Import option

You can use the import option with the InfoSphere® Metadata Asset Manager action command. Use the import option to create a new import area.

Purpose

The Import option creates a new import area and then completes an express import of metadata by using the import bridge that is specified in the parameters file.

The imported metadata is automatically shared to the metadata repository unless there are errors. If there are errors, the imported metadata appears as a new staged import in the staging area, but is not shared with the metadata repository.

For information about creating a parameters file, see Importing assets by using the command line.

You must have the Common Metadata Administrator role.

Syntax

imam [--help] [--silent] --action import 
[--importArea import_area_name][--paramsFile parameter_file_name]
[--mis_name metadata_interchange_server_name][--localFile local_file_name]
[--dcAuthFile data_connection_authorization_file_name]
[--dcUser data_connection_user][--dcPassword data_connection_password]
[--import_description description_of_import]
[--area_description description_of_import_area]
[-–username username] [--password password][--authfile authfile_path]
[--server server_name] [--port port_number]

Parameters

The Import option uses the following parameters.

Table 1. Import command parameters
Parameter name (short name)	Description
-–action	Required Type `import`.
--importArea (-i)	Required The name of the import area that you want to create. The parameters for the import area are the parameters that are specified in the parameters file. If the import area names contain blank spaces, you must put quotation marks around the blank spaces. If the name of the import area contains quotation marks, then you must enter a backslash character (\) before each of the quotation marks. For information about other characters that you must escape, see Escaping characters.
--paramsFile (-pf)	Required The name and location of the parameter file. For example, C:\Files\parameters_file.xml..
--mis_name (--mn)	Required The name of the metadata interchange server that you want to use for the import. It is required only if you want to import a file that is on the metadata interchange server.
--localFile (-l)	Optional The path to a local file to import. Use this option if you want to import on the local computer instead of the metadata interchange server. This parameter is mandatory if you are importing by using the XMI adaptor or CSV data file. The `--localFile` option is case sensitive, so you must use a capital "F" when you specify this option.
--dcAuthFile (-dcaf)	Optional For connector imports. The path to an authorization file that contains the encrypted or non-encrypted credentials to connect to the data source that you are importing from. Do not specify credentials in an authorization file if you are specifying them in the parameters file or if you are specifying the --dcUser and --dcPassword options on the command-line. The data connection authorization file credentials override any stored data connection credentials. This option is ignored if the data connection credentials are explicitly specified by using --dcUser and --dcPassword. For more information about encrypting user credentials see Encrypt command.
--dcUser (-dcu)	Optional Note: This option is mandatory if you want to import by using a connector and you did not specify a data connection user name in the parameters file. For connector imports. The user name that the data connection uses to connect to the data source. The user name that you enter overrides any stored user name that was specified for connecting to the data source. If you use --dcUser, you must also specify --dcPassword. You must specify the -dcUser option in only one place. If you specified the data connection user name in the parameters file, you must not specify it on the command-line interface or you will receive an error message.
--dcPassword (-dcw)	Optional Note: This option is mandatory if you want to import by using a connector and you did not specify a data connection password in the parameters file. For connector imports. The password that is used by the data connection to connect to the data source. The password that you enter overrides any stored password that was specified for connecting to the data source. If you use --dcPassword, you must also specify --dcUser. You must specify the -dcPassword option in only one place. If you specified the data connection password in the parameters file, you must not specify it on the command-line interface or you will receive an error message.
--import_description (-id)	A description of the import. The description is displayed on the Staged Imports tab in InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.
--area_description (-ad)	Optional A description of the import area. The description is displayed on the Import tab in InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.
--username (-u)	Optional User name that is required for logging into InfoSphere Information Server. The user must have the role of Common Metadata Administrator or Common Metadata Importer. You can use the --authfile parameter instead of specifying the --username and --password parameters. You can enter a username without entering a password. If you do this you will get prompted for a password.
--password (-w)	Optional Password for the specified user name to log into InfoSphere Information Server. You can use the --authfile parameter instead of specifying the --username and --password parameters.
--server (-s)	Optional Name of the services tier computer. If you specify a server, then you must specify a port.
--port (-p)	Optional Port number to use on the services tier computer. If your InfoSphere Information Server suite installation is configured for HTTP, then the default port used is 9080. If you do not specify a port, and your InfoSphere Information Server suite installation is configured for HTTPS, then the default port used is 9443. If you want to use the HTTPS configuration, then you must change the `registered-servers.xml` file. If you specify a port, then you must specify a server.
--silent (-sil)	Optional. Suppresses prompts for credentials and SSL certificates. Use this option when you run scheduled or unattended sessions. When a prompt is suppressed, the action fails. To ensure that actions succeed, specify credentials on the command line and run the UpdateSignerCerts tool if necessary, as described in the topic: Running UpdateSignerCerts after enabling SSL or changing SSL settings.
--help (-h)	Optional Prints the list of actions and parameters. The help command is automatically issued when you issue a command that contains a syntax error, such as a typographical error, an improperly cased option or argument, or when the command is missing a mandatory parameter.

Import examples

The following import command creates the import area area57 and uses the parameters file ErwinData1_parameters.xml to import metadata into InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager.

imam -i area57 --paramsFile "C:\Files\ErwinData1_parameters.xml" --action import
 --area_description Erwin files --import_description initial import --mis_name
 Default --username isadmin --password mypassword

The following import command creates the import area test20 and uses the parameters file XMI.xml to import metadata into InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager. The ASCL1.xmi file is imported from the local computer, rather than from the metadata interchange server.

 imam -i test20 --paramsFile C:\Files\XMI.xml -l C:\Files\ASCL1.xmi --action import --area_description someDesc --import_description stagedDesc --mis_name Default --username isadmin --password mypassword

The following import command creates the import area "Department" and uses the parameters file MyData.xml to import metadata into InfoSphere Metadata Asset Manager. The name of the import area contains quotation marks, so backslash characters (\) are included before each of the quotation marks.

 imam -i \"Department\" --paramsFile "C:\Files\MyData.xml" --action import --area_description Department names --import_description initial import --mis_name Default --username isadmin