Importing using External Keys

To import using external keys, include the Ext. System and Ext.Key fields in the import format.

These two fields trigger the match-up procedure using the external key. If only the Ext.Key is included in the import file, the Ext. System must be defined using a default value.

Note: To import property participants using an external property key and external company/person key, import the external keys into the Property and Company/Person info areas. Import the other fields into the Property Participant info area.To import only CP records (without the linked PEs), you need to use the generic external key, i.e. you must add fields of type "ext.key" to CP in the data model and include these fields in the import format.

When matching up data using the external keys, the following steps are carried out:

  1. If the Ext. System and Ext.Key fields are included in the imported record, Aurea CRM searches for these values in its database. If a record is found, this record is matched up.
  2. Companies, persons and properties: If searching for the external key returns no results, but the "normal" match-up procedure (e.g. by name and address) finds a matching record, a new record is added to the corresponding external key info area (Ext. Company Key, Person Key or Property Key) and the imported Ext. System and Ext. Key are stored in this record.

    Other records (generic external key): If searching for the external key returns no results, but the match-up by station number and serial number finds a matching record, a new record is added to the Generic external key info area using the imported Ext. System and Ext. Key.

  3. If no record is found using the normal match-up procedure, a new record is added. A new record is also added to the corresponding external key info area (Ext. Company Key, Person Key, Property Key or Generic external key) and the imported Ext. System and Ext.Key are stored in this record.
Note: When importing using external keys, the corresponding external key info area (e.g. Ext. Company Key for companies) does not need to be included in the import format.