Import Provider (Property)

This article is about the current version of Grooper.

Note that some content may still need to be updated.

2025

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Import Providers enable Grooper to import file-based content from a variety of sources, such as file systems, mail servers, and content repositories. An Import Provider is selected and configured when configuring Import Jobs. Ad-hoc or "user directed" Import Jobs are submitted from the Imports Page, using the "Submit Import Job" button. Automated or "scheduled" Import Jobs are submitted by an Import Watcher service according to its Poling Loop or Specific Times specification. In all cases, the Import Provider is selected using the Provider property.

Import Providers can be used in two ways:

To perform manual "ad-hoc" file imports when creating new Batches from the IMPORTS page.
To perform automatic, scheduled file imports using one or more Import Watcher services.
- Import Watcher is a service installed via Grooper Command Console.
- An Import Watcher installed via Grooper Command Console can be configured on the Machines tab on the "Design" page of Grooper.

There are three categories of Import Providers:

CMIS Import Providers
Legacy Import Providers
Other Import Providers

CMIS Import Providers

CMIS Import Providers are used to import content over a CMIS Connection from CMIS Repositories. This allows users to import from various on-premise and cloud based storage platforms.

Documents are imported from CMIS Connections using either the Import Descendants or Import Query Results providers.

Import Descendants will import all documents within a designated folder location of a CMIS Repository.
Import Query Results allows you to use a query syntax similar to a SQL query (called a CMISQL query) to set conditions for import based on the item's available metadata, such as a documents name, file type, creation date, archive status, or other variables.

BE AWARE!! Import Descendants was created as a simplified version of Import Query Results. In almost all cases, it is preferable to use Import Query Results. It is more fully featured and more developed.

For more information on how to set up a CMIS Connection and how to import using a CMIS Import Provider, visit the following articles:

Other Import

There are two import mechanisms you cannot use a CMIS Connection for. These have very specialized import mechanisms requiring unique providers.

OPEX Import
- This provider is necessary to import content using OPEX Scanning Devices (commonly used for mailroom automation).
Test Batch
- This provider allows users to import content from a Grooper test Batch.
- Most typically, this provider is used by Grooper designers testing a Batch Process. It has little uses in production scenarios.

Legacy Import Providers

These providers exist in Grooper for backwards compatibility.

In newer versions of Grooper, it is best practice to use a CMIS Import Provider with an analogous CMIS Connection type.
However, they are still supported for older versions of Grooper that are upgraded to more current ones.

The Legacy Import Providers are as follows:

File System Import
- This provider imports content over a local network to the Windows file system.
- The analogous CMIS Connection type is NTFS.
FTP Import
- This provider imports content using the FTP protocol.
- The analogous CMIS Connection types is FTP.
SFTP Import
- This provider imports content using the SFTP protocol.
- The analogous CMIS Connection types is SFTP.
Mail Import
- This provider imports content to mail servers using the IMAP protocol.
- The analogous CMIS Connection type is IMAP.
- FYI: If you are importing from a Microsoft Exchange server (i.e. you are using Outlook) you should use the Exchange CMIS Connection type. It is more fully featured, and will interoperate with Exchange email clients better.

Glossary

Batch Process: settings Batch Process objects are crucial components in Grooper's architecture. A Batch Process orchestrates the document processing strategy and ensures each inventory_2 Batch of documents is managed systematically and efficiently.

Batch Processes by themselves do nothing. Instead, the workflows they execute are designed by adding child edit_document Batch Process Steps.
A Batch Process is often referred to as simply a "process".

Batch: inventory_2 Batch objects are fundamental in Grooper's architecture as they are the containers of documents that get moved through Grooper's workflow mechanisms known as settings Batch Processes.

CMIS Connection: cloud CMIS Connection node objects provide a standardized way of connecting to various content management systems (CMS). These objects allow Grooper to communicate with multiple external storage platforms, enabling access to documents and content that reside outside of Grooper's immediate environment.

For those that support the CMIS standard, the CMIS Connection connects to the CMS using the CMIS standard.
For those that do not, the CMIS Connection normalizes connection and transfer protocol as if they were a CMIS platform.

CMIS Import: CMIS Import refers to two Import Providers used to import content over a cloud CMIS Connection: Import Descendants and Import Query Results. CMIS Imports allow users to import from various on-premise and cloud based storage platforms.

CMIS Repository: settings_system_daydream CMIS Repository node objects in Grooper allow access to external documents through a cloud CMIS Connection. They allows managing and interacting with those documents within Grooper's framework as if they were local. They are created as a child object of a CMIS Connection and used for various Activities.

CMIS: CMIS (Content Management Interoperability Services) is open standard allowing different content management systems to "interoperate", sharing files, folders and their metadata as well as programmatic control of the platform over the internet.

Exchange: Exchange is a CMIS Connection Type that connects Grooper to Microsoft Exchange email servers (including Outlook servers) for import and export operations.

FTP: FTP is a CMIS Connection Type that connects Grooper to FTP directories for import and export operations.

IMAP: IMAP is a CMIS Connection Type that connects Grooper to email messages and folders through an IMAP email server for import and export operations.

Import Descendants: Import Descendants is one of two Import Providers that use cloud CMIS Connections to import document content into Grooper. Import Descendants imports files or folders in a settings_system_daydream CMIS Repository folder location, including any files or folders in any sub-folders (i.e. "descendant" files or folders).

Import Provider: Import Providers enable Grooper to import file-based content from a variety of sources, such as file systems, mail servers, and content repositories. An Import Provider is selected and configured when configuring Import Jobs. Ad-hoc or "user directed" Import Jobs are submitted from the Imports Page, using the "Submit Import Job" button. Automated or "scheduled" Import Jobs are submitted by an Import Watcher service according to its Poling Loop or Specific Times specification. In all cases, the Import Provider is selected using the Provider property.

Import Query Results: Import Query Results is one of two Import Providers that use cloud CMIS Connections to import document content into Grooper. Import Query Results imports files or folders in a settings_system_daydream CMIS Repository that match a "CMISQL query" (a specialized query language based on SQL database queries).

NTFS: NTFS is a CMIS Connection Type that connects Grooper to files and folders in the Microsoft Windows NTFS file system for import and export operations.

Repository: A "repository" is a general term in computer science referring to where files and/or data is stored and managed. In Grooper, the term "repository" may refer to:

PRIMARILY a Grooper Repository. This is most commonly what people are referring to when they simply say "repository".
Less commonly a CMIS Repository

SFTP: SFTP is a CMIS Connection Type that connects Grooper to SFTP directories for import and export operations.

Test Batch: a "Test Batch" refers to any inventory_2 Batch created in the Test folder of the Batches folder in the Node Tree. Test Batches are used to test various configurations in Grooper, such as Batch Process Step configurations and Data Model configurations.