Configuration

After installation or integration of the AIM, it is possible to use import with default configuration. Import process configuration is represented by two ItemTypes: Import Configuration and Import.

This Item (AIM_ImportConfiguration) is the main configuration item for Aras Import Manager. It is available only for the “Administrators” identity by default. To find Default Import Configuration, navigate in the TOC to the Administration > Import Manager > Import Configurations.

Only one Configuration item can be in the system, another one cannot be created. AIM is designed to work with default configuration item only. Import Configuration has two Relationships:

• Available Imports, to configure Import.
• Validation Rules, to manage imports based on validation rules.

This Relationship allows you to manage what kind of items and how they can be imported to the Innovator:

On the right mouse button click on the Available Import row, you can open the form to see more details:

Here is the list of properties and a description of their influence on the import behavior:

• Name - technical name of the import, the same names are in the AIM_Import_ConfigurationList list.
• Enabled - flag, meaning configuration is available right now and can be used.
• Main Item Type – select an IT for which this import is defined.
• Import Mode
  • Ad Hoc – direct change/creation of Items during import.
  • With Change – create a change item to track import:
    • to get into states where you can modify the item and then do the change set (with an ECO item),
    • to let you release the item directly after adding,
    • to follow the organization process.
• Import Type
  • Flat – import items without relationships (eg. Part).
  • Parent-Child – import with connection parent-child (eg. Part BOM).
• Replace Relationship - flag for append or fully replace parent relationship with the import data. Only for Parent-Child Import.

Example:Part 0 exists in the system with Part 1 as BOM. We imported Part0 with Part2 as BOM.

Replace Relationship = falseAs a result, we’ll have Part0 with Part1, Part2 as BOM.Replace Relationship = trueAs a result, we’ll have Part0 with Part2 as BOM.

• Item Action
  • Fetch Query Builder - replace default query to find an item to apply an update (search for an Item by required fields).
    • You have two parts with the same item_number and an additional field to define the current one. Write your own logic to find an item by these specific conditions. Otherwise, a set of required fields from the import item is used.
  • On Add, On Update, On Delete – replace default Innovator actions called during the import (in case you want to apply some specific logic before it).
• Change Management (mandatory for Change Mode)
  • Change Item - define the change ItemType (ex. ECO, DCO).
  • Create Change Item – define a method to create this change item.
  • Add to Change Item - define the method used to add an item built from the File to the Change Item (for Parent-Child import only Parent will be added as an Item to Affected Items).
  • Move Change Item to Edit State - define the steps and how to vote a change Item to a step where the edit is possible (i.e. move an ECO to In Work)
• Ambiguity Fixers - called when the Fetch (default or custom from item action) methods could not pull a single entry from the DB to match the File row. Administrators define a method that would choose between the retrieved Items. If no single Item is chosen, the row will be flagged with a Warning.
  • On Main Item.
  • On Parent Item.
  • On Child Item.

This relationship is used to collect validation rules for imports:

All rules are applied even if the previous Rule failed. They are applied based on the type of Import, matching the columns valued for the Rule, if a determinant is left empty it is applicable for all values.

The rule is defined by:

1. Order, Name, Severity, message(s), and a Method.
2. Applicability: Config Name, ItemType, Import Mode, Import Type and Enabled.