Import descriptor records

You can create an import descriptor record to define the rules for importing data from external files into Service Manager. Each import descriptor record describes the following information:

• The external file source
• The internal destination table
• The format used to identify fields in the imported file
  • Fixed-width fields
  • Character-delimited fields
• The rules for handling duplicate records
  • Ignore duplicate records
  • Replace duplicate records
  • Update duplicate records
• The optional Format Control record to apply
• The names of destination fields for import records
• The date format to use
• The number of elements from an array to import

Note: You cannot import the database dictionary definition of fields from an external file. To import database dictionary field definitions, you must use the native Service Manager unload format.

When you create an import descriptor record, Service Manager validates the records in the external file against the Service Manager database dictionary. If the validation is unsuccessful, Service Manager displays the message: Validation failed

You can click on the warning message to see the reasons why the data validation failed. Although Service Manager enables you to save an invalid import description record, you cannot use this record to import data. You must correct any validation errors before importing data. After Service Manager validates the file, it imports one record for each entry in the external file.

Related topics

Data maps
Exporting records
Importing records
Unload files
Purging and archiving records
Unload script utility
Master data records
Add an import descriptor record
Import a character-delimited text file
Import a fixed-width text file
Load an unload file
Schedule the importing of records using an import descriptor record
Schedule the loading of an unload file
View the contents of an unload file
Load error messages and notifications