Importing files in bulk using the Import tool of the Elvis Management Console

Info: This feature requires Elvis 5.17 or higher.

The Import tool found in the Management Console of Elvis 5 is one of the ways of importing files in bulk into Elvis 5. This article explains how to use that tool.

Figure: The Bulk Import tool in the Management Console of the Elvis 5 Pro client.

Features

The Bulk Import tool contains the following features:

• It imports large numbers of assets from an existing file storage (including from Amazon S3)
• It shows a detailed overview of the assets that are available for import
• It shows which assets will be included in the import and which assets will be excluded
• It allows to easily include or exclude assets
• Assets are copied or moved and added to the index
• The original folder structure is retained
• Folders and/or file formats to include can be defined, all other file formats are excluded
• Assets that are already imported are clearly shown
• Common temporary or hidden files are automatically excluded (but can easily be included when necessary)

Using the tool

The process of using the tool is as follows:

1. Setting up the source and destination paths
2. Setting up an initial filter for including and excluding assets
3. Reviewing the analyzed assets and fine-tuning the included and excluded assets
4. Starting the import

Step 1. Access the Management Console.

Step 2. From the menu, choose Bulk import.

Step 3. Set up an import by clicking File Server or Amazon S3 and filling out the relevant fields.

Step 4. Click Analyze.

The files in the source location are analyzed based on the entries made in the Filter section.

When completed, an overview is given of those files that are to be included and those that are to be excluded. Files that already exist in the target location are also shown.

Step 5. Click each section to verify the listed files and folders. Click an entry in the list to expand it and see the affected files.

Step 6. (Optional) Modify the Includes or Excludes Filter by doing the following:

Step 6a. Hover over a file or folder and click the +-icon to add it to the Includes Filter or the x-icon to add it to the Excludes Filter.

Step 6b. Click Analyze to re-analyze the source folder based on the changed filter settings.

Step 6c. Repeat this process until satisfied that the filter settings are correct.

Step 7. Click Import to import the files.

While the import is running, the progress is shown including an estimate of how long the import will take.

Note: It can take a few minutes before the estimate is shown and if the types of files vary a lot, the estimate might not be accurate.

Feel free to close the Web browser; because the import is run on Elvis Server, the import is not affect by this. You can return to the Bulk Import tool at any time to view the progress.

When the import is done, the number of files that were imported are shown. In case any files failed to import, a selection of them is shown. If more details are needed, check the Elvis Server log files.