Import process instances

Required Roles Application Repository Manager and/or Import Operator
Required Rights
(by category)		 Import Process Instances
Perspective  Operational Console Management
Access  DROPS Server →  Import Process →  Import Process Instances

Import process instances are created automatically when an import is launched from the All Applications node. Instances can also be created from the  Import Processes search view and either executed manually or scheduled in order to execute them at a later date or execute them regularly. Jenkins can also create import process instances if they are launched outside of the DROPS Studio.

Reference

For more information about importing with Jenkins, refer to DROPS for Jenkins.

Different import process instances can be scheduled to match your development team's deliveries. To manage when import strategies are executed, schedule when an import process instance should be carried out. Scheduling the import process is useful if you need to continuously import content that is regularly updated or if you know in advance when the next batch of content to import will be ready.

A dedicated job runs on the DROPS Server that regularly scans for scheduled import process instances, then triggers import strategies according to the schedule(s).

Follow the subsequent steps to search for import process instances.

The Import Process search view

Step 1   Select  Import Process Instances from the  Import Process node in the Console Explorer or right-click on an application and select  Show Import History.

Step 2    When the search view is opened, the list of instances is empty. Use the search criteria sections to filter the search.

  • To search for the processes by Application or Release, select it by clicking the corresponding  browse button.
  • To search only for scheduled import process instances, tick the Scheduled Only checkbox.

Enter any combination of the above search criteria, then click the Search button to display the results. To display the complete list, click the Search button without entering any search criteria.

To display all of the items by default each time the search view is opened, select the auto search icon.

Result   The  Import Process search view displays all of the finished and scheduled import process instances that meet the search criteria.

The App. Code column displays the instance's Technical ID in [brackets] as well as the name of the application that was used to import and one of the following icons:

  •  Prepared/Completed.
  •  Active scheduled instance.
  •  Paused scheduled instance.

The App. Name column displays the name of the application as defined.

The Release Number column displays the official version number of the release created by the import process instance.

The Execution Status and Execution Result columns display the current statuses of each instance and change while the instance is being processed.

Import process instance statuses & results
Prepared Prepared instances are ready to be executed.
Completed Completed instances have already been executed.
In Progress The progress bar is displayed while the instance is executing.
Waiting If the import process is stuck and requires user action to complete. This possibility is only active for ARCAD imports and is displayed when the source IBM i is in MSGW status. Action must be taken on the IBM i side before the import process can complete.
Succeeded If an instance executed successfully.
Failed If any step in the import process failed to successfully execute.

The End Date column displays the date the instance finished importing.

There are three ways to create import process instances:

  1. Launch an Import from an application to automatically create an instance that is displayed in the  Import Process search view.

    Reference

    For more information about launching the import process from an application, refer to Importing artifacts immediately by application.

  2. Create new import process instances using the Import Artifacts wizard.
  3. Duplicate an existing import process instance to quickly create an instance with the same parameters as another instance. Duplicating creates a copy of an existing instance that can be modified.

Follow the subsequent steps to create a new Import process manually.

Step 1   To open the Import Artifacts wizard, either click the  Create icon in the  Import Process search view or right-click anywhere in the view and select  Create a new import process instance.

Step 2   Select the application that includes the artifacts to import.

Click Next > to continue.

Step 3   Select the release in which to save the artifacts that will be imported.

  • If Current Release is selected, the release defined in the Current Release field in the application is used to import (displayed in parentheses).

  • If Create a New Release is selected, a new release will be created using the Release Number Template defined in the application.

    If this option is selected, define the part of a release’s version number to increment from the Increment Part drop-down menu. Keep in mind that the algorithm will update the other parts automatically. By default, the part is set to the value defined in the Default Release Increment Part.

  • Selecting an existing, active release from the prepopulated list will import the artifacts to that release.

Click Next > to continue.

Step 4   Define the import options.

Enter a description for the release to better identify the contents.

Tick the Reset release before importing checkbox to purge the selected release of all of its contents before importing the artifacts. The current import replaces the old content completely.

Tick the Use Deployment Process option to execute a deployment process at the end of the import. Select a deployment process from the drop-down list to execute at the end of the import. The list displays all the processes defined for the selected application. At the end of the import, if it is successful, a deployment process instance is prepared and executed.

Note

The user who executes the import process instance must have the mandatory Rights to prepare and execute deployment process instances for this function to work.

Click Next > to continue.

Step 5   To associate the instance with a workitem, select the provider then the pre-defined workitem.

Reference

For more information about JIRA issues and workitems in DROPS, refer to Workitems.

Step 6   Select the import strategy(ies) to use to feed the selected release.

Filtering the import strategies of the components in the application enables you to select different combinations of artifacts for this release.

  • Ticking No Filter will automatically import all of the application's artifacts.
  • To use an external file that defines which component(s) and import strategy(ies) to use, enter its name in the External File Name field. This can also be done in the Application editor in the Default Imported Version file name field.

  • Select which import strategies to use or not by adding or removing them from the User-Defined Filter section.

    Click the Edit button to edit an import strategy already in the list.

    The list displays the import strategies used and their corresponding components as well as the version to import. The External Version refers by default to the ${import.version} substitution variable (*RELEASE).

    Important!

    The import strategies selected in this section define the components that will be deployed when this release is launched.

    Only "normal" import strategies are available in this list. Initial import strategies can only be launched by selecting to import Initial Import Strategies.

    Reference

    For more information about strategies, refer to Import strategies and Import strategy type configuration.

Step 7   Schedule the import process.

  • A schedule set to execute Once executes the import one time at a given time. The Time must be set to define the time to run the execution.
  • A Periodic schedule executes the import process at regular time intervals. The Interval must be set, and the day(s) of the week as well, to define the time elapsed (in minutes) between two consecutive executions. The process will run every day that is selected every week.
  • Daily import process instances will be run once on the Day(s) of the week selected, every week.
  • Monthly import process instances will be run once on day Day of the Month defined, every month.

Step 8    Click Finish.

Result   If the instance was scheduled to run immediately or wasn't scheduled at all, the import is launched.

If the instance was scheduled for a later date or time, it appears in the Import Process search view as a  scheduled process and will launch automatically at the defined time.

When an instance’s execution status is Completed and the result is Succeeded its icon changes to show that the import was successful .

Reference

For more information about import results, refer to Understanding import process instance results and Imported artifacts.

Duplicating an instance is a quick way to create an identical instance that you can later modify or schedule differently.

To duplicate an existing import process instance, select it then either click the  Duplicate icon, or right-click on it and select  Duplicate an import process instance. The Duplicate Import Process wizard is prepopulated with most of the values defined for the original instance. When an import process instance is duplicated, the release will be reset by default before importing, even if this option was inactive in the original instance. You can modify any settings before clicking Finish to create the duplication instance.

Important!

You cannot change the  application of a duplicated import instance.

The duplication instance is automatically available in the  Import Process search view and has its own unique Technical ID.

Executing an existing import process instance creates a new instance.

To execute an existing import process instance, either right-click then select  Execute the import process instance, or click the  execute import process instance icon in the view.

Warning!

Executing a scheduled import process instance will unschedule it and import it immediately.

To view what happens during the execution in real-time, open the import instance’s Results view and watch the import actions take place from the Console tab.

Consulting Import Execution results in real-time (Console)

Note

The Console tab is only available in Prepared instances or those which are currently In Progress. If an instance has finished executing the Console is no longer available but the log can be accessed in the Logs tab.

Scheduled import process instances will launch automatically when the defined day and time arrive.

  • To pause a scheduled import process instance, select it and either right-click then select Stop Schedule, or click the  stop schedule icon in the toolbar.

    The Icon in the search view changes from an  active scheduled instance, to  paused.

  • Re restart a paused scheduled import process instance, select it and either right-click then select  Restart Schedule, or click the  restart schedule icon in the toolbar.

The  Import Process Instances search view provides some details of processed import process instances. Access more information by either double-clicking on instance in the list, selecting it then clicking the Results icon in the view or right-clicking then selecting  Show Import Results.

The Import Results view contains multiple tabs that each contain different elements of the import.

The Overview tab displays the uneditable general information about the instance. The scheduling information for the instance can be edited here. The End Date is left blank until the instance is executed.

All of the activity from the import is displayed in the Logs tab. Every action carried out during a deployment is logged.

The Import Results view - Logs

Filter results by Message Code, Message Text, Component Name, or Strategy Name. Enter any combination of search criteria then click the  search icon to display the results. To display the complete log, click Search without entering any criteria.

Filter the severity of the results displayed by selecting one or more of the Severity icons

  •  Fatal: only fatal errors are displayed.
  •  Warning: only Warnings errors are displayed.
  •  Info: only Important information is displayed.
  •  Verbose: only details are displayed.

Use the Show Previous and Next icons to quickly move through a long list of entries to find and jump to the fatal errors.

Click the export icon to open the selected log(s) in an external text editor. By default, the editor will open automatically.

Click the export to JSON file icon to open the selected log(s) in .json format. You will be prompted to select where to save the file.

Each import strategy carried out during the import process is represented by its own tab. Each of these tabs describe the strategy's status and enables you to see the list of imported artifacts (the artifact list) by clicking the Display the artifact list link.

Clicking this link opens the List Editor which lists each artifact included in the import process instance. All of the relavent information is listed for each artifact in the table, including the source path and the path to the artifact on the DROPS Server.

If the import process was associated with a workitem, a link to the JIRA issue is included in the Workitem section. Click the link to open the issue in your default browser.

Warning!

Deleted import process instances cannot be accessed or recovered. Deleting an instance does not delete the artifacts that have already been imported by it. Only the trace of the import is removed.

To delete an import process instance search for it in the  Import Process search view. Either right-click on it, then select  Delete or select it, then click the  delete icon. Click OK to confirm or click Cancel to keep the instance.