Avaya MasterDirectory, User Manual

Page: 59 / 218

Chapter 4:
Importing Data
51
Overview
One of MasterDirectory's main functions is importing data. This function enables MasterDirectory to import
data from an external source into MasterDirectory. The import is configurable in a way that allows the
system administrator to define which fields from the source will be imported to which fields in
MasterDirectory, and what kind of operation the import procedure will implement.
For example, maybe all the information comes from a single source (such as the Human Resources
database) but the phone numbers are maintained manually by the phone operators. The system administrator
can configure the import operation to include all the desired fields without the phone number field, and
choose an import mode that will update existing records and append new ones.
It is also possible to consolidate data from multiple sources, each one contributing different fields. For
example, several fields from the Human Resources database, the phone number from a Telecom database,
and the email address from the email system.
The definition of the import operation (which fields in the source will be imported to which fields in
MasterDirectory, the mode of operation, etc.) is called a
map . Every import operation is saved in a file with
the extension ".imp." Each MasterDirectory file can have multiple import maps.