The Ingestion Automation Process for File Uploads
To be able to automatically ingest files that you upload for processing (so that LiveRamp does not have to manually intervene each time you upload a new file), we have to create an automation configuration for that particular dataset (you might hear us refer to this as an "auto import configuration" or "AIC"). This speeds up and streamlines the ingestion process for your files.
When we set up your dataset to receive the first file upload, we configure the following types of aspects:
Whether the files will be column-based files or key-value files
The delimiter the files will use
The field(s) in the file that will be used as the dataset key
Whether any fields in the file will be multi-value fields
The identifier data fields that will be included
The input directory and path to pull files from
For input directories that will hold files going to different datasets, the file name regex (the regular expression) tells us which dataset to upload the file to. For example, if a dataset has been set up with a file name regex of "Acme_Halloween_Campaign_*", any files where the file name starts with "Acme_Halloween_Campaign_" will be ingested into that dataset.
Often we will use a file from another of your datasets, or the first file you upload to your new dataset, as a "seed" or "template" to create this configuration.
This automation configuration is used during the file inspection step of the ingestion processing stage. For more information on the various steps performed during ingestion processing, see "Overview of the File Ingestion Process for Activation Workflow Files".
Once this configuration has been enabled, it's very important that subsequent files that are uploaded for that dataset stay consistent with the "seed" or "template" configuration. If you upload a file that is not consistent (such as a file with different headers or a different dataset key), the file will be paused in the ingestion process until the file is manually mapped to the dataset.
If you need to upload a file that does not match the initial automation configuration, create a support case so we can make sure the file is ingested correctly.
Set Up Ingestion Automation for a New Dataset
To initiate the creation of this configuration for a new dataset, use one of the two available quick cases for "Set Up Audience for First File Upload" (depending on the dataset type) to create a support case:
For Activation workflow datasets, use the Set Up Audience for First File Upload (Activation) quick case
For Measurement Enablement workflow datasets, use the Set Up Audience for First File Upload (Measurement Enablement) quick case
For more information on the information to include in the support case, as well as information on whether to create the case before or after uploading the first file, see "Considerations When Uploading the First File to a Dataset".