Room Import Overview

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Astra Schedule provides an Excel import utility for updating building and room data with data from an existing system, or for otherwise importing a number of buildings and rooms at once.  The building and room import feature utilizes the ATE to provide mapping and import functionality.  In this system, an Excel file is the data source from which data will be imported.  An xml configuration file provides instructions for mapping and querying the Excel file, and for any rules to be applied to the data.  Finally, a transformation service interprets the incoming data and inserts it into the Astra Schedule database.

Import Rules

 

Updates and Inserts

 

The import will make changes to existing matching buildings and rooms and add new records, but will not delete any existing buildings and rooms.

 

NOTE:  Users now have two options relating to the updating of effective dated rooms when executing an Excel Room data import: Import to Current Room Versions, or Import to Latest Room Versions.

 

Import to Current Room Versions – If this option is used, if a room record has effective dates defined and is being updated by import, the import routine will update the version of the room that is effective "today" (leaving other versions as-is).

 

Import to Latest Room Versions – If this option is used, if a room record has effective dates defined and is being updated by import, the import routine will update the version of the room that is active the furthest into the future (leaving other versions as-is).

 

This new option is visible on the room import job screen as a job parameter, as shown below.

 

JobParameter_RoomEffectiveDate

 

NOTE:  If a room’s latest effective-dated version is the same as the current version (ie, there are no effective dates in the future), it will not matter which option is selected. Only when there are effective dates in the future for any room(s) does this option become applicable.

The Import Excel File

An Excel template (BuildingAndRoomTemplate.xls) is provided by Ad Astra staff for the importing of room data.
 
The default Excel template includes the following fields:

 

 NOTE:  All cells must be in text format.

 

Column

Comment

CampusSISKey*

Unique campus ID

 

Recommendation:  Copy from Campus column

Campus

System will perform a name lookup during import and add the record if it doesn't exist.

BuildingSISKey*

Unique building ID
 
Recommendation:  Create by concatenating campus and building (i.e. MAIN_ADMIN).

BuildingName

Optional

BuildingCode*

System will perform a name lookup during import and add the record if it doesn't exist.

RoomSISKey*

Unique room ID

 

Recommendation:  Create by concatenating campus, building, and room number (i.e. MAIN_ADMIN_101)

RoomName

Optional

RoomNumber*


RoomType

Classroom, Biology Lab, Art Studio, etc.

 

System will perform a name lookup during import and add the record if it doesn't exist.

ConfigurationName

System will perform a name lookup during import and add the record if it doesn't exist.

 

Recommendation:  Use "Standard"

ConfigurationIsDefault*

Must be TRUE or FALSE

 

At least one configuration must be "TRUE" for each room.  Additional configurations will be "FALSE".

FacilityLayoutName

Recommendation:  Use "Default"

Capacity*

Room configuration capacity

FeatureQuantity

Semi-colon delimited list of room features and their respective quantities (i.e. "Chalkboard,2;Internet,1;Computers,25")

 

Include a comma between feature name and quantity.

 

System will perform a name lookup during import and add the record if it doesn't exist.

 

When a new record is added, the system will use the default category.

 

If a feature is new and a quantity is provided, quantities are set to "allowed" for the feature.

 

If the feature exists and quantities are allowed but none are provided, the quantity is set to 1.

 

If the feature exists and quantities are not allowed but provided, quantities are set to "allowed" and the value is set.

RegionName

Semi-colon delimited list of regions to which the room belongs.

 

System will perform a name lookup during import and add the record if it doesn't exist.

 

* = Required field

Room Import Hub Fields

The values specified above represent the default set of import values for the typical room import file.  The room import hub supports additional data options if desired.  To include additional values in the room import, these values must be added to both the Excel import template and the room import spoke file query that accesses the template.  Ad Astra implementation and support staff can assist with customizations to the import process.

 

The room import hub supports the following room record fields:

 

RoomWidth

RoomLength

RoomSquareFootage

RoomMaxOccupancy

RoomSisKey

RoomName

RoomDescription

RoomRoomNumber

RoomKeyNumber

RoomPhoneAreaCode

RoomPhoneNumber

RoomPhoneExtension

RoomWidth

RoomLength

RoomSquareFootage

RoomMaxOccupancy

RoomIsShareable

RoomMaxSharedActivities

RoomNoSchedule

RoomArrangedSection

RoomDoNotOptimize

RoomEffectiveStartDate

RoomEffectiveEndDate

RoomIsActive

RoomTypeSisKey

BuildingSisKey

Room Custom Fields*
 
*Custom room record fields must exist prior to import.  The custom field name must be used in the import spoke file query to map a specific custom value from the template to the room record during import.

The Room Import Configuration File (Spoke)

 

An xml configuration file contains the mapping information from the Excel source file to the Astra Schedule database fields.  Optional data referenced above can be specified by editing this file.

 

The room import xml file (RoomExcelImport.xml) can be located in the following Astra Schedule installation directory:
 

Program Files\Ad Astra\7.x.x\Instances\AstraScheduleInstanceName\Files\ATEConfiguration\Spokes\SIS\Excel\ExampleDataTemplates

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