Data Import and Export Overview
There are several links to Data Import/Export, depending on what kind of data you are working with in the Administration user interface. Within each link, there is an Import tab and an Export tab.
The Data Import/Export options can be found under the Administration page's Site Manager, User Manager, and Integration Manager areas. When accessing through Site Manager, the administrator will have access to all of the data import/export tasks available, rather than only those tasks in the particular area in which they were located. For example, if Data Import/Export is accessed through User Manager, only those tasks pertaining to users will be shown.
| Import | Export |
|---|---|
| Use Import for data you want to load into SAP Ariba. | Use Export for data you want to review and modify for re-import. |
| There are 4 options when importing data – Load, Create, Update Only, and Deactivate. | To export the data to a spreadsheet, choose the Export button. |
| Each import operation has a different action associated with the file upload. | Once the data is in the spreadsheet, it can be modified and re-imported to update multiple records at once. |
It is recommended to first export the data that will be modified and save a copy of this export. This will ensure that the current data is backed up should any issues arise during the import. After saving the backup file, export the data again and begin your modifications. Exporting a new copy of the data ensures that the backup file will be maintained as it was when exported, before any modifications to the data are made.
Updating/Modifying Data Process
- Find the data file you wish to change by selecting the appropriate Data Import/Export link.
- Choose the Export tab, locate the appropriate task, and then choose the Export button.
- Open the data file with Microsoft Excel and save a copy to your computer as backup. Create a new copy of the document and modify the data as necessary.
- Back on the Data Import/Export page, choose the Import tab and find the same import task that was exported.
- Choose the Import button and select the appropriate import operation of Load, Create, Update only, or Deactivate.
- Choose Browse and find your modified Excel file and choose Run.
- Choose OK on the confirmation popup, which ensures the action was intentional.
- The system will process the file upload and email administrators upon completion with an import summary.
- Review the Status in the import results for errors.
Data from Other Sources
SAP Ariba provides the following options for integrating your SAP Ariba solutions with your company’s ERP systems:
- Manual import and export of data files from the SAP Ariba user interface
- Automated file transfer using Integration Tool Kit (ITK)
- Real-time data transfer using SOAP Web Services
- HTTP requests – this method is supported only for SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing projects
- APIs available through the SAP Ariba API portal
The mechanism you use depends on the type of data you want to transfer between SAP Ariba and your company’s other systems.
| Manual Import | Automated File Transfer | Real-time Data Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Manual file import and export is used to transfer data files from the user interface. | The SAP Ariba Integration Toolkit automates the transfer of CSV files between SAP Ariba Spend Management and external systems. | SAP Ariba Web Services enables the exchange of data between SAP Spend Management and ERP systems, for real-time data integration. |
| Permissions are required to access different import/export tasks. | SAP Ariba Data Transfer Tool: A command-line utility that facilitates CSV file transfer in batch mode between SAP Ariba Spend Management and your ERP system, manually-maintained data, or some other system. | The SAP Ariba Web Services are used between the SAP Ariba solution and an intermediary Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) system that handles web service communication for an ERP system. |
| Data import locations may vary. | The DB Connector: A command-line utility that bridges the gap between the SAP Ariba Data Transfer Tool and JDBC-based ERP systems. | SAP Ariba Web Services use the W3C SOAP messaging framework to exchange messages over HTTP or HTTPS. |
Note
Along with ITK and SOAP web services, HTTP Requests can also be used to create projects and import/export data for sourcing projects.
This works by sending an HTTP request to SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing to create a Strategic Sourcing Project. The next time the user logs in, there will be a project there for them to configure. You can also configure the request to include a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to define the team, as well as an optional ZIP file, which can also add attachments to the new project. You can also use HTTP requests for event data import. Once the request is run, users will be prompted to create an event based on the imported files from the HTTP request. For this to work, the HTTP request uses your SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing URL and realm ID to send the files you want to import.
Note
Integration services will need to be scoped and purchased prior to a company's SAP Ariba deployment.
Summary
- The Data Import/Export options can be found under the Administration page's Site Manager, User Manager, and Integration Manager areas.
- Imports can add, create, update only, or deactivate data within the site
- Exports extract the site data into a Microsoft Excel file.
- Integration can automatically run data imports from an ERP system or external data sources:
- Automated file transfer using Integration Tool Kit (ITK)
- Real-time data transfer using SOAP Web Services
- HTTP requests for SAP Ariba Strategic Sourcing projects
- APIs through the SAP Ariba API portal