Import and export file formats

Glossary administrators can decide which file format to use for IBM® InfoSphere® Business Glossary export and import based on the reasons for exporting and importing and based on the type of content that needs to be imported.

You can export and import business glossary content by using any of these file formats: CSV, XML, or business glossary archive (XMI).

Table 1. File formats available for import and export to InfoSphere Business Glossary
File Format	When to use	What the file can define
CSV file (comma-separated values)	Use a CSV file to import business glossary content from a CSV file that has been generated from other software applications such as spreadsheet programs, and to export business glossary content as rows of comma-separated values so that you can edit the content with a spreadsheet program. The CSV file format has some limitations on the type of business glossary content that can be defined in it.	The file can define categories, terms, references to stewards, and the values of custom attributes of categories and terms. The file cannot define information governance policies or information governance rules or their properties. The file cannot define custom attribute definitions or some relationships. You can change the values of most, but not all, term and category properties.
XML file (Extensible Markup Language)	Use an XML file to import or export all or part of a business glossary so that you can modify it outside of a running instance of IBM InfoSphere Business Glossary. You can generate an XML file for import with other software tools, as long as the file conforms to the InfoSphere Business Glossary XML schema. The XML file format is the most versatile of all IBM InfoSphere Business Glossary export and import file formats, and is the standard format for the interchange of glossary content.	The file can define any kind of business glossary asset, including new or existing terms, categories, information governance policies, and information governance rules. The file can include all properties of these assets, including steward assignments, labels, and relationships.
XMI file (XML Metadata Interchange)	Use an XMI file (glossary archive file) to transfer business glossary content from versions of InfoSphere Business Glossary earlier than version 8.1.1.	The file can include all business glossary content but cannot be used to define new terms, categories, information governance policies, and information governance rules. The XMI file can be used to change properties of existing business glossary assets with an accompanying mapping file.

The following tables show which properties of business glossary assets can be imported by each method.

Table 2. Category properties that can be added or changed, by import method
Category property	CSV file	XML file	XMI file
Name	Yes, if being added for a new category only. Names of existing categories cannot be changed.	Yes, if the repository identifier (RID) is defined in the XML file.	Yes
Long description	Yes	Yes	Yes
Short description	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subcategory	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parent category	Yes, if being added for a new category only. Parent categories of existing terms or categories cannot be changed.	Yes	Yes
Referenced term	No	Yes	Yes
Contained term	Yes	Yes	Yes
Custom attribute	Can be assigned to a category but cannot be defined.	Yes. can be assigned to a category and defined.	Yes, can be assigned to a category and defined.
Custom attribute value	Yes, if the custom attribute already exists in the target metadata repository. If the custom attribute does not exist, the import fails.	Yes	Yes
Reference to steward	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the import fails.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
Label	Yes, can be assigned to a category if the label already exists in the target metadata repository. If the label does not exist, the import fails.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to a category.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to a category.
Note	No	Yes	Yes

Table 3. Term properties that can be added or changed, by import method
Term property	CSV file	XML file	XMI file
Name	Yes, if being added for a new term only. Names of existing terms cannot be changed.	Yes, if the repository identifier (RID) is defined in the XML file.	Yes
Long descriptions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Short descriptions	Yes	Yes	Yes
Abbreviations	Yes	Yes	Yes
Usages	Yes	Yes	Yes
Examples	Yes	Yes	Yes
Status	Yes	Yes	Yes
Related terms	No	Yes	Yes
Attribute IsModifier	Yes	Yes	Yes
Attribute Type	Yes	Yes	Yes
Synonyms	No	Yes	Yes
Containing (parent) category	Yes, if being added for a new term only. Parent categories of existing terms or categories cannot be changed.	Yes	Yes
Custom attribute	No	Yes	Yes
Custom attribute value	Yes, if the custom attribute already exists in the target metadata repository. If the custom attribute does not exist, the import fails.	Yes	Yes
Reference to steward	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the import fails.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
Reference to assigned assets (such as columns, jobs, tables)	No	Yes, if the asset already exists in the target metadata repository. If the asset does not exist, the relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the asset already exists in the target metadata repository. If the asset does not exist, the relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
References to assigned external assets (such as business process models or Web services)	No	Yes	Yes
Labels	Yes, can be assigned to a term if the label already exists in the target metadata repository. If the label does not exist, the import fails.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to a term.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to a term.
Has Types, Is A Type Of	No	Yes	Yes
Has A, Is Of	No	Yes	Yes
Note	No	Yes	Yes

Table 4. Information governance policy properties that can be added or changed, by import method
Policy property	CSV file	XML file	XMI file
Name	Yes, if being added for a new policy only. Names of existing information governance policies cannot be changed.	Yes, if the repository identifier (RID) is defined in the XML file.	Yes
Long description	Yes	Yes	Yes
Short description	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subpolicy	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parent policy	Yes, if being added for a new policy only. Parent information governance policies of existing information governance policies cannot be changed.	Yes	Yes
Custom attribute	Can be assigned to an information governance policy but cannot be defined.	Yes, can be assigned to an information governance policy and defined.	Yes, can be assigned to an information governance policy and defined.
Referenced rules	No	Yes	Yes
Custom attribute value	Yes, if the custom attribute already exists in the target metadata repository. If the custom attribute does not exist, the import fails.	Yes	Yes
Reference to steward	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the import fails.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
Label	Yes, can be assigned to an information governance policy if the label already exists in the target metadata repository. If the label does not exist, the import fails.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to an information governance policy.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to an information governance policy.
Note	No	Yes	Yes

Table 5. Information governance rule properties that can be added or changed, by import method
Rule property	CSV file	XML file	XMI file
Name	Yes, if being added for a new rule only. Names of existing information governance rules cannot be changed.	Yes, if the repository identifier (RID) is defined in the XML file.	Yes
Long description	Yes	Yes	Yes
Short description	Yes	Yes	Yes
Referencing policy	Yes, if being added for a new rule only. Referencing information governance policies for existing information governance rules cannot be changed.	Yes	Yes
Governs	No	Yes, if the asset already exists in the target metadata repository. If the asset does not exist, the relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the asset already exists in the target metadata repository. If the asset does not exist, the relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
Custom attribute	No	Yes	Yes
Implemented By	No	Yes, if the asset already exists in the target metadata repository. If the asset does not exist, the relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the asset already exists in the target metadata repository. If the asset does not exist, the relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
Custom attribute value	Yes, if the custom attribute already exists in the target metadata repository. If the custom attribute does not exist, the import fails.	Yes	Yes
Reference to steward	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the import fails.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.	Yes, if the user or user group already exists in the target metadata repository. If the user or user group does not exist, the steward relationship is not created but other content is imported successfully.
References to assigned external assets (such as business process models or web services)	No	Yes	Yes
Label	Yes, can be assigned to a rule if the label already exists in the target metadata repository. If the label does not exist, the import fails.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to a rule.	Yes. can be both defined and assigned to a rule.
Note	No	Yes	Yes