Initial data-loading services

The Initial Data Loading (IDL) tool works based on the Service Definition Framework (SDF).

The IDL tool provides services to create the following configuration data:

  • Items
  • Shipping Cartons
  • Locations
  • SKU Dedications
  • Location Inventory

To use the services provided for IDL, the configuration data to be loaded from the legacy or ERP systems should be made available in a comma delimited flat file.

The IDL tool uses services to convert the data into the XML format, required by the corresponding APIs to create or modify the relevant information in the warehouse. The following figure illustrates a sample service as displayed in the Applications Manager:

Initial Data Loading

To begin the initial data loading process, the integration server should be started by navigating <runtime>/bin folder and entering the following command:


   <runtime>/bin/startIntegrationServer.sh <servername>

The RDTConfigDataFormat.xls file located in the <runtime>/repository/xapi/template/merged/RDTConfigSchemas folder contains the data sequence and the headers required for the corresponding service provided in the IDL module of the RDT.

All Sterling Order Management System Software services follow the predefined sequence specified in the RDTConfigDataFormat.xls file for calling the components:

  • The File IO Receiver is used to read the data from the delimited flat file
  • The Text Translator component is used to convert the delimited data to XML format
  • The XSL Translator component is used to convert the XML into a format that is the input to an API, and
  • The API component is used to call the business API for creating or modifying the data.

Each service reads the input data line by line from the delimited flat files. Thus, all the details required for a configuration should be provided in a single line, separated by commas, and in a fixed sequence. The first item in each line is the header, and it is fixed for each service. If the first item is anything other than the header then that row is not considered for processing.