Introduction
Import and export functionality is supported in multiple areas within Kepion's Modeler:
| Areas | Import/Export Functionality |
|---|---|
| Dimension Data |
- Add new Members - Update attributes of existing Members |
| Partition Data |
- Append to or override existing data at import |
| Form |
- Export/import multiple Forms at once - Update existing Forms with the same FormName (found in [dbo].[Forms] table) |
| Rule |
- Export/import multiple Rules at once - Update existing Forms with the same RuleID (found in [dbo].[Rules] table) |
| Dashboard |
- Export/import multiple Dashboards at once - Update existing Dashboards with the same DashboardID (found in [dbo].[Dashboards] table) |
| Dashboard Page |
- Export/import multiple Dashboard Pages at once - Does not override any existing Pages. |
Note: Files exported in All Dashboards node cannot be used for import when trying to import Dashboard pages. Nor vice versa. See this article for more information.
Import/Export at Migration
Import and export can be especially useful when migrating changes from the development (DEV) to production (PROD) environments. Let's look at a few critical considerations regarding import/export.
Managing Dimension MemberIDs
If you have created new Dimension Members in DEV, they might have their specific MemberIDs. When moving the member over to PROD, you'll need to check if the MemberID is already in use in PROD.
If not: Import the new members to PROD and ensure you preserve the MemberIDs. Please refer to this article for details.
If yes: Import the member to Production without preserving the MemberID. You will need to double-check if any Forms use the Member in the axis definition (row, column, Filter) and make manual updates to ensure the correct members are used.
Images in Dashboard
Importing/exporting Dashboards will not include image files. Modelers need to manually re-import any images directly to the Application in PROD and re-associate the image after importing a Dashboard. Currently, there is no export image functionality, so you will need the original image file.
Import/Export of Metadata
Application metadata can also be imported and exported. Application metadata might include: Dimension, Hierarchy, Attribute, Models, etc.
You can import/export Application metadata in the Application node of the Modeler.
1. Export the DEV Application metadata to an .json file.
2. Export the PROD Application metadata to an .json file.
3. Compare the DEV and PROD export files to see if it has been updated/created/deleted.
4. If everything looks as expected, import the DEV file directly to PROD.
Be aware that this is going to take all changes in the DEV file and apply them to PROD. We recommend users apply these changes manually to ensure full control of the changes to the PROD environment. Using this feature can save time but increase testing; you will need to ensure everything in PROD works as expected.