Set up a server action to import single assets or entire structures from other systems.

Context

Users can import assets from other systems into the censhare Client or censhare web. The import can contain single assets or whole asset structures. As an administrator, you can configure an Import server action in the censahre Admin Client. 

Prerequisites

  • Administration rights

Introduction

Assets and asset relations form the data world in censhare and can define complex asset structures. For example, an issue:  

  • Layout assets are placed on the Issue asset.

  • The Layout assets themselves have placed Text and Image assets.

  • Text and Image assets have a Person asset that stores the author.

To transfer such an asset structure, you must export and then import the assets into the other censhare system. The export is executed by a server action. The report can be configured to define which assets and relationships to include. For more information, see Configure the Asset Export. The import is also executed by a server action that can be configured.  

When censhare exports assets or asset structures, it puts all assets and asset content into a ZIP file with the ending asset-export. When censhare imports such a file, it creates a new asset and adds the relationships for each asset in the ZIP file. It does not matter if the asset or asset content already exists in the import system.

The Asset Export/Import module includes several server actions for import and export that are not related to this server action..

Asset referenced by their resource key

During the import, censhare handles assets that are exported by their resource key differently. During the export censhare can follow different types of relationships. One asset-relationship type uses the resource key for the reference. An asset feature stores the resource key that points to another asset.

During the import, the resource key of the exported asset is also used. censhare searches if an asset with this resource key already exists in the import system. If the resource key already exists, censhare references to this asset and does not create a new one. Otherwise, a new asset with this resource key is created.

For more information, see Manage asset relationships.

Administration rights

You need one of the following administration permissions to access the Asset Export/Import Module and create server actions and asset automation entries:

  • Admin configuration

  • Admin all

Configure the asset import

To provide the Asset Import you must activate the action in the censhare Admin Client:  

  1. In the Configuration/Modules folder, go to the Asset Export/Import module.

  2. Open the Import Assets entry.

  3. Go to the General setup section.

  4. Check the Enabled box.

  5. Click OK.

For more information, see Configuring manual server actions - general parameters.

By default, the following fields are activated and filled. Do not change these settings:

  • Handle include Ids

  • Handle hrefs Ids

  • Handle attribute: asset-id

Synchronize the server actions

After you change the configuration of the asset import, you must update the censhare Server(s) in the censhare Admin Client.

If there is only one censhare Server:  

  • Select Update server configuration in the top bar of the censhare Admin Client.

If there are a Master Server and one or more Remote Servers:

  • Select Synchronize remote servers in the top navigation of the censhare Admin Client. The server action updates the Master Server first and then transfer the configuration to the Remote Servers.

Result

The Import Assets server action is configured.