Dealing with Blank Spaces in the Bulk User Imports Operation in CloudSOC

Products

• CASB Securlet SAAS

Issue/Introduction

When using the Bulk User Import feature in CloudSOC, you may need to update only part of the user records without impacting the existing values. This article goes over the details on how to deal with blank or empty fields in your import file to avoid unintentionally removing user data.

Environment

Product:  CloudSOC (CASB)
Feature: Bulk User Import 

Cause

The 'bulk user import' process in CloudSOC works by reading a csv file formatted according to a template provided in the Admin Console. Here's how it behaves:

If a user record does not exist, CloudSOC treats it as a create action and adds the user.
If the user already exists, CloudSOC treats it as an update and replaces the existing data with the new values from the csv file.
However, if you're only trying to update some fields and leave others unchanged, and those fields are left blank in the spreadsheet, CloudSOC will interpret the blanks as instructions to remove the existing values, replacing them with empty fields.

Resolution

To prevent CloudSOC from overwriting existing data with blanks, you can use a special column in the import template called operation. This column gives you control over how each record handles blank fields.

 

How to Use the operation Column:

• Add a column named 'operation' to your import spreadsheet.
• For each row (user record), set one of the following values:
  • overwrite - CloudSOC will replace existing values, including with blanks.
  • ignore_empty - CloudSOC will skip blank fields and leave existing values unchanged.

This gives you flexibility to update only the fields you want, without accidentally clearing out important user data.

 

Example:

In this case, assuming both user records have existing values for the "secondary user id" attribute, and this table is used for the "bulk user import", then the secondary user id of the first user will be removed, while the second one will remain as is without any change.

Last Name	First Name	Email	Groups	Title	Admin	Access Profile	Work Phone	Cell Phone	Secondary User ID	Active	Operation
LN1	FN1	[email protected]	[u'ENDUSER']				1-2333411123	1-2333411123		No	overwrite
LN2	FN2	[email protected]	[u'ENDUSER']				1-2333411123	1-2333411123		No	ignore_empty

Additional Information

• The import template is available in the CloudSOC Admin Console under the Bulk User Import section.
• The default behavior if the operation is not mentioned is "overwrite"
• Always review the template before uploading, especially when updating existing users.
• If you're unsure how the import will behave, test with a small batch first using ignore_empty to avoid data loss.
• For further assistance, contact Broadcom Support or refer to the CloudSOC documentation portal.