Creating an Import File

Since a missing tab can cause errors in an import by causing data to be imported into the wrong fields, creating a file from scratch in a text editor is relatively error-prone. The following methods are recommended for creating import files quickly and accurately:

  • Export a map, then edit the file.
  • Use a spreadsheet application such as Excel to create a tab-delimited file.
  • Generate a file algorithmically from a database. This may be useful if you plan to update maps regularly.

An import file is text file, formatted as follows:

  • The first line of the file specifies the format of the following lines - specifies the file format (tab in the example below), the table to be filled ("devices") and the order of the fields. Three fields must be specified: MapName, Address, and Probe; the remaining fields are optional.
  • Remaining lines contain the data for the devices you want to import - each device occupies a single line, and the data columns are separated by tabs (a "tab-delimited" file.) Each column corresponds to a field in the fields specification of Line 1.

Line 1 - Specifying the Import File Data Format

The first line of the file determines the method you are going to use for importing, and can provide you with a significant amount of control over how devices are imported. There are two different methods you can use for importing; each uses a different format for the first line of the file:

  • Spreadsheet-style import - This technique is used only for adding new devices to a map. The first line of the file contains the column names associated with the data in the remaining lines. This is the recommended method. Once you have created this file, it is easy to change the first line to a Directive line.

  • Directive line - This method gives you a large amount of control over the import process. In addition to inserting new devices, you can update specific attributes of existing devices, change their appearance or location, and delete them. This technique is documented in Advanced Data Importing in the References section.

    NOTE:
    • For either style of importing, data is set only in those fields whose Access value is specified as READ-WRITE in the Device Attributes and Vertex Attributes topics, found in the in Advanced Data Importing in the References section.
    • Text files should be encoded in UTF8 format.
    • Characters with values less than 255 can be imported directly.
    • Character values greater than 255 must be escaped using the standard XML format (&#[character code]).

Spreadsheet-Style Import File

The recommended format for creating an import file is a spreadsheet style format, in which the first line contains tab-separated column names that correspond to the remaining rows:

LabelTemplate MapName Address 
Machine1 Map1 192.0.0.1
Machine2 Map1 192.0.0.2

This is the equivalent of the following directive line, as explained below:

# format=tab table=devices fields=LabelTemplate,MapName,Address insert=LabelTemplate,MapName,Address
Machine1 Map1 192.0.0.1 
Machine2 Map1 192.0.0.2
NOTE:
  • If you created a spreadsheet-style import file, you can easily change it to a Directive line-based file for updating the map.
  • You can include columns in your import file from both the Device and Vertices tables. Intermapper automatically applies the Vertex attributes appropriately.

The columns are imported in the order specified. The last value specified takes precedence over previous values in the same line. Because of this, Help/Systems recommends that you use only one the following columns when importing. If more than one of these is specified, and there are conflicts, the last column's values are used:

  • Address
  • DNSName
  • IMProbe

For a complete list of device attributes and corresponding field names, see Device Attributes in Advanced Data Importing in the References section.

Directive-Line

Using the Directive Line technique, in addition to inserting new devices, you can update specific attributes of existing devices, change their appearance or location, and delete them. This technique is documented in Advanced Data Importing in the References section.