Import

This mechanism has largely been superseded by the Release Manager. For specific details about importing a business object or process see Importing Releases. This documentation remains for the editions of Blue Prism in which the Release Manager is unavailable.

The import feature allows you to import a process or business object which was created in a different Blue Prism database. This is particularly useful if you have separate databases for testing and production environments, and you wish to transfer changes made in the test environment into the production environment.

The task is summarised by the following flow chart.

1. Select a file to import

   A file name for the process must be specified. Click browse and navigate to the location of the file you wish to import. The file must contain a process or business object which has been exported from another database.

2. Resolve ID conflicts, where necessary.

   Each process and business object has an internal ID which it retains when it is exported. Each process and business object must have an ID which is unique amongst all other processes and business objects in the same database. The ID is used for several purposes, including maintaining references in Sub-Process stages.

   A naming conflict usually occurs when you export a process from a live environment, make some modifications to it in a test environment, and then want to propagate those changes back to the live environment by importing it. In this case you should choose to overwrite the existing process with the incoming process. This will maintain the sequence of edits in the process' history. Any sub-process references made in other processes (or business objects) will point to the latest version of the process, in its newly imported state.

   Alternatively, you may choose a new ID for the incoming process, which will mean that the two processes will co-exist, under different names (the wizard will enforce the choice of a new name for the incoming process). In this case, sub-process references made in other processes (or business objects) will point to the original process, rather than the newly imported one.

3. Enter a process name.

   The name for the process from the original file will be shown. This name can be left as it is but if you wish to change or update it, the name can contain any characters, including spaces. The name can only be up to 128 characters long.

   The chosen name must not conflict with any existing name in the database (except perhaps in the case when a process is to be written over an existing process in the database, as in the case of an ID conflict).

   If you are overwriting an existing process, the name you choose here will be the name of that process, in its latest form: that is, the existing process will be both overwritten and renamed.

4. Resolve naming conflicts, where necessary.

   If your chosen name for the process conflicts with the name of an existing process, then you must either click the "Back" button and choose another name, or you must choose from the options presented.

   If you have chosen to overwrite an existing process, because of an ID conflict, then your only further option will be to rename the existing process, to make way for the incoming process. In all other cases, you will have the option to overwrite the existing process.

5. Enter a process description.

   The description of the business process can be up to 1000 characters long, and will be shown on a note field at the top of the finished process flowchart.

6. Continue to process studio.

   Once you have completed steps 1,2 and 3, your choices will be actioned, and irreversibly applied. You will then be presented with the option to open the imported process in process studio, after the wizard closes.