Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

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Posted on by SBeal

I have a need to regularly import files into Dynamics (at least 4-5 times a day). I would use the standard "add a row" connector on Dataverse, however there will be a large number of duplicates in each file, so it is time consuming to deduplicate in Power Automate - as creating via Power Automate appears to bypass all duplicate detection rules that are normally applied when importing.

I'd quite like to automate this, but don't have the capability with C# to write a plugin that does it (and I want to work with sharepoint as a source), so was considering Power Automate.

I have set up a flow that does:

Create Data Import (import) record
Create Import Source File (importfile) record with the source file from a Sharepoint source (as comma separated values)
Initiate a ParseImport action using the importid
Wait for the parse to complete (monitor the System Jobs table)
Initiate a TransformImport action using the importid
Wait for the transform to complete (monitor the System Jobs table)
Initiate an ImportRecordsImport action using the importid

This however fails to complete the import, and I can't find anywhere to look at logs for why it is failing.

Each of the three system jobs succeed (as they would with a normal import), and the importfile record shows the correct number of rows, headers etc (so appears to be parsed correctly).

I suspect my issue stems from missing a key parameter or step in this process - can anyone advise? Or suggest an alternative (free) option? My source data is fairly flexible in storage location/format.

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AK1443 10 on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Hi..

Here's my requirement.

I need to map the imported contacts in contact entity to a new segment in segments entity using power automate.

Is there any way how to achieve it?
Alan Roberts on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

OK so you just need to make sure that whatever value you ended up with in the automatically created map as the sourceEntityName is the value that you enter in to the Source Entity field of the Create ImportFile power automate action.
SBeal 50 on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Further to Alan's comments, if these are the tags in the datamap xml - I used a map that I created in a manual import to ensure it was all set up properly before setting up the automated imports, so they were all populated automatically by the manual import process.
Alan Roberts on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Hi Abeer,

The target entity is simply the name of the entity/table that you are importing the data in to. The source entity name can be anything you want, you just need to make sure that you use the same value in the map (i.e. for sourceEntityName) as in the Create ImportFile power automate action (i.e. in the Source Entity field)

Cheers

Alan
Abeer 5 on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Alan Roberts Thank you for sharing this but I didn't get how did you do the mapping tags

<entitymap targetEntity="int_location" sourceentityname="location7" dedupe="ignore" procesCode="Process">

please if you could help!
Alan Roberts on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Glad to hear it is working. That was the only part I could see where the problem might have been!
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SBeal 50 on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Thanks Alan, the key bit I was missing was setting the SourceEntity of the importfile record to be the same as the chosen importmap.

It now works seamlessly!
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Alan Roberts on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Very similar to yours really

1. Setup the import

2. Set up the file

I'm just passing the content in from a compose as a test

I am using an existing map with TargetEntityName and SourceEntityName matching the ones above

If the SourceEntityName doesn't match the import will fail

3. Parse the file (Dataverse Connector/Perform a Bound Action/Data Imports table/ParseImport)

Then loop checking the system jobs until complete (statecode 3 as per https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/developer/data-platform/webapi/reference/asyncoperation?view=dataverse-latest)

4. Do a similar thing with the transform (Dataverse Connector/Unbound Action/TransformImport)

again looping and checking system jobs for completion

5. Import the transformed file (Dataverse Connector/Perform a Bound Action/Data Imports table/ImportRecordsImport)
SBeal 50 on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Oh interesting - would be interested in seeing your flow steps/code to see if I can replicate!
Alan Roberts on at

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RE: Using Power Automate to initiate importing records

Thanks anyway. Somehow I've managed to get it working, but I'm not sure what tweak was the answer.