Is it possible to update existing Insight objects using a CSV file?

[Laurence Reynolds]

Hi,

I have uploaded some objects in to Insight using a CSV file.  But at the time of loading I did not have all the data that needs to be included on the objects.  I now have the data and want to add it to the existing object.  However when I try to re-run the CSV file with the amended entries containing the new data I either get error messages saying the objects already exists or I get a duplicate object created (depending on the uniqueness setting for the label attribute).

Is it possible to update an existing object using a CSV file?

I had thought of exporting the existing objects, modifying the resultant CSV file entries with the new data and then re-importing.  Would this work?

Or do I have to delete all the current objects (after exporting them) and then re-import them with the additional data?

Please advise.  Thanks.

[Daniel Lau · Accepted solution]

Hi Laurence,

It is possible to update existing Insight objects using a CSV file.

You're currently most likely missing a mapping and schema changes for the new attributes and values which was created automatically when you created the import. Without the Schema changes, it won't have the field to map the data. Without the mapping, it won't know what data to map to the field.

We don't have the ability to recreate the automatically mappings after you edit the import file. So you will either have to

• Add the attributes manually to the object schema and create manual mappings  for each of your new attributes to your data or
• Create a new import and hit the "Create predefined Structure" and "Create predefined mappings" which will do what's in the first point essentially automatically

Also make you have "Add" on Unknown values for your import configuration settings.

Hope this solves your problems, essentially the easiest way is just to create a new import with the new file with your new data and have "Add" on Unknown Values and advise to have "Ignore" on Empty Values to not remove existing data. 

Cheers

Daniel

[Kevin Chin]

@Daniel Lau I have similar problem and I am sure it's a common problem. When I import objects using CSV into Insight, many computer objects are being duplicated. Is there a way to import and have it ignore if the object already exist? We do not use Insight Discovery Tool. The default import will delete the original object and replace it with what is on the csv or create duplicate. My goal is to keep the original computer object and ignore what is on the import spreadsheet if it exist already.  

[Mathias Ulstrup Billesbølle]

Hi @Daniel Lau 

Is it possible to the exact same thing for an Insight solution running on a Data Center solution as you describe above? 

Nevermind, just found the settings, so I can update existing objects as well.

Kind regards

Mathias

[Björn Gullander]

Use the Identifier setting: 

Some of your attributes will need to be unique and this can be configured in the import configurations. In the object type mapping setup you can set an attribute as Identifier. When the import is run, the rows will be checked against this attribute to see if the object already exists or not. If it exists it, the object will be updated, otherwise it will be created. 

You can also select multiple attributes if a combination of the attributes are unique for an object.

Setting an attribute as unique will not affect the import behaviour. 

[Laurence Reynolds]

Hi Björn,

Can you please advise how to "select multiple attributes if a combination of the attributes are unique for an object".

Is there any documentation on this?

Thanks.

[Björn Gullander]

Hi @Laurence Reynolds 

By checking several of the attributes in the mappings you tell the importer to use combination of attributes to be unique. In the case below I import a license where the name of the licence and the application is the combined key. 

/Björn