This article is intended for users who want to import data like SCORM/AICC content packages, quizzes and question pools, learning modules, courses, historical training records incl. certificates to the LMS365 Cloud.

Before starting to import, you will need the latest Import Tool, please request it from the Support Team.

The data you want to import needs to be defined in Excel Data Files for each data type to be imported, which this article will explain and get you started. For more detailed information please read each section below.

Please be advised that the LMS365 Import Tool is being verified on the latest version of the LMS Suite.

AICC/SCORM Import

To import SCORM or AICC content packages, you need to create a data file with the packages to import, a folder with the .zip files, and then fill in some values in the configuration file.

First, create a folder in the DataFiles folder, called, for example, Scorms. In this folder, you should put .zip content packages (SCORMs and/or AICCs).

After that, you should create a Scorms.xlsx file. Please see details about the columns that should be included in this file in the table below. Optional columns can be empty or absent. When SCORM/AICC is imported with an empty or absent optional column – such option is Off or empty in the Content Packages Storage for imported SCORM/AICC on the Cloud side.

Here is an example of the .xlsx file for importing 2 AICC/SCORM packages:

After you have created the Scorms.xlsx file, put it in the DataFiles folder.

Now you can fill in the configuration file (called Elearningforce.LMS365.Import.Program). Please see the example in the “How to fill in the configuration file” section.

For the further steps, please see “How to run the tool” section.

Quizzes/Question Pools Import

A prerequisite for importing quizzes and question pools is an excel data file generated using the Import Tool. For more detailed information please read this section.

After generation, in the GeneratedDataFiles folder you will see folders with the images and .txt files as well as .xlsx files.

Please be advised that only images (added from local PC, from SharePoint or address) and embed code (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo video) can be generated within a quiz or a question pool.

Quizzes.xlsx file will have the following columns:

QuestionPools.xlsx file will have the following columns:

After you have a generated data file, put it in the DataFiles folder (along with the folder containing images if there are any and .txt files).

Now you can fill in the configuration file (called Elearningforce.LMS365.Import.Program). Please see the example in the “How to fill in the configuration file” section.

For the further steps, please see “How to run the tool” section.

Learning Modules Import

A prerequisite for importing learning modules is a set of excel data files generated using the Import Tool. For more detailed information please read this section.

After generation, in the GeneratedDataFiles folder you will see folders with the .txt, .xlsx, and other files. Along with the Learning Modules data file, Courses, Scorms, Quizzes, and Question Pools data files are generated.

The following items can be generated within a learning module: Content Packages (SCORM/AICC), Chapter, Content items, Documents (with link to documents), Files added from your local computer, and Quizzes.

LearningModules.xlsx file will have the following columns:

After you have a generated data file, put it in the DataFiles folder (along with the folder containing files and .txt files).

Now you can fill in the configuration file (called Elearningforce.LMS365.Import.Program). Please see the example in the “How to fill in the configuration file” section.

Please be advised that to import a learning module on the Cloud you need to import it with an associated course as it is a course-based item. If Content Packages or Quizzes (Question Pools if there are any questions in a quiz included from them) are included in the Learning Modules, they need to be imported along with the Learning Modules data files.

Courses Import

A prerequisite for importing courses is a SharePoint site with the created Course Catalog. If you have one, then you need to create a data file with the courses to import and fill in some values in the configuration file.

Please see details about the columns that should be included in the Courses.xlsx file in the table below. Optional columns can be empty or absent. When course is imported with an empty or absent optional column - such option is Off or empty on the Cloud side.

Here is an example of the .xlsx file for creating 1 course named New Course:

Material courses generated from the On-Premises are present in the Courses.xlsx file as e-Learning courses with the specified associated Learning Modules. All Course Materials will be present in the Learning Module configuration file (.txt) along with the Confirmation item (simple checkbox or authorization). For the correct display of such courses, you need to import Courses.xlsx file together with the LearningModules.xlsx file.

After you have created the Courses.xlsx file, put it in the DataFiles folder.

Now you can fill in the configuration file (called Elearningforce.LMS365.Import.Program). Please see the example in the “How to fill in the configuration file” section.

For the further steps, please see “How to run the tool” section.

Certificates Import

A prerequisite for importing courses is a SharePoint site with the created Course Catalog. If you have one, then you need to create a data file with the certificates to import, a folder with the certificates images (if not using Cloud Certificate Templates), and fill in some values in the configuration file.

First, create a folder in the DataFiles folder, called, for example, Certificates. In this folder, you should put certificates images you want to import (we support the following image formats: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff, .gif, .pdf).

After that, you will need to create an .xlsx file. Please see details about the columns that should be included in the Certificates.xlsx file in the table below:

Here is an example of the .xlsx file importing 1 certificate for 2 different users:

There is also a possibility to import Certificates along with the achieved competencies. This can be done only by Certificates generation from the On-Premises. Additional ‘Competencies’ column will be specified in the Certificates.xlsx file (please make sure that competency name and its level are specified with a hyphen but without space), and Scale Sets and Competencies data files that need to be imported simultaneously will be generated. Please remember that only competencies granted by the external certificates can be generated and imported to the Cloud side and there is no possibility to import Scale Sets or competencies independently.

After you have created the Certificates.xlsx file, put it in the DataFiles folder.

Now you can fill in the configuration file (called Elearningforce.LMS365.Import.Program). Please see the example in the “How to fill in the configuration file” section.

For the further steps, please see “How to run the tool” section.

How to fill in the configuration file

The following values are required both for the courses and certificates import:

• • DataFilePath – is a path to the excel file with a list of imported courses and their options or imported certificates depending on what you want to import.

• • dateTimeFormat – key specifies Date format for uploading (we strongly recommend to use the following format: MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm:ss). If in the .xlsx file you use one data format and in the configuration file another one, the Import Tool will use format from the .xlsx file (if it is the default one: MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm:ss), otherwise, the format from the configuration file will be used for date recognizing;

• • errorLogPath – key should be filled with the default value "ErrorLogs".

Pay attention to these required fields:

• • courseCatalogUrl – the URL of site collection with the installed Course Catalog add-in and existing courses (it is also required for the Quiz/Question Pool import). Please do not use a slash (/) at the end of your relative Course Catalog URL.

• • apiKey – API key initializes Tenant where courses are imported.

• • containerSAS – temporary storage for upload.

• • apiBaseAddress – API URL (see region based URL at http://api.365.systems/docs).

To get API key and containerSAS values, you need to send a request to the LMS365 Support (support@elearningforce.com).

Please see an example of the configuration file for importing courses and certificates below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
   <startup>
      <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.5.2" />
   </startup>
   <appSettings>
      <add key="remUrl" value="" />
      <add key="userMappingFilePath" value="" />
      <add key="coursesDataFilePath" value="DataFiles/Courses.xlsx" />
      <add key="scormsDataFilePath" value="" />
      <add key="questionPoolsDataFilePath" value="" />
      <add key="quizzesDataFilePath" value="" />
      <add key="certificateTemplatesDataFilePath" value="" />
      <add key="certificatesDataFilePath" value="DataFiles/Certificates.xlsx" />
<add key="learningModulesDataFilePath" value="" />
<add key="scaleSetsDataFilePath" value=" " />
<add key="competenciesDataFilePath" value="" />
      <add key="errorLogPath" value="ErrorLogs" /> 
      <add key="generatedDataFilesPath" value="" />
      <add key="apiKey" value="Required value" />
      <add key="timeout" value="30" />
      <add key="dateTimeFormat" value="MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm:ss" />
      <add key="tenantDomain" value="lms365.elearningforce.com" />
      <add key="apiBaseAddress" value="Required value" />
      <add key="courseCatalogUrl" value="https://lms365.elearningforce.com/coursecatalog" />
      <add key="containerSAS" value="Required value" />
   </appSettings>
   <runtime>
       <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
           <probing privatePath="Libraries" />
       </assemblyBinding>
    </runtime>
</configuration>

You can run certificates, courses, content packages, quizzes/question pools, and learning modules import simultaneously by referring to all needed data files in the configuration file.

How to run the Tool

Any user can run Import Tool from any local PC. After you have filled in all necessary folders and values in the configuration file, run the Elearningforce.LMS365.Import.Program.exe. After that, you will be required to select how to import data to the LMS365 Cloud:

Select point 1 “Using data files”, and then enter “y” to confirm you are ready to start the importing process:

After the importing process has been finished, press any key to return to the menu of the Import Tool.
If something went wrong whilst importing, you can always see the log files in the Logs (errors of the tool) or ErrorLogs (if errors in the data files were found) folders.

How to migrate from LMS365 On-Premises

To migrate your data from the LMS365 On-Premises to the LMS365 Cloud, you need to generate all the needed data files first. There are some prerequisites for exporting data from the On-Premises side:

1. 1. Create a “GeneratedDataFiles” folder where all the needed data will be exported;

2. 2. Fill in some required values in the configuration file:

   1. a. remUrl – specify the URL of the REM site from where the data will be exported;

   2. b. errorLogPath – key should be filled with the default value "ErrorLogs";

   3. c. generatedDataFilePath – key should be filled with the “GeneratedDataFiles” value.

3. 3. For courses, certificates and export of all items, a prerequisite is a generated User Mapping data file (run the tool and select point 3 “Generate user mapping file”). After it is generated, you need to specify the path to it in the configuration file (userMappingFilePath key). User Mapping file is needed for associating the On-Premises accounts with the Cloud ones and specifying them in the Teachers column of the Courses.xlsx file and User Name column of the Certificates.xlsx file.

When generating the User Mapping file, you can face with some problems in resolving the accounts. Here is a list of possible reasons:

1. 1. a. a user is no longer in the AD – these records need to be removed from the file;

   2. b. a user got his/her login name changed – Cloud user login needs to be put in the file manually for such users;

   3. c. it is not possible to resolve User Principal Name for a user – Cloud user login needs to be put in the file manually for such users.

After everything is ready for exporting the data, you need to run the tool on the SharePoint server, and select point 2 “Generate data files”:

After that, please select the data type to be exported:

A folder with the exported data will be created in the GeneratedDataFiles folder. Now you can import data to the LMS365 Cloud using the instruction from the above sections.