How To: Load the ODS Using Sample XML Data

Owned by Ian Christopher (Deactivated)
Jun 11, 2019
2 min read

This article describes the steps needed to populate an Ed-Fi ODS with sample XML data, using the Console Bulk Loader. The steps can be summarized as:

Step 1. Build the Ed-Fi Console Bulk Loader

  • Make sure that you have an instance of the Ed-Fi ODS / API running locally that has been set up following the Getting Started - Installation Steps.
  • The Bulk Load Console project is built as part of the overall solution, and you can verify that the console application (EdFi.Ods.BulkLoad.Console.exe) has been built by browsing to C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation\Application\EdFi.Ods.BulkLoad.Console\bin\Debug.

Step 2. Download Scripts and Sample Data

  • Download the BulkConsoleLoaderScript.zip (to the right) and extract the contents of the ZIP file to a local folder (we recommend C:\Ed-Fi-SampleDataLoad). The ZIP file contains both scripts to initiate the Bulk Console Loader, as well as a copy of the Ed-Fi sample data XML with minor modifications.

    The modifications made to the Ed-Fi XML sample files, available from Standard Interchange Schema v2.2 - Download page or directly from GitHub, are as follows:

    • Descriptor files have been merged into a single file.
    • A subset of assessment sample files were selected.
    • The sample data error identified by DATASTD-1065 has been fixed.

Step 3. Run the Load Script and Populate the EdFi_ODS_Empty Database

  • From a PowerShell session, navigate to the ZIP file directory (i.e., C:\Ed-Fi-SampleDataLoad).
  • Execute LoadEmptyDatabaseWithSampleData.ps1.

  • The script will reset your EdFi-Ods-Empty and load all sample data in one script run. The process takes approximately 30 minutes.

    If your local copy of EdFi.Ods.BulkLoad.Console is in a different location than the root of the drive, you can change the LoadEmptyDatabaseWithSampleData.ps1 script to adjust.

    The script contains a parameter that defines the local path to the Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation repository. This is set by default to "C:\Ed-Fi-ODS-Implementation" but can be changed to be appropriate for your environment.

Step 4. Provision the EdFi_ODS_Populated_Template Database

  • Back up the EdFi_ODS_Empty database.
  • Restore the backup you just made with the name EdFi_ODS_Populated_Template.
  • Create a Sandbox using the Ed-Fi ODS / API Admin Console.
  • Use the database created as the source of data for loading dashboards and other activities.
Downloads

The following link is a ZIP archive containing a PowerShell script and console bulk loader manifest files to assist with loading an Ed-Fi ODS using sample XML data.

Bulk Console Loader Script