Fields for import files

This topic lists the required and supported fields for the item types that you can import from an Excel file to ALM Octane.

The list values described in the tables are the default system values. Your ALM Octane workspace may use different values depending on the workspace configuration.

Field names are not case-sensitive.

User/Quality story fields

In the User stories or Quality stories sheet, enter some or all of the following fields.

Required fields
unique_id	An ID for the story. If you are updating an existing story: Use the story's ID in ALM Octane, and add '@ before it. For example: '@9100.
name	Free text field, with a maximum of 255 characters.
type	The entity type: story or quality_story. This is only required when updating an existing entity, but not when creating a new one.
Optional fields (recommended)
epic feature	An existing or new epic or feature name. If the value matches an existing epic and feature name, ALM Octane associates the imported story with the epic and feature. If the value does not match, ALM Octane creates a new epic and feature. The epic and feature must both be in the import file to import the values. If one of the columns is not present, ALM Octane does not import either value.
description	Free text field.
author	The login name in the ALM Octane space settings for the person who created the story. If there is no value entered, the user story sets the value as the person performing the import.
owner	The ALM Octane login name for the item's owner
phase	A list value. Possible values include: New, In Progress, In Testing, and Done. If you do not enter a value, ALM Octane sets the phase to New.
product_areas	The application modules of your workspace. The name of the application module associated with the item. For lower-level application modules, specify the path to the application module. Example: `top-level/appmod1` If you associate the story with multiple application modules, separate the names with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin. If the application module’s name itself contains a forward or backward slash, you must double the slashes in the Excel sheet. Example: `top-level/appmod//1` An application module’s name cannot start or end with slashes.
release	The name of a release already created in ALM Octane.
sprint	The name of a sprint in the relevant release.
story_points	Positive integer.
team	The name of the team. You must assign the team to the specified release and sprint.
user_tags	Free text specifying the name of a tag to assign to the item. To assign multiple tags to an item, separate the tags with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin. If a tag does not yet exist in ALM Octane, after import, the tag is created in ALM Octane. Note: Tags are not case-sensitive. If you import several tags with the same letters but different casing, only the first tag is created. Example: If you import the tags `My-Tag` and `my-tag`, the tag `My-Tag` is created. The item with the `my-tag` tag is assigned the `My-Tag` tag.

Defect fields

In the defects sheet, enter some or all of the following fields.

Required fields
unique_id	If you are updating an existing story: Use the story's ID in ALM Octane, and add '@ before it. For example: '@9100.
name	Free text field, with a maximum of 255 characters.
type	Type defect to indicate that you are importing a defect. This is only required when updating an existing defect, but not when creating a new defect.
Optional fields (recommended)
epic/ feature	An existing or new epic or feature name. If the value matches an existing epic and feature name, ALM Octane associates the imported story with the epic and feature. If the value does not match, ALM Octane creates a new epic and feature. The epic and feature must both be in the import file to import the values. If one of the columns is not present, ALM Octane does not import either value.
description	Free text field.
severity	A list value. Possible values include: Low, Medium, High, Very High, and Critical.
defect_type	A list value. Possible values include: Pre-release or Escaped.
detected_by	The ALM Octane user name of the user who opened the defect.
owner	The ALM Octane login name for the defect owner.
phase	A list value. Possible values include: New, Deferred, Opened, Proposed Close, Closed, Rejected, and Duplicated. If you do not enter a value, ALM Octane sets the phase to New.
taxonomies	The environment tags for the defect. Enter the tag names for the environments defined in your workspace, separated with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin.
product_areas	The application modules of your workspace. The name of or path to (for second-level modules) the application module. If you are associating the story with multiple modules, separate the names with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin.
release	The name of a release already created in ALM Octane.
sprint	The name of a sprint in the relevant release.
story_points	Positive integer.
team	The name of the team. You must assign the team to the specified release and sprint.
user_tags	Free text specifying the name of a tag to assign to the item. To assign multiple tags to an item, separate the tags with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin. If a tag does not yet exist in ALM Octane, after import, the tag is created in ALM Octane. Note: Tags are not case-sensitive. If you import several tags with the same letters but different casing, only the first tag is created. Example: If you import the tags `My-Tag` and `my-tag`, the tag `My-Tag` is created. The item with the `my-tag` tag is assigned the `My-Tag` tag.

Task fields

In the tasks sheet, enter some or all of the following fields.

Required fields
story	The ID of the story or defect to which the tasks will be assigned. Note: If you are importing tasks directly from the Tasks tab, the story field is not required.
name	Free text field, with a maximum of 255 characters.
Optional fields
description	Free text field.
author	The ALM Octane login name of the user that will be identified as the task author.
owner	The ALM Octane login name for the task owner.
phase	A list value. Possible values include: New, In Progress, Completed. If you do not enter a value, ALM Octane sets the phase to New.
estimated_hours	An integer representing the number of estimated hours.
invested_hours	An integer representing the number of invested hours.

Requirement document fields

In the requirement document sheet, enter some or all of the following fields.

Required fields
name	Free text field, with a maximum of 255 characters.
Optional fields
description	Free text field.
owner	The ALM Octane login name for the task owner.
phase	A list value. Possible values include: Draft, In Design, In Review, Accepted, and Approved. If you do not enter a value, ALM Octane sets the phase to New.
release	The release to which the Requirement document should be added.

Manual test fields

In the manual tests sheet, enter some or all of the following fields.

Required fields
unique_id	Do one of the following: Add new test: A temporary number by which to identify the test. Use this number to reference the test in a call step, or to include the test in a test suite. After the test is imported, it is assigned a permanent ID in ALM Octane. Update test: Use the test's ID in ALM Octane, and add '@ before it. For example: '@9100.
name	Free text field, with a maximum of 255 characters.
type	Type test_manual to indicate that you are importing a manual test. Type step to indicate that you are importing a test step to the specified test.
Optional fields
test_type	A list value. Values can be Acceptance, End to End, Regression, Sanity, Security, or Performance. Use the values allowed by UI's language.
product_areas	The application modules of your workspace. The name of or path to (for second-level modules) the application module. If you are associating the story with multiple modules, separate the names with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin.
covered_requirement	The ALM Octane requirement ID representing the requirements covered by this test. To specify multiple requirement IDs, use a comma as the delimiter or any other character or string defined by your admin. Make sure that the values in the Excel file, correspond to existing requirement IDs.
covered_content	The ALM Octane ID number representing the backlog items this test covers.
designer	The ALM Octane user name of the person who created the test and test steps.
description	Free text field.
estimated_duration	An integer representing the number minutes expected to perform the test run.
owner	The ALM Octane login name for the item's owner.
phase	A list value. Possible values include: New, In Design, Awaiting Review, Ready, or Obsolete. If you do not enter a value, ALM Octane sets the phase to New. Use the values allowed by UI's language.
user_tags	Free text specifying the name of a tag to assign to the item. To assign multiple tags to an item, separate the tags with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin. If a tag does not yet exist in ALM Octane, after import, the tag is created in ALM Octane. Note: Tags are not case-sensitive. If you import several tags with the same letters but different casing, only the first tag is created. Example: If you import the tags `My-Tag` and `my-tag`, the tag `My-Tag` is created. The item with the `my-tag` tag is assigned the `My-Tag` tag.

Test step fields

You define test steps in the manual test sheet.

Field name	Description
step_type	Possible values: Simple, Validation, or Call. Use the values allowed by UI's language.
step_description	Simple or Validation steps: Free text describing the step. Call steps: The ID of the test the step is calling. You can refer either to a test that you are importing in the same sheet, by using its unique_id, or to an existing test, by using its ALM Octane ID, prefaced by '@, for example: '@9003
type	Type step to indicate that you are importing a test step.

Field name

Description

step_type

Possible values: Simple, Validation, or Call.

Use the values allowed by UI's language.

step_description

Simple or Validation steps: Free text describing the step.
Call steps: The ID of the test the step is calling. You can refer either to a test that you are importing in the same sheet, by using its unique_id, or to an existing test, by using its ALM Octane ID, prefaced by '@, for example: '@9003

type

Type step to indicate that you are importing a test step.

Test suite fields

In the test suites tab, enter some or all of the following fields.

Required fields
unique_id	Do one of the following: Add new test suite: A temporary number by which to identify the test suite. After the test suite is imported, it is assigned a permanent ID in ALM Octane. Update test suite: Use the test suite's ID in ALM Octane, and add '@ before it. For example: '@9100.
name	Free text field, with a maximum of 255 characters.
type	Type test_suite to indicate that you are importing a test suite. Type test_manual to indicate manual tests under the test suite.
Optional fields
test_id	The ID of the test to include in the suite. For a new test: The unique_id of the manual test, as assigned in the manual test sheet. You must include the referenced manual test in the same import file as the test suite. For an existing test: The ID assigned to the test, prefixed by '@. For example: '@2001.
product_areas	The application modules of your workspace. The name of or path to (for second-level modules) the application module. If you are associating the story with multiple modules, separate the names with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin.
covered_content	The ALM Octane ID number representing the backlog items this test covers.
designer	The ALM Octane user name of the person who created the test and test steps.
description	Free text field.
owner	The ALM Octane login name of the test suite's owner.
user_tags	Free text specifying the name of a tag to assign to the item. To assign multiple tags to an item, separate the tags with a comma or any other character or string defined by your admin. If a tag does not yet exist in ALM Octane, after import, the tag is created in ALM Octane. Note: Tags are not case-sensitive. If you import several tags with the same letters but different casing, only the first tag is created. Example: If you import the tags `My-Tag` and `my-tag`, the tag `My-Tag` is created. The item with the `my-tag` tag is assigned the `My-Tag` tag.