Loading Foundation data by using spreadsheets

As an administrator, you can load Foundation data in bulk. Bulk data loading is the process of copying the Foundation data sets from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and loading the data sets to BMC Helix Innovation Suite by using Data Management console. This capability makes the Foundation data available to the consuming applications and ensures onboarding of users in the organization.

Related topics

Loading-Foundation-data-manually

Loading-Foundation-data-by-using-model-data

For uploading Foundation data, you must populate the appropriate dataload spreadsheets. When using the Data Management console, use the dataload spreadsheets that are provided with this version of BMC Helix Innovation Suite. Each spreadsheet includes specific instructions in the spreadsheet that simplify the task of entering data into the spreadsheet. For more information, see Populating-the-dataload-spreadsheets. 

Spreadsheet Management provides a central repository for the original source of your spreadsheets. It enables you to use templates to create your own spreadsheets and to populate your spreadsheets. For more information about downloading a template spreadsheet or creating your own spreadsheet, see Downloading-and-creating-data-load-spreadsheets.

Important

To make sure that you are updating your original spreadsheet and attachment files, use Spreadsheet Management instead of updating your spreadsheets and attachments during the creation or modification of a Load step.

Before you begin

Before you populate the data management spreadsheets, make sure you  plan the activities required for data load jobs. For more information, see Overview-of-the-data-load-process.

To load Foundation data by using your spreadsheets

  1. Log in to Mid Tier.
  2. From the Applications list on the IT Home page, select Data Management > Onboarding Wizard.
  3. On the Onboarding Wizard, you can choose one of the following options:
    • Guide me to onboard complete data for a single company
    • Allow me to onboard partial data for one or more companies
  4. Click the arrow next to Create data Manually, and select the pin icon paperclip.png.
  5. On the Step 1 Company tab, from the Select onboarding company list, enter the company or select from the existing list.
  6. Click Select/Create.
  7. Click Attach my spreadsheet.
  8. From the Add Attachment dialog box, click Choose File, select the required spreadsheet, and click OK.

  9. Click Import.

    Important

    In a server group environment, when you import the spreadsheet to load the Foundation data, the spreadsheet is imported on the user facing server, due to which Action Request System server is unable to locate the spreadsheet to load the Foundation data.

    To load the data successfully, make sure that on the UDM:PermissionInfo form, you update the Atrium Integrator Server Engine Name field to server alias name. For more information, see Permission-Info-form.

  10. If you select Guide me to onboard complete data for a single company option, click Next, and perform these steps for all the Foundation data types that you want to load. 

  11. If you select Allow me to onboard partial data for one or more companies, you can select the Foundation data types that you want to load.

    On Step 7, Operational Catalogs tab, if you click on 2102_Operational Categorization Tier 4.pngbutton to show Operational Categorization Tier 4, to remove the Operational Categorization Tier 4 refresh the page.

  12. Click Finalize Review and Activate. For more information, see Reviewing-and-promoting-Foundation-data.

  13. The Onboarding wizard asks if you want to promote the data either manually or automatically. Select one of the following options:

    Option

    Steps

    Manually confirm all data is valid before creating it as production data

    1. Click Review and Activate. 

      This action opens the Data Visualizer.

    2. In Data Visualizer, the Organizational Structures column is open by default. To expand other columns, click the arrow on the column panel. Review the data to ensure that it is correct. If you find a problem with a record, double-click the record to open the data-editing window. Correct the problem, then click Save to close the window.

    3. Click Validate. 

      The Onboarding wizard runs the validation tests, but does not promote any data until you tell it to. If the Activation screen shows that there are no data exceptions, click Promote to promote the data to the production forms and finish the job. If the Activation screen shows that there are exceptions, you must perform exception handling. To address exceptions, see the information provided in Exception handling.

    4. After you have address any exceptions, click Promote to promote the remaining data.

    Automatically create as production data for any valid data

    1. Click Review and Activate. 

      This action opens the Data Visualizer.

    2. In Data Visualizer, the Organizational Structures column is open by default. To expand other columns, click the arrow on the column panel. Review the data to ensure that it is correct. If you find a problem with a record, double-click the record to open the data-editing window. Correct the problem, then click Save to close the window.
    3. Click Promote to promote the Foundation data.

After you finish promoting the data from an onboarding session and you are still logged on to the Onboarding Wizard, you can easily start another onboarding session with freshly imported data.

To start a new onboarding session, click New to return to the Phase 1 screen and to clear from view all data from the previous onboarding session.

  • The New button does not delete the data from the staging forms used in Phase 1; it only removes the data from view. The data in the staging forms is kept in the staging forms according to value specified in the Keep Promoted Staging Records field in the Data Management application preferences.
  • Data that has been activated by using the Data Wizard is unaffected by the New button.

 

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