Automated CSV import into CPAM

[James Sumner]

Hi all

I'm pretty new with CPAM, so please bear with me

I'm trying to set up an automated personnel import from CSV to be scheduled daily into CPAM, however I'm stuck on a few minor details (possibly because it's past midnight)

Firstly, in the user manual located here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/security/physical_security/access_control/cpam/1_3_0/english/user_guide/CPAM_UG_1_3_0.pdf it says of the automated CSV import: "Imports a comma separated value file from a file located on an FTP server". Is FTP the only way this can be done, as there is an alternative "file" protocol specified within CPAM, which is not present in the screenshots in the user manual. I can only assume this is a recent addition.

Secondly, both options ask for a "directory path" for the CSV file. Is this literally referring to a directory path (i.e. \\server\share\), or the directory path and filename (i.e.\\server\share\import.csv)? If the former, how does it know which CSV file is the correct one? There is also mention of a "configuration file", which has to be called "csv.import.properties". This file appears to be how CPAM knows which column is which is the CSV file. Am I correct in assuming this also has to be located in the directory specified for the CSV file?

Thanks for your help

[Gerald Burgess]

There is an EDI integration you can get that will pull information into CPAM on a regular basis. 

It carries an additional license though.

[Cory Blackman]

I know this is pretty easily done from within CPAM without the EDI license since i've done this several times, one can do it as badges assigned to personnel, or just personnel i think, now if i could just remember those steps... you will need to modify a CSV from HR first, and the columns must match up to what CPAM is showing, it is under the Edit>Add pull-down... kinda hidden, but it imports a list from the client's file system, my client is usually Windozes...  (i'll post back if i can reach one of our CPAM servers today...).

For example, moving an old system to a new system, my .CSVs may start like this: (i'm getting two badges)

New Last Name,New Access Policy Notes,New Last Name,New Access Policy Notes New Last Name,New First Name,New Personnel ID,Test Numbering ,New Organization,New Card#,New Access Policy Notes

,,Blackman,Blackman,Cory,09999,,,23456,

Blackman,247LD ,Blackman,247LD Blackman,Cory,10001,10001,PCC,11223,24 HOURS ALL DAYS WITH IT PLUS LABS

... etc. [each employee on a new line till done]

FYI, If you look closely you may see a trick i use to move old systems easily to a new CPAM system, maybe this is not something you need to know, but CPAM actually has only a few columns shared between Personnel view & Badge view, annoying as that is - something may need to cross over to sort & see & set new access policies from the old system to the new, if you see my trick you'll be glad you did!

[Cory Blackman]

Okay, found some time to reach out to one of our servers:

Click/open Users>Personnel window.

Click Add▼>CSV Import Wizard... browse to CSV file on client.

From here on it's your learning curve, have fun!

[James Sumner]

Hi all

We have EDI, although I haven't really used this system much, as we've not long had it installed, and it was installed by contractors. It's now been handed over to us, and I'm learning on the job

The whole idea of what I want to do is to make this as low maintenance as possible. I don't want to import new users each day, I don't want to add card numbers each day. I want it automated, as we have over 15,000 users.

CPAM is set to import via LDAP from AD on a schedule (using EDI), although I'm not looking for an import from AD simply because AD doesn't have the card numbers of our staff. I need it to import from a database that contains all the information I need, which in this case is an access database that is populated from the front end of another system.

This is what I've done so far: a batch script runs automatically every evening, opening the access database and automatically running a macro which exports all new records for that day into a CSV file.

I've then used the Global I/O in CPAM to automatically import that CSV file 10 mins afterwards. To answer some of my own questions:

- I had to use FTP to import the CSV file in the end, I couldn't get the other method to work. This means the CSV file to be imported has to be hosted on an FTP server

- The name of the CSV file is not specified in the path, CPAM just seems to import all CSV files in the specified location

- The "csv.import.properties" file can be generated by doing a manual import, and going through all the (far easier than tha automatc CSV import) menu to import the CSV, you can export the generated "csv.import.properties" and place it in the same directory as the CSV file that you want imported automatically. This allows CPAM to know which column in the CSV file is which.

I do wish the global I/O section of CPAM was better documented to be honest - the menu for importing CSV files in global I/O is no where near as intuitive as the manual import, and when you're on a limited time schedule...

Thanks guys