General Functions > Import / Export > Import > Determining Record Uniqueness

When the MIE imports records, it must determine if a record already exists and must therefore be updated. If not, a new record will be inserted. In order to prevent creating duplicate records, the MIE uses a three-tier system to determine if a record already exists. The three tiers for straight import are as follows:

1st order of precedence - primary key value. If the MIE's primary key value is presented as part of the file to be imported, it will be used above any other piece of information.

2nd order of precedence - key group. A group of columns can be defined as a way to determine record uniqueness using the MIE's Remote Data Management module. If such a key group has been defined for the target table, it will be used to determine if a record already exists.

3rd order of precedence - "pseudo key". The pseudo key is also defined via the MIE's Remote Data Management module. If no key group has been defined, the pseudo key will be used. An example of a pseudo key might be asset or serial number for the assets table, since either one is expected to be unique for every record.

Merge imports use the merge fields (up to 3) defined in order to match existing records. Merge imports do not use the settings defined in the MIE's Remote Data Management module.