Data Import/Export Framework Walkthrough: Importing data

Microsoft AX Data Import/Export Framework, out of the box supports 70 Entities types. In this post I will perform an import of customer data. The same concept is also applicable to other entities types.

Configuration

You must setup a folder with the purpose of sharing data between AOS Service and SQL SSIS.

Open “Data Import/Export Framework > Setup > Data Import/Export Framework parameters”

Select a folder and press validate.

If the folder exists and has the proper permissions the icon should change to green.  AOS Services and SQL SSIS must have access permissions to this folder.

Data Source Formats

Open “Data Import/Export Framework > Setup > Source Data Formats”

Where possible I prefer using a file format that allows manipulating data directly in Microsoft Excel.

1. Create a new record.
2. In source name, named it “TXT.
3. Select a description that defines the data format.
4. The files will be TAB separated values to easily manipulate it in Microsoft Excel. I have selected the option Delimited in File format and Row Delimiter type “Tab {t}”.
5. I prefer using column names in the first line, so I have selected the “First row
   header” option.

Processing Group

Open “Data Import/Export Framework > Common > Processing Group” and select new. I only want a processing group that will import Customers, so I have named it Customers.

Select Entities option

1. Click New
2. In the entity Name select “Customers”
3. In the Source Format, select previous format, TXT file.
4. Select “Run Business Logic in insert or update method” and “Run business Validation”

Select the option “Generated Source File”

Press Next

Select the fields you would like to import. To work with the proper template file, select “Generate Template”.

Now, open the template in Microsoft Excel and fill your data.

Close Excel, and select the text file in sample data.

Click Modify Mapping to validate the mappings and you can amend incorrect configuration

Select “Mappings to details” to map data using a tabular method.

I have chosen the “Auto-generated option” because I want customers numbers being assigned automatically by Microsoft AX.  Confirm if everything is correct and close window.

Press “Preview Source file”

Close “Entities Processing group window” and select “Get Staging Date” in the list of processing group.

Create a new job.

Select run.

Press Ok.

A log message is displayed.

Now, select “Copy data to Target”, to move the information from the staging area into final entities tables.

Select the job that was created in first step to import data into staging area and ok.

Run the job.

Data Validation

Open Accounts receivable > Common > Customers >All customers and filter, customers using the data in Excel.

Open the customer and validate the imported data.