Massive recipients import on NPrinting 17 and NPrinting 18

[partenope]

Hi,

I'm trying to complete a migration from NPrinting 16.8 to NPrinting November 2018 and the main issue is about the recipients import.

In old NPrinting 16 each app has import task, the task can import from qlik entity, the recipients list and related filters are inside the "sandbox".

In "new" NPrinting 17/18:

• Users are out of the sandbox
• Import task can't grab users from Qlik entity
• The only way to import users and filters(excluding LDAP) is EXCEL!!!

Actually our customer has, on NPrinting 16 server, this scenario:

• 30 different NPrinting projects (apps)
• 400 Users (the same for different project)
• 1 or 2 filters per user per project (each user has DIFFERENT filter in different project)

Migrating on NPrinting 17/18 we are forced to create MANUALLY a huge excel document with:

• A sheet containing filters: the number of filters is: 1 filter * 30 projects * 400 users = 12.000 rows
• A sheet containing users: 400 rows, but for each row we need to populate the "filters" column with all the filters owned by the user (30 per user) comma separated

This is impossible for an enterprise software: what if I need to change something or add/delete filter or user?

Has any one had same issue?

Thanks in advance

[Lech_Miszkiewicz]

Hi,

Your task does not have to be manual. If you already have recipients and filters in Qlik Entity why dont you build XLS NPriunitng report to produce user and filter import list. I understand that this is extra step at the moment, but it will not be manual and can be used. 

You probably should re-think how filters are linked to users as it might not be necessary to create distinct cominations of filters - users. I believe some filters can be shared between users jus by using association. This however is only my quess and i am not sure if i am right here since i have not seen your full filter list.

I can see this working, but it needs to be done smart. 

At first glance you can:

• simply create 30 connections and link different user filters based on connections.. ( i know it is a lot)
• create list of user - single list with 400 users
• create list of distinct filters for each connection and user
  • the above 2 bulletpoints need to have association created (which can be done in import from XLS)

So at the end the above mentioned steps you are aware of and the only missing step is that you can use NPriting and Entity report to create this excel for you AUTOMATICLY!

regards

Lech

[Ruggero_Piccoli]

Hi,

I agree with Lech. Qlik NPrinting 17+  supports also user creation via APIs https://help.qlik.com/en-US/nprinting/November2018/APIs/NP+API/index.html?page=53.

In your case I think creating a report that read the users from QlikView and generates the Excel file to be imported is the best solution. 

Best Regards,
Ruggero
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[partenope]

Hi Lech, thanks for your answer!

I'm moving in the way you describe. I'll try to show you the main issue running this solution:

Each project refers each user with independent filter: the meaning is = 30 projects * 400 users. each user has HIS OWN filter. 

Each filter has a link with each app/connection and I must create 400 * 30 distinct filters = 12.000 rows, and then in EACH "filters" column of user row I need to concatenate 30 filters.

For example: 3 Apps, 2 Users => 6 Filters

App1 - filterApp1_1: user_id_1 = 1, filterApp1_2: user_id_2 = 2
App2 - filterApp2_1: user_id_1 = 1, filterApp2_2: user_id_2 = 2
App3 - filterApp3_1: user_id_1 = 1, filterApp3_2: user_id_2 = 2

As you see filterApp_1 = filterApp2_1 = filterApp3_1.
But I must create 1 filter per User per App/Connection.

On QlikView project (created for import-excel generation), obviously, I can "concatenate" filters for each user in a string, then User1 will have a "filter" column like this: "filterApp1_1, filterApp2_1, filterApp3_1".

If you extend this example to the real project, the final excel for import is based only on Filters-Apps-Connections names... And I can't control how customer on daily work uses NPrinting...

Now, on NP16.9, they can add easily new project or new report. When the migration will be done, I think they will have many troubles....

I don't know if I was clear... 🙂
I'm worried about daily work: with NP18 each new App or Report needs heavy effort to avoid troubles...

Now, my last solution is: all the App/Connections/Filters names are stored in excel files. To simplify the process I'm creating 1 Folder for each App where I store a set of excel files containing:

• App and Connection names
• Filters for that App

The QlikView project reads a main list of users and than all the subfolders and files to merge all the source and generate the well-formatted excel for import.

When all the work will be done, I'll cross my finger and push the engine button... 🙂

[partenope]

Thanks for your reply Ruggero, I'm working in the way you can read on my last post... I hope you can understand my ruminations... 🙂
I'm creating a QlikView excel generator, and I know there are APIs... But on an Enterprise Product these solutions sound like "workarounds"... The NP16-way was stable, simple, clear, and final users can easily create their own apps-reports. Now they have 2 ways:
1. we can create for them a webapp (with new economic effort) to manage users and filters by APIs
2. a complex excel creation-maintenance for QlikView "generator" (with new economic effort too)

Both solutions are worse than previous release... And they can't understand why...

Tanks for your interest.
Bye, Dario