Transforming Flat Files into a Digital Thread Using the Aras Batch Loader

This guide is for administrators, solution builders, and data migrators working in Aras Innovator®. If you’re comfortable with ItemTypes, Relationships, and basic AML, you’re in the right place!

A quick heads up: Batch Loader requires an Enterprise License in Aras Innovator. Please confirm that you have it under Administration> Feature Licenses before proceeding.

For the full breakdown and examples, refer to the official BatchLoader Documentation. You can find it by logging into your subscriber portal or pulling it from the CD image.

TL;DR

• Batch Loader turns flat file rows into AML and submits them to Aras Innovator. You can run it via the GUI.
• Common delimiters are tab, space, and comma. Template parameters like @1, @2, … map columns to AML properties.

What it is and where it fits

The Batch Loader transfers data between environments or loads data extracted from another system. It reads flat files (e.g., TSV/CSV) and converts each row into AML, which is then sent to Innovator. Use the GUI to prototype mappings and validate a template. Important note: Batch Loader is for data, not configurations. Configuration changes (Item Types, Forms, Methods, and UI buttons) should be made through the Import/Export utilities.

Example: adding a button is a configuration change handled by the Import tool. Importing a list of Parts from Excel is a data load handled by Batch Loader. Typical jobs include seeding Users and Parts, loading relationships (e.g., BOM) after base items exist, and importing documents using their files so the link is created automatically.

Source Preview: Data you will be inserting into the Aras Innovator instance.

Database Options: Where you will configure the load process.

Template: The file that will determine the structure of the data being loaded. Please refer to the Template section below for additional information.

Quick guide

1. Start by pointing the tool at your data file
2. Choose the InnovatorServer endpoint (e.g. http://localhost/InnovatorServer)
3. Here are the key options you’ll need to configure:

• DataFilePath – Full path to the data file that contains the records to be loaded.
• Delimiter – Character used to separate fields in the data file. Common options are:
  • Tab (\t)
  • Space ( )
  • Comma (,)
• WorkerProcesses – Number of worker processes used while loading data.
  • Recommended: 1
• Threads – Number of threads per worker process.
  • Recommended: 1
• LinesPerProcess – Number of lines each worker process loads before a new process starts, with any remaining lines.
• Encoding – Encoding (or codepage number) of the data file.
• FirstRow – The row where the actual data starts.
  • Example: if the first row is column headers, set FirstRow = 2.
• LastRow – The row where data stops. Default: -1 (read until the end of the file).
• LogFilePath – Full path and filename for the log file where Batch Loader writes status and errors.
  • Example: C:\Parts.log
• LogLevel – Level of detail included in logs:
  • 1 = Low, minimal info, suited for stable automated jobs.
  • 2 = Medium, adds error details, suited for developing new jobs.
  • 3 = High, full debug detail, including AML for each row.
• PreviewRows – Number of rows displayed in the Preview Pane.
• MaxColumns – Maximum number of columns displayed in the Preview Pane.
• FirstRowIsColumnNames – If set to True, Batch Loader treats the first row as column names and starts parsing data from the next row.
  • Example: C:\Parts.txt

Templates:

Templates in Aras Innovator utilize AML, an extension of XML, which defines Item Types, business logic, and other elements. In this case, the templates guide how the platform will structure the data being inserted.

When authoring templates, bind columns with N. Start with add for initial loads. For recurring loads, consider switching to merge with a where clause (e.g., keyed name) so existing items update safely without colliding with sensitive properties. For structures, load Items first, then Relationships (e.g., Part BOM), or use an advanced template that edits a Part and adds its BOM lines in one pass. For documents, consider loading the Document and its File together in the same template to avoid dangling relationships.

Common quick fixes:

• If you hit permission/licensing errors, confirm the Enterprise License is active.
• If connections fail, sanity-check that the endpoint uses the InnovatorServer path, not the web client (e.g., http://localhost/InnovatorServer). Do not include trailing /server or /client.
• If headers don’t line up, reconcile FirstRow and FirstRowIsColumnNames with your file.

With these tips, you’re set to move flat files into Aras Innovator smoothly, strengthening the digital thread that keeps project data current across our PLM ecosystem. For more details, please refer to the Batch Loader documentation. Please post on our community forums with any questions or advice you would like to share!