Ability to export and import KB Articles

Brett_Moffett

Currently once a KB Article has been authored there is no way to move that KB article from one environment to another or even share KB articles (Maybe via the community )

Having the ability to export the KB article is some format that can then be used to import back in to another instance of the Cireson portal would allow for KB articles to be designed and tested in Dev environments before being moved to prod as well as being able to share KB articles across companies.

In addition, it would be good to be able to export the HTML of the KB to a generic HTML file for use or storage of intellectual property.

Tony_Collett

Additionally, it would be pretty great to be able to author a KB article offline and import it, perhaps with a tool or utilising XML/HTML which can be transferred into the KB article section easily

Dakota_Green

I am aware of ways you can export KB tables from SQL, but obviously is not easily done and requires some specific know-how.

You can obviously copy-paste the contents of the Knowledge Base article itself.

On that front, I too wish a few other things can be imported to/from the Portal that isn't related to SCSM.

Margarete_Jussen

Did anyone find a way to import Cireson Knowledge Base Articles from 2012 to 2016 yet?

Eric_Krasner

Oh, wonderful.  Are you saying that they don't migrate with the upgrade to 2016?

Tom_Hendricks

I can only assume @Margarete_Jussen migrated from 2012 to 2016 rather than upgrading, resulting in two separate databases (the old one having the KB articles, the new one not having them).  Am I correct/close?

I performed an in-place upgrade, which eliminated the issue altogether.  However, I also have a bit of experience importing KB articles from a different ITSM system into the Cireson HTML KB, and occasionally exporting them out for bulk editing, etc.  @Dakota_Green already hinted at how--it is done through SQL, today.  There are certainly some oddities to this KB that I had to reach out to Cireson for help with, but once you know what they are it is very simple for someone with reasonable SQL skill to work with.

Having said all of that, this feature had my vote early on.  I would love it if I could delegate this out to other folks who want to help but do not know SQL.

Margarete_Jussen

 I am so sorry about using the wrong word. You are definitely right Tom. I tried to do it with SQL and it did not work because some table fields are read only and therefore can not be updated... Thanks for your quick answer.   I am an absolute beginner with SQL and just wanted to know if someone found another way but I will go on trying. We are just testing now and have time until autumn to migrate from 2012 to 2016. I try to do my best with my english so please excuse me if I sometimes do not use the correct english Expression.

Tom_Hendricks

No reason to be sorry!  Look at my post history--I am a prime offender, usually due to posting while distracted (and English is my first language!). 

Thanks for clarifying, though.  That is the reason I asked.  I think we can help with the SQL.

Tom_Hendricks

Continuing with my previous message...

If you or your DBA/Developer restores your 2012 DB to a DB on your 2016 server, you could run the following query on your 2016 server, after the portal has been installed:

(see below for some assumptions that have been made)

Also note--the DB names in brackets like [nameOfMy2012DatabaseHere] would need to be changed to the actual name of your database.

INSERT INTO<br>    ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle<br>SELECT<br>    ArticleID<br>,   Title<br>,   Abstract<br>,   Keywords<br>,   EndUserContent<br>,   EndUserContentType<br>,   ExternalURLSource<br>,   ExternalURL<br>,   LocaleID<br>,   VendorArticleID<br>,   Popularity<br>,   Owner<br>,   Status<br>,   Type<br>,   Category<br>,   CreatedBy<br>,   CreatedDate<br>,   LastModifiedBy<br>,   LastModifiedDate<br>,   ExternalId<br>,   SourceID<br>,   IsImported<br>,   ViewCount<br>FROM<br>   <b> [nameOfMy2012DatabaseHere]</b>.dbo.KnowledgeArticle;<br><br>INSERT INTO<br>    ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle$Comment<br>SELECT<br>    RelationshipID<br>,   KnowledgeArticleID<br>,   UserID<br>,   Helpful<br>,   Comment<br>,   CreatedDate<br>,   Archived<br>,   ArchivedDate<br>,   ArchivedByUser<br>FROM<br>    <b>[nameOfMy2012DatabaseHere]</b>.dbo.KnowledgeArticle$Comment;<br><br>INSERT INTO<br>    ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle$Rating<br>SELECT<br>    KnowledgeArticleID<br>,   UserID<br>,   Rating<br>,   CreatedDate<br>,   Archived<br>,   ArchivedDate<br>,   ArchivedByUser<br>FROM<br>    <b>[nameOfMy2012DatabaseHere]</b>.dbo.KnowledgeArticle$Rating;<br>

Assumptions:

• Your 2016 Cireson Portal has synced with Service Manager (normal CacheBuilder cycle) at least once, so all the users who may have owned or edited articles, comments, and ratings exist in your new DB.  (you may get errors in the portal if the users do not exist in the new instance)
  
• There are no Knowledge Articles, comments, or ratings already in your 2016 portal.  (you will get errors running this SQL, if there are)
• You have not used any custom enumerations for the Knowledge Article category or type.  Additional scripts would need to be run to bring those over, and they would be a bit more complicated to write out.
  

Margarete_Jussen

Thank you very much, this is what I have been searching for.

Margarete_Jussen

 It worked with small changes to get it run. I post them here in case it could be useful for someone:

set identity_insert ServiceManagement.[dbo].[KnowledgeArticle] on

INSERT INTO     ServiceManagement.[dbo].[KnowledgeArticle]

( ArticleID,  Title,  Abstract,  Keywords,  EndUserContent,  EndUserContentType,   AnalystContent,             AnalystContentType,   ExternalURLSource,   ExternalURL,   LocaleID,   VendorArticleID,   Popularity,   Owner,   Status,   Type,   Category,   CreatedBy,   CreatedDate,   LastModifiedBy,   LastModifiedDate,   ExternalId,   SourceID,   IsImported,   ViewCount)

SELECT

ArticleID,   Title,   Abstract,   Keywords,   EndUserContent,   EndUserContentType,      AnalystContent,      AnalystContentType,   ExternalURLSource,   ExternalURL,   LocaleID,   VendorArticleID,   Popularity,   Owner,   Status,   Type,   Category,   CreatedBy,   CreatedDate,   LastModifiedBy,   LastModifiedDate,   ExternalId,   SourceID,   IsImported,   ViewCount

FROM  [nameOFMy2012DatabaseHere].dbo.KnowledgeArticle;

set identity_insert ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle off

  My changes are written bold and cursive and had also be done for ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle$Comment and ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle $Ratings.

Margarete_Jussen

oops

The commands for identity_insert do not work for ServiceManagement.dbo.KnowledgeArticle$Ratings

It worked without those commands.

Tom_Hendricks

Good catch with the Identity_Insert setting.  I thought that might not be necessary, but it appears I was wrong.

The name of the table is KnowledgeArticle$Rating (no "s" at the end).  Could that be the issue?

Joakim_Normann

I have run the SQL query above successfully. However I'm not able to see any of the content on each knowledge article in the portal in our new environment. I only see the title when I click on it. I'm a member of our Knowledge Manager AD group and I have told the portal to use HtmlKb.