Imports
Import is an efficient method when you have a lot of information that needs to be registered in Snow License Manager, for example, license purchases.
You can import data manually on an occasional basis, or automatically on a regular basis. Manual imports are performed in Snow Management and Configuration Center or in Snow License Manager, while automated imports are set up and scheduled via the Web Configurator tool.
Manual imports
The import functionality in Snow Management and Configuration Center is wizard-based. It allows you to import new objects and update existing objects in the Snow License Manager database. You can import information to the standard fields in Snow License Manager and to most custom fields applicable to the category. The exception is custom fields of the type currency.
There is also a dedicated wizard for import of agreements and licenses from Microsoft License Statements (MLS). For more information, see Microsoft License Statements.
Source files
The source file of the import can be in Excel format or CSV format. You can use import files both with and without a file header.
The names of the columns in the header of the import file do not necessarily have to match the names of the destination fields in Snow License Manager. Mapping of source and target fields is done in the Field mapping step of the import wizard.
For a successful import of new or updated information in Snow License Manager, certain information must be provided in the import file. For detailed information on the required data and where the data can be found in the user interface of Snow License Manager after the import, see Data Import Field Description.
Identifier mapping
For successful updates of existing objects in the Snow License Manager database, like applications, computers, or users, you must map the updated information to the correct objects. To manage this, you select an identifier in the Import settings and Field mapping steps of the import wizard. Depending on how the import source file looks like, you can select to identify them by column name or column position (index mapping).
Mapping of source and destination fields
In the Field mapping step of the import wizard, you map the column names in the import file to the corresponding destination fields in the user interface of Snow License Manager. If the import file has no header, you can use index mapping instead. Index mapping means that you map each column by its position in the source file: column position 1, 2, 3, etc.
There are additional options you can use to handle the information in the import file. When you use one or several of these options, an exclamation mark will appear to the right of the field name.
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Trim leading or trailing white space | Use this option to remove any blank spaces in the beginning or the end of a data value. |
Default value | In case there is no data value in the source field, you can import a default value instead. |
Prefix | Use this option to add something in front of all imported values, like a text or a number. For example, you can use it to separate items from different sites. |
Empty value action | For updates of existing items in the database, use this option to decide how to handle empty values in custom fields of the import file: Do not update database or Remove value from database. |
Validation of data
The preview step of the import validates the data before you import it. This is to verify that only allowed data types and values are included in the import file. Errors, like conflicts or invalid values, are highlighted in red and you can point to the fields to see more information on the errors.
Note
If you run an import of data for existing objects, for example, computers or users, these objects must already exist in Snow License Manager.
Any errors and conflicts that are highlighted in red in the preview step will prevent the import.
If the basic setting ALLOW_INCOMPLETE_LICENSES is enabled, fields that are missing the required license information are highlighted in yellow.
For licenses, the import also verifies that the Stock-keeping unit (SKU) matches the entered license settings. Data that differs from what is expected is highlighted in yellow.
The metric of an application is defined by its SKU. If the import data does not match the expected metric, there will be a warning and you are given a chance to change the unexpected value in the source file before continuing with the import. It is possible to continue with the import even without changing, but note that there will be a mismatch in the database.
Microsoft License Statement file import
You can import Microsoft License Statement (MLS) files both from the web user interface of Snow License Manager and in Snow Management and Configuration Center. The file must be in .xlsx format and it must be unaltered in its original state. The MLS import will import agreements and licenses, and map the licenses to the applications in Snow License Manager using the SKU (Stock-keeping Unit) repository. The import will also apply product use rights that you are entitled to.
License information is imported from the License Agreement and the Transaction Data tabs of the MLS file. The columns that are used for the import are described in Data Import Field Description, MLS import
Automated imports
For automated and regular imports of data to Snow License Manager, you can use the File Import Service. The service is configured in the Web Configurator tool. For more information on the Web Configurator, see Web Configurator.
You need to configure one import folder for each type of import, and the settings will apply to all imports of the same type. When the import folders are in place, the Import Service will automatically look for and import data from files dropped in these folders. The files will be processed according to rules defined in the configuration. For more information, see Manage automated data imports.
For successful data imports, certain information must be provided in the import files. Required fields depend on the type of import. For more information, see Data Import Field Description.