Import/Export Checklist
We provide a checklist for the tasks you must perform to create and maintain import and export feeds for your sites.
Design
The following are tasks that must be completed in the design phase of the project.
| Task |
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1. Determine the number of import feeds you want to create. Consider: a. How often each type of object must be updated. For example, price books must be updated more frequently than catalog data. b. Whether the objects are dependent upon other objects. For example, campaigns and promotions must be updated together, because campaigns are collections of promotions and can't be created without them. |
2. Determine the number of export feeds you want to create. |
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3. For each import feed, determine: a. The systems to export the file to be imported. b. The instances it must be imported into. c. How frequently you want to import the file. d. The names of the files to import and their location. e. The Salesforce B2C Commerce or custom schema used for the import file. f. The required import mode. g. The security requirements. For example, whether you intend to use HTTPS or encryption in transferring the file. h. The persons with permissions move files for the import onto the cartridge or run the job. i. Who to contact if the feed doesn't complete successfully. |
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4. For each export feed, determine: a. The instances it must be exported from b. The schedule for export c. The names of the files to export and their location d. The schema or file structure used for the export file e. The security requirements. For example, you do intend to use HTTPS or encryption in transferring the file. |
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5. Use the information you have gathered to create a main feed diagram for your import feeds. |
Development
The following are tasks that must be completed in the site development phase of the project. Before starting development, check the B2C Commerce code repository for code to help you advance your project.
Sandbox Instances
| Task |
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1. Create a feed-mapping file that
maps fields in your existing systems to the fields in the B2C Commerce
import schema.
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2. Configure your backend system
to produce the XML files required by the feed schema. You can create a job
on your backend system that automatically produces the import file.
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3. Apply any transformations
needed to enrich the data or reorganize the file. It's recommended that this
process is done outside of B2C Commerce.
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4. Create users with permissions to import
objects.
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5. Manually import files as needed using Business
Manager.
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6. Create a template sandbox, configure it, and
perform Site Import/Export to populate your other sandbox
instances.
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7. Manually import files as needed using Business
Manager.
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8. Create a cartridge for your
import export code and add the cartridge to the site or organization
path.
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9. Create pipelines for automated import
feeds.
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10. Create jobs to run the import pipelines.
Associate each job with a single pipeline. Configure jobs to
alert an administrator if they don't complete in a specified
amount of time.
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11. Create users with the privileges to execute the
jobs.
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12. Record the average length it takes to run each
job and make a job schedule.
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Staging Instance
| Task |
|---|
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1. Use Site Import/Export to
transfer job schedules from a sandbox instance or create jobs for the
instance.
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2. Create users with appropriate privileges to import
objects and execute jobs.
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3. Use UX Studio to upload custom file transfer and
import/export pipelines to the staging instance.
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4. Create a pipeline and job that
cleans up import/export log files regularly.
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5. Create a pipeline and job that
cleans up archived site exports regularly.
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6. If you are using SSL, create the public key
infrastructure for your production instance.
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7. Configure any third-parties that have to place
files in the cartridge that can't use WebDAV, to use HTTP
Post.
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Production Instance
| Task |
|---|
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1. Use Site Import/Export to
transfer job schedules from a sandbox instance or create jobs.
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2. Create users with appropriate privileges to import
objects and execute jobs.
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3. Use code replication to move custom file transfer
and import/export pipelines from the staging instance to the
production instance.
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4. Create a scheduled job that exports your site on a
regular basis.
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5. Create a scheduled job that
archives your site export files regularly.
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6. Create a pipeline and job that
cleans up import/export log files regularly. If created for staging, use
code replication to add this to the instance.
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7. Create a pipeline and job that
cleans up archived site exports regularly. If created for staging, use code
replication to add this to the instance.
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8. If you are using SSL, create the public key
infrastructure for your production instance.
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Development Instance
| Task |
|---|
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1. Use Site Import/Export or code replication to
transfer job schedules from the production instance to the
development instance.
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2. Create users with appropriate privileges to import
objects and execute jobs.
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3. Use code replication to move custom file transfer
and import/export pipelines from the production instance to the
development instance.
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Import/Export Deployment and Maintenance
Deployment of import/export is similar to ordinary code deployment. If you are choosing not to manage it programmatically, you also must make sure that archiving and archive cleanup is done. If you run import from Business Manager, when you delete the record of the import, the log file is removed automatically. If you run the import programmatically, the log file is never cleaned up, so you must clean up the log files as well.
If you must troubleshoot a problem with your production site, you can export the site meta data and import it into your sandbox.