9.6 Import/export

You can import/export FAQ articles (knowledge articles in Ops I) and configuration items as CSV files.
By importing/exporting, you can save the state at a certain point in time or create and edit multiple data items at once.
For details on the settings of FAQ articles and categories, see “Import/Export”.
For details on the settings of configuration items, see “Import/Export”.

This section describes the following items.

(1) Add an import/export template

A template is a set of rules that defines the types of objects in OTOBO and the mapping of their fields to information in input and output files, as well as the format of the files. Create a template in the following way.

Select [Admin] from the main menu, and then click [Administration] - [Import/Export]. On the [Import/Export Management] screen, click the [Add template] button. Follow the transition display and fill in the following fields.


1. [Step 1 of 5 - Edit common information:]

(Table) Edit common information

Field Required Description
Name Yes Template name
Object Yes Object for which the template is created
You can select "FAQ", "Category", or "Config Item".
Format Yes Select "CSV".
Valid Yes Select "valid".
Comment No Enter any comments.

2. [Step 2 of 5 - Edit object information:]
The setting items differ depending on the value selected for "Object" in step 1.
If you selected "FAQ" or "Category", see "Import/Export". If you selected "Config Item", see "Import/Export".

3. [Step 3 of 5 - Edit format information:]

(Table) Edit format information

Field Required Description
Column Separator Yes CSV file delimiter
Charset Yes Select "UTF-8".
Include Column Headers Yes Select whether to include the header information.

4. [Step 4 of 5 - Edit mapping information:]
Set the mapping between each column in the CSV file and the fields.
Click [Add Mapping Element] and add the corresponding fields to the columns in the CSV file. The meaning of each column in the table is as follows.

(Table) Edit mapping information

Field Description
KEY Field name
IDENTIFIER* Select whether to handle "KEY" as an identifier.
The identifier is used to map each row of information in the imported CSV file to the corresponding data saved in OTOBO. Select the checkbox of the identifier if you want to overwrite existing data during import. If you do not select the checkbox, the data will be registered as new data.
COLUMN Indicates the corresponding column in the CSV file. It is automatically assigned from 0.
UP Shifts the position of the mapping element up one position.
DOWN Shifts the position of the mapping element down one position.
DELETE Deletes a mapping element.
*If you select "Config Item" for "Object", this is displayed.

5. [Step 5 of 5 - Edit search information:]
Configure settings to limit the number of data items to be exported.
The setting items differ depending on the value selected for "Object" in step 1.
If you selected "FAQ" or "Category", see "Import/Export".
If you selected "Config Item", see "Import/Export".
If you want to limit the export objects, select the [Restrict export per search:] checkbox and set the search conditions in the remaining fields.


(2) Export data

Select [Admin] from the main menu, and then click [Administration] - [Import/Export] to go to the [Import/Export Management] screen, where a list of templates will be displayed.
Click [Export] in the [START EXPORT] column of the template to be exported to download a CSV file based on the template settings.

NoteNote

  • If you export data, a UTF-8 encoded file (CSV format) with no BOM is downloaded. If you open this file in a text editor, it will be displayed normally. However, if you open the file in Excel, character corruption will occur, so encode the file to UTF-8 with BOM and save it again.



(3) Import data

Select [Admin] from the main menu, and then click [Administration] - [Import/Export] to go to the [Import/Export Management] screen, where a list of templates will be displayed.
Click [Import] in the [START IMPORT] column of the template to be imported and select the CSV files to be imported to retrieve and import data from the CSV files based on the template settings.

To create new data in a CSV file, define the following items.

  • Ensure that appropriate values are written in the corresponding columns of the CSV file.
  • If there are fields that are required due to creating a new class or editing a class, the CSV file must contain the appropriate values, including the mapping elements for those fields.

NoteNote

The following content cannot be imported or exported.

  • Links between data items
  • Import/export definitions
    When importing a CSV file exported by OTOBO into another OTOBO environment, it is necessary to create a template equivalent to the one used at the time of export in the importing environment.
  • Attachments
Importing CSV files does not allow the deletion of data.