Ecostruxure IT advisor import excel equipment problem

[SamYau]

Hi Sir/Madam,

I am investigating the import equipment function for the inventory checking. And I have the following questions.

1. Can it delete an asset with import excel ? (To handling the case of missing asset.)

2. Can it edit the port description without having a actual network connection, like the Image. I try adding a text in "Network From Description 1" field, but it wouldn't allow me to do this without giving it a connecting target.

Best regards,

Sam

[gsterling]

Hello.

Please clarify. Are yoy trying to use the network connection import tool which is posted in the community and uses ETL for importing network connections? Or are you trying to use the Import Assets using an xls sheet import tool from the ITA desktop client?

Regards

Greg Sterling

[SamYau]

Hello,

Thank for your reply. I am using the import Equipment from excel Workbook of Ecostrucxure IT Advisor.

Best regards,

Sam

[gsterling]

Ok, thanks for responding.

The importing equipment from excel workbook tool is primarily meant for a user who is building out a room. So its meant for adding assets not updating existing assets in a room. If an existing matching asset exists in a room or rack, the existing asset will be deleted and replaced by the item in the import worksheet.

As an example, if you have a room with a server at U location 10 in Rack-1, and you use the import sheet to import a server to the same U location in Rack-1, the existing server in the room will be deleted and replaced by the asset from the worksheet.

Assets created using the import sheet are created based on their matching genome definitions. So as long as the genome for the imported defice matches a genome with the below network port definition, then those network ports will be present when the device is added.

The import sheet also allows creation of network connections so you can try to make the connections in the bottom of the above screenshot. This is a bit more tricky.

Below I pasted a portion of the network connection fields in the import template. There are some examples in the template you can use as a reference. Notice these columns all end in the number "1". You can replicate these columns and increase that number by 1, to add other connections for the asset on the specific row. So for example if you wanted to make 5 network connections you would replicate all the network columns in the worksheet four more times, and in each set increment the column number from 1, to 2, to 3, then 4, and finally 5.

Then you'll need to match the port configuration info from the screenshot to actually make the connections.

Hope this helps?

Regards

Greg Sterling

[SamYau]

Hi ,

This helps a lot, thank for your reply !

Best regards,

Sam

[SamYau]

Hi, 

According to the solution you have provide, I found that it couldn't import with network port connect more than 20 something. Since the import template is xls format which the column only can expand to IV. Which means if I import an asset like network switch, it can't cover all network connection. Moreover, if i edit the information in .xlsx file, the IT advisor doesn't support this excel import.

Best regards,

Sam

[ATrabert]

as you have seen, the excel import option while viable, isn't exactly ideal for network import.  If you are going to use it, its better to import IT Assets like servers, storage gear, etc and their connections to the switch vs trying to import a switch with 20+ connections.

A better solution instead would be to use ETL and the network import example.  This does require that you import both the network ports and the cables as part of the import, but it removes the need to import IT Assets as well. 
https://community.se.com/t5/ETL-examples-troubleshooting-and/ETL-integration-examples/ta-p/458032

If you need assistance with this, SE also offers paid services to complete this import as part of a custom solution.  They can also customize/extend the network ETL import to be more flexible to meet your needs.