Importing and Exporting Configuration Components Best Practices

Keep the following set of best practice recommendations in mind when importing and exporting configuration components:

If you have spreadsheets that were downloaded from a previous release, Sopheon recommends completing a download after upgrading to the latest release, to ensure your spreadsheet contains any new configuration settings added to the release.
Using the import and export tools to update or remove configuration within the same environment can result in errors or unintended changes if information is missing in the import or an error occurs during the process.

The following guidelines are recommended when creating or updating files for import:

Apply available Accolade filters to limit the export to the information for the components you wish to change.
Include all file worksheets in the file to be uploaded.
The columns in the spreadsheets must be in the same order for changes to upload successfully. All columns must be present, however the value in a column can be blank if appropriate.
When uploading changes to component configuration, such as changes to quick grids or layouts, the existing configuration will be replaced with the imported version in the workbook. If existing components, such as a pod within a layout or an individual grid within a quick grid, are not included in the file, they will be removed.

Sopheon recommends creating a backup version of the original file prior to making any changes.

Component system names cannot be changed using the export/import functionality. Although not recommended, component system names can be changed in the user interface, as necessary.
Be mindful when changing Process Model configuration through the Import Process Models functionality. For example, if you are changing the number of stages or gates on an inactive process model, this change should be made in the Process Model definition page, or the current model should be obsoleted and a new model created. The Import tool will prompt an error message and will not accept the change if not allowed. Additionally, if the configuration changes are significant or will impact a large number of existing projects, you may experience additional system impacts.
The user performing the new configuration imports should have the highest configuration access group required by the components being loaded. This will minimize the conflicts associated with configuration access group errors related to the user's access levels and will reduce the chances of an incomplete upload.
If you are transporting new configuration between environments, for example from a test environment to a production environment, components should be loaded in a sequence in order to increase efficiency and minimize load errors. Independent components should be loaded into the Accolade environment first, followed by dependent components, and complex components should be loaded last.

Sopheon recommends the following order when importing components:

Important! The steps below are the steps to move a full configuration from one system to another. The order of these steps may vary depending on what is being moved or changed, and the existing configuration in the destination environment. For complex deployments or configuration changes, please contact Sopheon Customer Support prior to starting, to ensure that you protect the integrity of the data and don't inadvertently cause problems.

Configuration Item	Dependencies*	Notes
Independent Components
Parameters	None	These should generally only be changed for an initial deployment.
Access Groups	None
Security Lists	None	Sopheon recommends using the reference table setup method for new security lists. See Building Security Lists Using Reference Tables for more information.
Users	None	Note that if the User import references new functions or functional areas that have not been created, they will cause errors when loading. The User importer will need to be reloaded after the functions and functional areas are imported. Additionally, if your company uses Resource Planning and the User importer references new resource pools that have not been created, they will cause errors when loading. This can be corrected when running the Resource Pool and Resource importers after the configuration import process is complete.
Reference Tables	None	Note that the Reference Table importer does not import the reference table data, only the table configuration, so the table version must also be manually uploaded at this time.
Queries	None
Classes	None	If any new classes have the Create Model in Planning defined as Yes, change these fields to No prior to upload in order to prevent errors. To apply this setting after the initial upload, these fields will need to be changed back to Yes on the workbook, and the workbook will need to be reloaded after the process models are imported.
Dependent Components
Functional Areas and Functions	User logins**	If this import contains new functions or functional areas to be created, and these are referenced by the user import performed earlier, you will need to re-run the Users import after the Functional Area and Functions import is completed.
Extended Fields	Queries
HTML Reports	Queries
Metrics	Reference Tables** Calculated metrics may include additional component dependencies as noted.	When exported from an environment, the metrics workbook will contain associations to all related process models or related metrics. If these metrics or process models have not be created yet, the associations will cause errors when loading. Additionally, if metrics include associations via their calculation expressions, these associations might cause errors when loading the import. Important! To minimize errors when creating new metrics, Sopheon recommends users create and load a truncated version of the workbook with all process model associations columns deleted, the Is Calculated field defined as No for all metrics, and the calculated expressions and triggers details removed as necessary. To apply these settings after the initial upload, a version of the workbook including all of these settings will need to be reloaded after the process models are imported. This will capture any metrics associations that were missing on the initial upload.
Matrices	Metrics Matrices that include calculated metrics may include additional component dependencies as noted.	When exported from an environment, the matrices workbook will contain associations to all related process models or related metrics. If these metrics or process models have not be created yet, the associations will cause errors when loading. Additionally, if metrics include associations via their calculation expressions, these associations might cause errors when loading the import. Important! To minimize errors when creating new metrics, Sopheon recommends users create and load a truncated version of the workbook with all process model associations columns deleted, the Is Calculated field defined as No for all metrics, and the calculated expressions and triggers details removed as necessary. To apply these settings after the initial upload, a version of the workbook including all of these settings will need to be reloaded after the process models are imported. This will capture any metrics associations that were missing on the initial upload.
Accolade Online Reports	Metrics User IDs	Note that ownership can only be changed as necessary on the initial import of a new report.
Accolade Charts	Accolade Online Report source User logins Reference Tables
Templates	Metrics
Quick Grids	Metrics Matrices**
Workflows	Metrics Templates Functions Users**
Security Profiles	Classes Metrics
MS Excel Reports	Queries Templates
Layouts	Metrics Online Reports Charts Quick Grids	If layouts contain new planning views that have not been created yet, they will cause errors when loading. These planning views will have to be manually created in the new environment prior to uploading the layout configuration. If any new layouts have the Generate Global Link defined as Yes, the upload will automatically generate the global link, however you may need to review and/or edit the link settings manually if they are not included in the Global Links import.
Complex Components
Process Models	Dependencies can include any combination of independent and dependent components	Important! After completing the Process Models import, re-import the following workbooks as necessary: The Metrics workbook should be reloaded with the process model associations and calculations included. The Matrices workbook should be reloaded with the calculations included. The Classes workbook should be reloaded with the Create Model in Planning defined as Yes as necessary for classes/process models that are to be available for creating in Innovation Planning.
Migration Maps	Process Models Metrics	If you have made manual changes to a process model's gate name that is referenced in the file, it can cause errors with the Migration Map import. These migration maps will have to be manually created in the new environment.
Project Link Types	Process Models Metrics
Global Links	Layouts Process Models	If global links contain new planning views that have not been created yet, they will cause errors when loading. These planning views will have to be manually created in the new environment prior to uploading global links configuration. If the Layout import included new layouts with the Generate Global Link defined as Yes, the associated global link has been created. The settings for these links can either be updated manually, or can be included in the Global Link import.

* Dependencies listed are only if the component being imported is mentioned in the configuration.

** The dependency only exists if the component is referenced within the configuration.