.. _bulk_load_limitations:

Bulk Load Limitations
---------------------

The |VOSS Automate| automation templates include a rich set of features that
incorporate the use of Configuration Templates, customizable Field Display
Policies and GUI rules that are used to enhance the user experience of the
user interface.  

Generated bulk load templates for certain resources that make use of such
advanced features are limited in their ability to produce the same provisioning
results that can be obtained when using the user interface and as such require
additional consideration.

An overview of these limitations is provided below, whilst the implications of
these limitations, how they may apply to specific resources in the system as
well as how best to use the generated loaders, are documented in the Bulkload
Reference Guides under resource specific sheet notes.

* Certain fields are used to link together different resources.  

  These fields may not be exposed in the user interface or may, for some resources, 
  be exposed as read-only in the user interface. Such fields are currently exposed 
  as mandatory fields in the generated bulk load templates. The fields and the 
  specific conventions that are used in the template to link the fields together are 
  highlighted in notes specific to the resource. For example, the value for remote 
  destination name should be specified as ``RDP-<username>``.
* Certain fields are derived from other data in the system. The notes specific to the 
  resource highlights where to get the possible values for such fields. Examples of 
  this are key-value type fields of a phone's vendor configuration settings.
* GUI Rules defined in the user interface that are not replicated in the backend workflow 
  need to be considered in the loader to get the same provisioning results as the GUI.  
  For example, the GUI rules may:

  * Set a default value for a visible field (fixed value or derived from other data in the system).
    This column and corresponding value will have to be included in the loader for this to
    be provisioned.

  * Set a value for a hidden field - This column and corresponding value will have to be included
    in the loader for this to be provisioned.  Note that this means that fields may be included
    in the loader that would not be visible in the user interface.

  * Make a field visible depending on some condition such as the value of another field (for example,
    a check box being selected). The column(s) need to be included in the loader and populated under
    the appropriate conditions.

A GUI Rule may for example disable input fields based on the state of a check
box. On the sheet, the ticked check box is represented as TRUE in the column.
The columns associated with the disabled fields should not be filled.

|sheet-GUI-rule|

To overcome the complexities introduced by the above limitations, a set of
sample bulk load sheets have been generated that enable users to get started
quickly and to leverage the best practices developed by VOSS.  


.. |sheet-GUI-rule| image:: /src/images/sheet-GUI-rule.png
.. |VOSS Automate| replace:: VOSS Automate
.. |Unified CM| replace:: Unified CM