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You can import documents into Ringtail using .mdb or SQL load files.
You can change how the fields and annotations in your import source are processed during import, as follows:
●To change how the fields in the import source are processed, create a custom field map. For example, you can choose to import only a subset of fields, map import fields to existing case fields, create a new case field based on an import field, and so on.
Each time that you submit an import job with a custom field map, that custom field map becomes the new default custom field map for future imports into the case. You can use the custom map repeatedly on later imports of similar sources.
●To change how the annotations in the import source are processed, create a custom annotation map. For example, you can choose to import only a subset of annotations, map import annotations to existing case annotations, map redactions to highlights or highlights to redactions, and so on.
If the user who applied an annotation as recorded in the load file is available in the case, that user is associated with the annotation. Otherwise, the user who performs the import is associated with the annotation.
When the import process begins, Ringtail validates the data in the annotations table. If any errors are found, the process fails before any documents are imported or updated. Potential validation errors include an annotation missing a name or color, or an annotation that contains invalid coordinates.
Use the following procedure to create an import job using a load file.
1.On the Case Home page, under Manage Documents, click Imports.
2.Click Add.
3.In the Import window, on the Import Details page, do the following:
a.In the Job type list, select Ringtail.
b.Type a Name for the import.
c.Optionally, type a Description.
d.To update the All Custodians or related fields for new documents in the import job, select Update group coding fields. Selecting this option also updates the fields for existing and future family duplicate documents in Ringtail.
e.In the Date format list, select either Month - Day or Day - Month as the date format for any dates that may be unclear, such as 6/5/2017.
f.Click Next.
4.On the Load File page, do the following:
a.Select a load file type for the import:
□Load file (.mdb) uses a Ringtail Load File (.mdb). After you select this option, do the following:
♦In the File repository list, select the file repository to import the data to. This list contains the file transfer repositories configured for your case.
♦If the file you need is not present, click Add more files to open the Upload files dialog box. You can then upload the files you need to the appropriate location. For instructions, see Upload files for import.
□Load from SQL uses a set of specially-prefixed SQL tables in the target case database. For more information and prefix examples, see Import using the Load From SQL option.
After you select this option, do the following:
♦In the Prefix for tables text box, type the special prefix used to designate the SQL tables in the target database.
♦In the File repository list, select the file repository to import the data to. This list contains the file transfer repositories configured for your case.
♦Click Next.
b.In the Folder name list, select a folder, and in the File name list, select the load file that you want to import.
c.Click Next.
5.On the Source Files page, to set the inclusion of source files with the import, select Copy source files to the server.
a.To overwrite matching source files, select Overwrite matching source and/or content files already on the server.
b.In the Folder name list, select the folder that contains the source files.
c.Click Next.
6.On the Existing Documents page, to determine how Ringtail handles the import of existing documents, select one of the following Import action options, and then click Next.
oAbort import, if it contains an existing document ID
oImport new documents only. Data for documents that already exist in the case will be ignored.
oUpdate existing documents only
oImport new documents and update existing documents
If you select Update existing documents only or Import new documents and update existing documents, additional options appear. See the following table for descriptions of the options.
Option |
Description |
For existing documents, update |
●To update these fields, select Document Date, Estimated date, Source and attachments, Title, Type, or Description. ●To use null values to represent missing data when you update the selected fields, select Allow NULL updates (for fields above). For example, if a load file contains a document with a null value as its title, then the existing document is updated or overwritten with the null title. ●To update levels, select Levels. |
Fields data |
●Do not update fields: Does not update data for existing documents. Only new documents contain imported fields. ●Delete all field values. Do not update fields: Deletes all field values for documents in the import data set. If you select this option, none of the updated documents will have imported field values. Note: This option only clears field values for documents in the import data set. For example, if a case contains existing documents A, B, and C, and the import data set contains documents C, D, and E, selecting Delete all field values. Do not update fields does not affect documents A and B. It will clear the metadata only for document C. ●Update only mapped fields: Deletes field values for documents in the case, and then adds those fields from the import data set to the case. This applies only to mapped fields. All other fields remain the same. ●Append only mapped fields: Either adds new field values for one-to-many fields or overwrites one-to-one fields for documents in the import data set. This only applies to mapped fields. All other fields remain the same. |
Parties data |
●Do not update parties: Does not update parties data in existing documents. ●Delete all party values. Do not update parties: Deletes all parties data values for documents in the import data set. If you select this option, none of the updated documents will have parties data values. ●Update all parties: Deletes the parties data values for documents in the import data set, and then adds new parties data values to the case. This option applies to both mapped parties data and all other parties data values in the target data set. ●Append all parties: Adds new parties data values to documents and removes all parties information for updated documents. |
Pages data |
●Do not update pages: Does not update pages data in documents. ●Delete all page values. Do not update pages: Deletes all pages data values for documents in the import data set. If you select this option, none of the updated documents will have pages data values. ●Update all pages: Deletes the pages data values for documents in the import data set, and then adds new pages data values to the case. This applies to both mapped pages data and all other pages data values in the target data set. ●Append all pages: Either overwrites new pages data fields in documents or overwrites fields for documents in the import data set. |
Annotations data |
●Do not update annotations: Does not update annotations for existing documents. ●Delete all existing annotations. Do not update annotations: Deletes all annotations for documents in the load file that already exist in the case. No annotations from the load file are imported. ●Delete all existing annotations. Append new annotations: Deletes all annotations for documents in the load file that already exist in the case, and then imports annotations from the load file. ●Append all annotations: Imports the annotations in the load file, and retains previously existing annotations. |
7.To specify how to map fields, annotations, and parties data from the import data set to existing data in the case, on the Fields page, select one of the following options, and then click Next.
oDo not import any fields, annotations, or parties: Ignores all fields, annotations, and parties data in the imported source file.
oImport all fields, annotations, and parties. Match field and annotation names and create new fields and annotations, as needed: Automatically matches source fields and annotations to case fields and annotations. If no fields or annotations match, Ringtail automatically creates new fields or annotations in the case using the same source field name and type, or the same annotation name and type.
oCustom map imported fields and annotations to case fields and annotations: Creates custom field and annotation mappings in your case. To use this option, click Get Fields.
Ringtail searches the load file for available import fields and annotations, and notifies you when the inventory is complete and the import fields and annotations are ready to be mapped.
Note: Due to RPF server demands, this process can take a while. If you want to perform other tasks in Ringtail and return to this advanced import later, click Next until the Schedule page appears, and then click Save as draft.
8.If you selected the Custom map imported fields and annotations to case fields and annotations option, the Field Map and Annotation Map pages appear.
a.On the Field Map page, use the following procedure to specify how the fields in the import source are processed during the import.
i.To change the mapping of an import field, click a value in the Action column, and then select one of the following options:
♦Ignore: Excludes the field from the import.
♦Import to: Ringtail automatically shows you which case fields are valid for that import field based on field type and one-to-one or one-to-many relationships. For example, you can only map text fields to text fields, or Boolean fields to Boolean fields. One-to-many import fields can only map to one-to-many case fields.
♦Match: Matches the imported field to the case field.
♦New: Creates a new field in the case database on import.
♦Previous: Uses the field mapping from a previous import. This option is available only if the field has been mapped in a prior import. This is the default action, when available.
ii.Select a value in the Case field column that corresponds to the action selected for the import field.
iii.To set a default value for a field in an imported document, click the field in the Default value column and then type a value.
iv.When you are finished mapping all of the fields, click Next.
b.On the Annotation Map page, use the following procedure to specify how annotations in the import source are processed during the import.
i.To change the mapping of an annotation type in the load file, click a value in the Action column, and then select one of the following options:
♦Ignore: Data for this annotation type is not imported.
♦Import to: Maps the annotation type to an existing highlight or redaction type in the case. If you select this option, click in the Case Annotation column, and then select an annotation in the list.
♦Match: Matches the imported annotation type to a case annotation type with the same name and color. This option is available only if an annotation with the same name and color already exists in the case. This is the default action if the annotation has not been mapped in a prior import.
♦New: Creates a new annotation type in the case database on import. This option is available only if an annotation with the same name and color does not already exist in the case. This is the default action if the annotation has not been mapped in a prior import.
♦Previous: Uses the annotation mapping from a previous import. This option is available only if the annotation has been mapped in a prior import. This is the default action, when available.
ii.When you are finished mapping all of the annotations, click Next.
9.On the Schedule page, set the start time for the import job, or place the job on hold to save as a draft job for later use. You can select from the following options:
oTo schedule a time, in the Start time box, select a date. In the second box, select a time.
oTo submit the job for processing immediately, leave the default Now setting.
oTo place a job on hold for later, select Place on hold, and then click Save as draft. You can return to a draft job at any time from the Imports page.
oTo schedule the job to run as a test, select Schedule as a test run only.
10.Click Finish.
When you click Finish, Ringtail adds the word TEST at the beginning of the description of the import on the Imports page.
Ringtail returns to the Imports page, and indicates that your job is scheduled. Ringtail saves your job definitions for processing. To view the import job details, click the name of the import job. Ringtail displays the details in the Properties page.
When you select the Load From SQL option on the Load File page, Ringtail creates a SQL-based load file as your import data source. You can use this option to do the following:
●Use special tables created in the target case database as the source data for your document imports.
●Merge several Ringtail .mdb load files into a source for a single import.
●Avoid the 2 gigabyte (GB) file size limit of the .mdb file format.
The Load from SQL option is based on tables that a user manually creates in the SQL database for the case before performing the import. The following tables match the structure and data standards of a Ringtail .mdb load file:
●Annotations
●Export
●Export_extras
●Pages
●Parties
For details on the structure and data standards for these tables, see the Ringtail Import and Export Data Standards document.
You must create the tables in the target case database or data warehouse (case_DW) database. For example, for a case named MajorCase, create the tables in either the “MajorCase” or “MajorCase_DW” SQL database.
Name all tables with the exact same special prefix. For example, if the prefix for tables is BigImport3-, name the tables as follows:
●BigImport3-Annotations
●BigImport3-Export
●BigImport3-Export_extras
●BigImport3-Pages
●BigImport3-Parties
After you create the tables, a user with SQL access and permissions copies the import data into the tables. After this, use the Load From SQL option to import the documents’ metadata, using the Advanced Import feature.
You can create multiple sets of the specially prefixed tables in the same SQL database, to use with different advanced imports, as long as each set of tables uses a unique special prefix.
Use the following procedure to import files using the Load From SQL option:
Note: Administrators using SQL to create tables and copy data must have access and permissions to the case database in SQL.
1.Create the SQL tables with special prefixes in the targeted case database or case_DW database.
2.Use SQL to copy data into the specially prefixed tables.
3.In Ringtail, on the Case Home page, under Manage Documents, click Imports.
4.Click Add.
5.In the Import window, on the Imports Details page, do the following:
a.In the Job type list, select Ringtail.
b.Type a Name for the import.
c.Optionally, type a Description.
d.In the Date format list, select either Month - Day or Day - Month as the date format for any dates that may be unclear, such as 6/5/2017.
e.Click Next.
6.On the Load File page, select the Load From SQL option as the load file type.
a.In the Prefix for tables text box, type the special prefix used for the tables to be used as import data..
b.In the File repository list, select the file repository to import the data to. This list contains the file transfer repositories configured for your case.
c.Click Next.
7.Set any other import options, as required.
You can copy an import job and modify the job to suit your requirements. For example, you can run a test import job, make simple adjustments, copy the test job, and then perform the actual import job.
Note: When you copy an import job, Ringtail adds the words "Copy of" to the beginning of the name of the import job.
Use the following procedure to copy an import job.
1.On the Case Home page, under Manage Documents, click Imports.
2.Click the Duplicate button in the row for the import job that you want to copy.
3.In the Import window, modify the settings as needed, and click Next to navigate to subsequent pages.
4.Click Finish.
You can delete import jobs from the Imports list. This feature is useful if you save an import job as a draft and then decide to discard the draft.
Note: When you delete a job, Ringtail removes the job from the Imports list. The job is still exists in the database.
Use the following procedure to delete import jobs from the Imports list.
1.On the Case Home page, under Manage Documents, click Imports.
2.Select the check box next to the import jobs that you want to delete.
3.Click Delete, and then click OK.
Ringtail removes the job from the list.
