Commonly Asked Questions

This section addresses frequently encountered scenarios when importing data using ChangeGear's Data Jobs feature. Whether you're working with Excel templates, CMDB imports, or status-driven actions, understanding how the import engine behaves in specific cases helps avoid errors and streamline your workflow. Click any question below to jump directly to its answer. For help diagnosing import errors, see Troubleshooting Import Errors at the end of this topic.

  1. What happens if a value in an association column is missing?

  2. What happens if the “Action” field is blank or contains an invalid value?

  3. How are the “Action” and “Status” columns handled?

  4. What happens when the import file contains a completely blank row?

  5. What if the header row in the Excel file contains blank column names?

  6. What happens when importing Service Requests with missing layout metadata?

  7. When do notifications fire for import jobs?

  8. How do CMDB imports handle de-duplication?

  9. How are user fields like “Assigned To” matched?

  10. What happens if a server restart or job crash occurs mid-import?

  11. Are permissions required to create or run import jobs?

 

  1. What happens if a value in an association column is missing?

    When a lookup (association) column does not have a matching value:

    • The row will still be imported, but the unmatched field will be left blank.

    • No error is thrown; the import engine skips the unmatched association silently.

  1. What happens if the “Action” field is blank or contains an invalid value?

    • The row will fail to import.

    • Invalid or missing actions are treated as critical errors and are logged accordingly.

  1. How are the“Action” and “Status” columns handled?

    • Status column is skipped and the specified action will be performed based on user permissions.

  1. What happens when the import file contains a completely blank row?

    • The row is skipped automatically.

    • No error is raised unless other rows contain invalid data.

  1. What if the header row in the Excel file contains blank column names?

    • The file upload will fail during validation.

    • All header cells must have valid, non-empty names to proceed.

  1. What happens when importing Service Requests with missing EditorLayout?

    If the SR module does not have a default form or EditorLayout assigned:

  • The row will fail with a logged error.

  1. When do notifications fire for import jobs?

    Notifications (e.g., Data Job Import Completion) must be enabled under Data Jobs > Settings. They trigger under the following conditions:

    • Import completed successfully

    • Import failed

    • Import completed with some row errors

    • Notifications include error attachments when applicable.

  1. How do CMDB imports handle de-duplication?

    • CMDB and Asset imports rely on unique identifiers to prevent duplicate entries.

    • Behavior is controlled by the "Import Duplicate Behavior" setting (enabled by default).

  1. How are user fields like “Assigned To” matched?

    Fields that reference users (e.g., AssignedTo[FullName]) must contain valid, resolvable usernames.

    example: AssignedTo[FullName] = Bob Johnson will link the item to the correct user if they exist in the system

  1. What happens if a server restart or job crash occurs mid-import?

    In-progress, staged, and queued jobs will automatically resume when the server restarts.

  1. Are permissions required to create or run import jobs?

    Yes. Permissions are role-based.

    • To create a job, a user must have access to the Web Administration module.

    • To run a job, permissions can be configured to use:

      • The CG service account

      • Or the user who created the job

      These options are available in Data Jobs > Settings > Security.

Troubleshooting Possible Import Errors

1. Rows fail to import

  • Missing required fields or invalid lookup values.

  • Open the Import Job History tab → click error log → correct the data in the Excel file → reupload.

2. Duplicate records appear after import

  • Unique Identifier not set properly or not truly unique.

  • Confirm the key icon is set in the template builder. Review identifier values for uniqueness.

3. Lookup fields rejected

  • Lookup value doesn’t exist in the system.

  • Prepopulate lookup tables (e.g., list of vendors or statuses) or use consistent naming in the source system.

3. Blank fields in records

  • Column headers renamed, removed, or not matched.

  • Download a fresh template and follow format exactly; avoid renaming or reordering headers.

 

See Also: