Wizard in Web Client, the data stays for the duration of the session. The settings that persist include:
Import preference settings
Source file configuration
Selected content to import
Selected mapping file
Selected transformation file
Selected change number
When you choose a different source file, the selected content, mapping file, and transformation file are reset.
Before importing a large file, clear the Log Transformations preference check box for faster results. If you are importing large amounts of data during one import session, you should perform the session during non-business hours - when system usage is low. After the import session is finished, you can view the log file in a browser or save it to a file.
For more information, see the Import and Export Guide.
You can import and export data in several file formats. The following file formats are supported:
| Use File Type | Description | To Import |
|---|---|---|
| Delimited Text File (.dtf) | A standard flat text file where each field data is delimited by a special character, such as a comma or a tab. | Any object. |
| Excel Workbook (.txt, .csv, .xls) | Microsoft Excel workbook files. The import wizard supports files created from MS Excel 2000, 2002, 2003, and Win XP. | Users, User Groups, Root Projects, and Action Items. |
| Agile XML (.axml) | Agile's proprietary XML format that includes data not supported by PDX. | Users, User Groups, and Discussions |
| MS Project Export File (.xml) | XML data exported from Microsoft Project for import to Agile. For more information about this format, see the Agile Import and Export Guide. | Projects and project objects created in Microsoft Project. |
Before you import data, you may need to transform the values in some fields to make them compatible with the Agile system. You can use a Transformation Definition file to perform this transformation. Transformation definition files are especially helpful for importing data from PDX or aXML packages. Generally, PDX or aXML packages are read-only. You cannot change the values contained in an archived file. If there are data inconsistencies in a PDX or aXML package, you must try to correct them using a transformation definition file.
A transformation definition file is a comma-delimited text file. Optionally, you can qualify text strings in the file using double-quotes ("). The file must contain a set of required fields needed to transform import data.
The Import wizard does not support transformation definition files created with previous Agile Product Cost Management or Agile Product Collaboration releases.
Transformation definition files are optional for importing data. If the source data does not need to be modified, you can skip the Data Transformation step in the Import Wizard. Transformation file step is used only in case of aXML data as it cannot be modified in any other tool.
To launch the Import function, choose Tools and Settings > Import. This opens the Import Wizard that guides you through the import procedure. Importing is done in the following sequence:
Define import preferences.
Select the source file to be imported and specify file type.
Select the content from the list of contents that can be imported.
Map source fields to target solution fields to store the imported data.
Transform source field data into the Agile format.
Review the information that you have entered and start the import.
An Import log records the process, and logs the results and errors.
The following sections describe each step of the import procedure in detail.
Preference settings allow you to set different conditions to run the import. The Import wizard has several preference settings that you can set from any step in the wizard. These settings persist during the current Agile PLM client session, but they are not permanently saved with each user's profile.
These settings are optional; you can complete the import without specifying preferences.
To set import preferences:
Click the Preferences button at the bottom left corner of the Import wizard. The Import Preference window appears.
Select one of the following from the list:
Parsing and Validation Options
Business Rule Options
Default Types
AutoNumber Sources
Depending on the option you choose, the wizard displays a list of values that you can define. For complete details on the impact of each setting you define, see the Agile Import and Export Guide.
Select preference settings and click OK.
The File Selection step in the Import Wizard lets you select the source file to be imported and configure it for import.
To select the source file for the import:
In the Import File field, click Browse to select the file from your local drive. Ensure that the file you select is in one of the supported formats. Depending on the format of the file you choose, additional configuration fields appear.
Select the appropriate options for your import as described in the table below.
| Field Name | Action |
|---|---|
| Template Type | Select the template type of your import file. |
| Select Worksheet
(for Excel files) |
Excel files consists of several sheets in a single file. In case more than 1 sheet exists, you can specify the sheet number here. |
| Field Delimiter | Select the appropriate field delimiter which will separate figures or text within the file. |
| Text Qualifier | Select the symbol which will qualify the data as text and not figures. |
| Location of Header Row | Specify the row number within the worksheet which contains the text to be used as the header row. |
| Location of Last Row | Specify the row number in the worksheet to be taken as the last row to import data.
Use this setting to import a table format file which may contain multiple object types. Import will only load specified data based on header row and last row specified. You can also use it if the import sheet is too long and you do not want all the content to be imported. |
| File Encoding | Specify File encoding. |
Click Next.
The third step of the import wizard enables you to:
Specify the objects that you want to import.
Select mapping and data transformation methods to use.
To select project content to be imported:
Click Project to view the options available.
Select the content object you want to import. You can only select one object at a time.
Click Next to move to the next step.
To select mapping and transformation methods:
Under Data Mapping, select one of the following options to define mapping specifications:
Define attribute mapping in next step - To map each field manually, select this option.
Use a saved mapping file - If you already have an existing mapping file which corresponds to the file which is being imported, select this option. Then click Browse to locate and select the saved mapping file from your directory.
Under Data Transformation, select one of the following options to define transformation specifications:
Do not Perform any Transformations - If you are not importing an aXML file, select this option.
Use a saved transformation file - If you are importing an aXML file, select this option. Then click Browse and select a Transformation Definition file from your directory. You can also use the transformation template that Agile provides, if you want. Click Download Transformation Template. Save the file onto your computer and then select it for use in the import.
Any transformation that occurs during an import session is recorded in the Import Log file. For more information on transformation files, see "Data Transformation."
Click Next to move to the next step.
You can now map fields in the source data to Agile fields. The left column (Import Fields) lists the fields in the header row of the import source file. The data fields that can be imported are displayed in the right column (Agile Fields) categorized as Activities and Gates. Only fields that you map will be imported. The remaining data will not be included.
To map source fields to Agile fields:
Click Expand All to view all the fields listed under Agile fields. Mandatory fields for creating a project are displayed in bold. Required fields appear in green.
Click once on a field in the left column to select it. Click the corresponding Agile field in the right column to create the mapping. The mapped field appears next to the Agile field for your reference.
Continue mapping each field. Ensure that all required fields are mapped.
If you have mapped the same import field more than once, the word [multiple] appears next to the field. To remove an incorrect mapping, click the x symbol next to the field name.
When you finish mapping source fields to Agile fields, you can choose to save this mapping file for future use. Click Save As and save the file to your local drive.
To review import settings, click Next.
The final step of the Import Wizard enables you to review all the specified import settings so that you can go back and make changes if necessary.
To check if your data is in order, click Validate.
To begin the import, click Import. The source data is imported into Agile PPM. To cancel the process, click Cancel.
An Import Log displays the results of the import action and error messages. To keep a record of the import errors, click Save Log.
To return to Agile Web Client, click Close.
The Export Wizard enables the extraction of projects and other objects from Agile PLM into formats such as Microsoft Excel worksheets, comma-delimited text, PDX Packages or aXML Packages, for distribution to customers or vendors.
You can export the following types of objects from Agile PPM:
Discussions
Root Projects
Users and User Groups
You can also export a project, make modifications to P1, P2 and P3 fields, and then import it back into Agile.
To start the Export wizard from Agile Web Client:
Open an object to export.
Choose Tools and Settings > Export.
To start the Export wizard from Agile Java Client:
Open a root project to export.
Choose Actions > Export.
Search for objects that can be exported, and select one or more objects in the Search Results page.
Choose Tools > Export.
To export a project or PPM object:
In the Select Objects to Extract page, from the Format drop-down list, select the format to which you want to export data.
In the Site field, select a site. To export data for all sites, select All.
The Site field is only available if your Agile system includes the Sites server license.
To identify the projects or other Agile objects for export, click Add. An Add Objects dialog opens, where you can search and locate objects.
Select the objects you want to export and click Next.
You can now provide filter conditions for the export:
To define your own filter conditions, select the Create custom filter option and click Next. Then select the individual tabs for the content you want to export or select Select All to export all content. Click Next to continue.
To use a pre-defined filter for each of the selected objects, select the Use predefined filter option. Select the filter you want from the drop-down list for each object. To review details of each filter, select the filter and click Details. Once you make your selection, click Next.
In the next step, enter export header information for your reference.
To complete the export, click Export. Specify a directory or location to save your export data when prompted.
A confirmation dialog displays to indicate that the export is complete. If there are errors, an error log is displayed.
The export operation takes into consideration only base class-level attribute configuration. If you have enabled or disabled attributes at the subclass level, these configurations will not be maintained during export.
