Running data imports

Available from 9.2.2. You can use this REST API to check the status of a data import, or to run a Raw Data Only, or a Complete data import. All these actions are completed through a common API request. You distinguish between them by appending the request with specific parameters. To work with this API, you use the GET operation on the api/import_status.json element, or its alias api/management/imports.json.

Before you begin

An icon representing a user. You must have the Manage Imports permission to perform this task.

Checking the import status

Before you start running data imports, retrieve the status of a data import to ensure that no imports are currently in progress. The statuses that can be retrieved are explained in Example HTTP conversation. To check the import status, use the following request:

https://hostname:port/api/import_status.json?token=token

Running a Raw Data Only import

Running a Raw Data Only import is much quicker, because it only retrieves raw scan results. This type of data import is used for retrieving raw scan results through REST API. A Raw Data Only data import includes the following steps of the import process:

Initialization of models:
```
Calling Model.before_snapshot
```
Initialization of each data source:
```
Initialize datasource #{datasource.name}
```

Computer data:

RawComputerId
Computer
ComputerPropertyValue
ComputerDimension

Computer-related files:

RawDatasourceFile
DatasourceFile
SAM::ScanFile

Scanned file, package, UNIX package, and application usage data:

SAM::FileFactDelta
SAM::FileFact
SAM::RawPackageFact
SAM::PackageFact
SAM::RawUnixPackageFact
SAM::UnixPackageFact
SAM::RawAppUsagePropertyValue
SAM::AppUsagePropertyValue

To start importing your raw data, append the API request with the run parameter, and specify the value as raw_only:

https://hostname:port/api/import_status.json?token=token&run=raw_only

Note: After running a Raw Data Only data import, the raw data can be retrieved through REST API, but is not visible in the UI. The UI still shows the state of your environment from the last successful data import. The only exception is the Metering Data report that shows the most recent data even after a raw only data import. For more details, see Importing raw scan data

Running a complete data import

Running a Complete import through REST API has the same effect as running the data import from the UI. To start importing your data, append the API request with the run parameter, and specify the value as Complete:

https://hostname:port/api/import_status.json?token=token&run=complete

Operation descriptions

Note: Each API request must be authenticated with the token parameter. You can retrieve it by using REST API for retrieving authentication token. You can also log in to BigFix Inventory, hover over the User icon

, and click Profile. Then, click Show token.

Table 1. Operation descriptions
The table consists of two columns and 15 rows. For the eleventh row there are two levels.
Operation details	Description
Operation	`GET /api/import_status.json`, or `GET /api/management/imports.json`
Purpose	Returns the status of the data import
HTTP method	`GET`
Resource URI	https://`server_host_name`:`port_number`/api/import_status.json, or https://`server_host_name`:`port_number`/api/management/imports.json
URL link relation	n/a
URI query parameters	n/a
Request headers	Header `Accept-Language` (optional) Values en-US (only English is supported) Used to negotiate the language of the response. If this header is not specified, the content is returned in the server language.
Request payload	n/a
Request `Content-Type`	`application/json`
Response headers	Header `Content-Type` Values `application/json` Specifies the content type of the response.
Response headers	Header `Content-Language` Values en-US, …; Specifies the language of the response content. If this header is not specified, the content is returned in the server language.
Response payload	`Import status` element
Response `Content-Type`	`application/json`
Normal HTTP response codes	`200 – OK`
Error HTTP response codes	`500 – “Bad Request”` if a query parameter contains errors or is missing Message body includes an error message with details.

Query parameters

You can use query parameters to narrow down the results of your search or perform extra actions. The following table presents query parameters that you can use for the api/import_status.json and api/management/imports.json elements.

Table 2. Query parameters for running a data import and retrieving its status
The table consists of four columns and nine rows.
Parameter	Description	Required	Value
format	Specifies the format of the retrieved information. The possible values are `json` or `xml`. Retrieve information in the `json` format: `URL?format=json`	No	String
token	A unique user authentication identifier. You can view your token in the Profile preferences of BigFix Inventory.	Yes	Alphanumeric
run	Specifies the type of a data import to run. The possible values are: `complete` - runs a Complete data import `raw_only` - runs a Raw Data Only import that retrieves raw scan results. The data is not aggregated and therefore not shown in the UI. You can only retrieve it through REST API.	No	String

Example HTTP conversation

Request

GET api/import_status.json
?token=7adc3efb175e2bc0f4484bdd2efca54a8fa04623
Host: localhost:9081 
Accept: application/json 
Accept-Language: en-US

Response header

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Language: en-US

Response body (JSON)

If a data import has never been initiated:

{
  "mode": "none",
  "can_run_imports": true,
  "import_status_url": "/import_status",
  "import_create_url": "/management/imports",
}

If a data import is in progress:

{
  "mode": "running",
  "can_run_imports": true,
  "import_status_url": "/import_status",
  "import_create_url": "/management/imports",
  "progress": 59
}

If a data import is not running:

{
  "mode": "idle"/"pending",
  "can_run_imports": true,
  "import_status_url": "/import_status",
  "import_create_url": "/management/imports",
  "last_status": successful,
  "last_success_time": "2015-06-18T04:00:29Z"
  "last_import_time": "2015-06-18T04:00:29Z",
  "last_import_type": "raw_only"
  "next_import_time": "2015-06-20T06:00:00Z",
  "next_import_time_in": 75057,
  "next_import_type": "complete"
}

Where:

mode - status of the data import, it can assume the following values:
- none - a data import has never been initiated
- idle - no data imports are currently running
- running - a data import is in progress
- pending - an action performed in the user interface requires a data import to be started for the change to take effect
can_run_imports - specifies whether the user retrieving this API can run imports,
import_status_url - web address of this API,
import_create_url - web address of the data imports panel in BigFix Inventory,
progress - percentage status of the running import,
last_status - status of the last import,
last_success_time - time of the last successful import,
last_import_time - time of the last import,
last_import_type - type of the last import,
next_import_time - time of the next scheduled data import,
next_import_time_in - remaining time (in seconds) to the next scheduled data import,
next_import_type - type of the next scheduled data import.