Creating an Import Data Job

To import data, you create an Import Data job.

To create a job to import data:

  1. From the Home page, click Application, and then click Jobs.

  2. Click the Import Export tab at the bottom of the Jobs console.

  3. On the Import Export tab, click Create Job.

  4. In Job Type, click the drop-down and select Import Data.

  5. In Job Details, enter the following information:

    Table 6-1 Import Data Options

    Import Data Option Description

    Name

    Name of the Import Data job.

    Location

    Select the location of the data import file:

    • Local: Imports the data import file from a location on your computer.

    • Inbox: Imports the data import file from the server.

      If you select Inbox, specify an Error File ro review the data that was rejected during the data import job, This file will provide information about the data records that were not imported. If an error zip file is specified, the zip file is stored in the Outbox where you can download the file using Inbox/Outbox Explorer.

      See Uploading and Downloading Files Using the Inbox/Outbox Explorer.

    Note: Valid data import file types are .csv, .txt, or .zip.

    Source Type

    Select the source type for the data import file:

    • Default: Select this source type to load data in a business process-specific data file format. If you select this option, you must choose a File Type and a Date Format. File type options are Comma delimited, Tab delimited, and Other. Date format options are MM-DD-YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, and YYYY-MM-DD.

      Note:

      • If an import error occurs during a business process-specific data load, the import will continue to load valid data (partial load). Any errors will be noted in the import and export status. See Viewing Data Import and Export Status .

      • For a list of supported delimiter characters and exceptions, see Other Supported Delimiter Characters.

      • If data is exported to a file in a business process-specific format, you can use Notepad to change the database name in the file; for example, ASOCube, and then import the data file into the aggregate storage outline (provided all dimensions exist in the aggregate storage outline).

    • Essbase: Select this source type to load data in an Oracle Essbase data file format. If you select this option, you must choose a cube.

      For Delimiter, specify the delimiter for the Essbase data; options are Space or Tab.

      Note: Stop In Case of Error is selected by default. If this option is selected and any import errors occur during an Essbase data load, the import will quit and no data will be loaded. If this option is cleared, data will continue to load even if there are errors.

    Source File

    Enter or select the source file:

    • If you selected Local for the location, click Source File to navigate to and select the source file.

    • If you selected Inbox for the location, enter the name of the file in Source File.

    Date Format

    Select a date format from the drop-down list.
    Include Metadata

    Select whether to include metadata in your data inport.

    Note that clearing the Include Metadata option improves data import performance and prevents members from changing position in the outline during data import.

    Regardless of this option setting, the required metadata must already exist in the business process and in the Oracle Essbase outline before you can load the application data.

    Missing Data Label

    Specify how to display missing values in forms. Enter an alphabetic value that does not exceed 16 characters. You can begin the value with a # (number sign). If no value is entered, the system defaults to #MISSING.

    Note: If you are using a data import file that's based on a template (in other words, you ran the export data process in your business process and you're using the exported file as a template), this label must match the Missing Data Label that was defined during data export. See Creating an Export Data Job.

    File Type

    Choose a file type:

    • Comma delimited

    • Tab delimited

    • Other

    Note the following:

    • If an import error occurs during a business process-specific data load, the import will continue to load valid data (partial load). Any errors are noted in the import and export status. See Viewing Data Import and Export Status.

    • For a list of supported delimiter characters and exceptions, see Other Supported Delimiter Characters.

    • If data is exported to a file in a business process-specific format, you can use Notepad to change the database name in the file; for example, ASOCube, and then import the data file into the aggregate storage outline (provided all dimensions exist in the aggregate storage outline).
    Last Validate/Import

    This field displays the date of the last validation or import, if any.

  6. If you selected Local for the import data file location, click Import to select the file to import, and then click Validate to test whether the import file format is correct.

  7. Click Save to save the job details.

  8. Return to the Import/Export tab to view the Import Data job.

Tip:

Creating an Import Data job is useful to batch a load sequence; for example, import metadata, then import data, then run rules when the data load is complete. You can run up to five import jobs at one time.

Note:

Considerations When Importing Data

  • Since there is no option to clear data before import, the import will not overwrite existing data values with #MISSING values. Instead, complete one of the following tasks:

    • Run a Clear Cube job to clear specific business process data within input and reporting cubes. See Creating Clear Cube Jobs.

    • Write a business rule that uses the CLEARDATA Essbase command to clear specific data values. See CLEARDATA in Technical Reference for Oracle Analytics Cloud - Essbase.

    • Use the Clear Data Slices REST API to clear business process and Essbase data for a specified region. See Clear Data Slices in REST APIs for Oracle Fusion Cloud EPM.

  • If the evaluation order in the application is changed after exporting data, the import may have unexpected results.

  • If a value in a data load input file doesn't match the evaluated driver member type; for example, if the evaluated type of a driver member is "date" and its corresponding input value isn't a valid date format, a driver member casting error occurs. See Driver Member Casting Errors.