Transition Sites to AEM Using Bulk Importer Migrate Assets into AEMaaCS

To create a successful digital marketing strategy, you need access to the best content assets. Whether images, videos, infographics, or larger assets, including blog posts and ebooks, assets are the essential building blocks that drive engagement and convey your brand’s message.

When moving your site to AEM, migrating these assets is crucial for maintaining a cohesive and impactful digital presence. The faster marketers can access the right content assets, the faster they can go to market with the most engaging digital experiences. In this blog, we’ll discuss the preferred method for migrating a large volume of assets into AEMaaCS and briefly demonstrate the process.

Bulk Importer Service

Over time and across various Adobe Experience Manager versions, some tools have been intended for bulk asset migration. These include Asset Importer from ACS Commons and aem-upload, among others. Adobe, however, recommends using their product known as Bulk Asset Ingestor, Bulk Importer Service, or simply Asset Bulk Importer.

This tool was designed to migrate assets from external sources for an initial migration phase or for special, large migrations. However, there may be better options for routine or everyday migration needs.

Let’s check some of the pros and cons.

Advantages

• Efficient Handling of Large Volumes: The tool is designed to efficiently manage and import a large number of assets, making it ideal for bulk operations.

• Dry Run Option: It offers a "dry run" feature, allowing you to simulate the import process and verify configurations before executing the actual import. This helps ensure accuracy and prevent errors.

• Scheduling Capability: The tool includes a scheduling option that enables automatic synchronization of assets based on your needs, facilitating periodic updates and maintaining consistency.

Disadvantages

• Limited Support for Cloud Services: The tool supports only a few cloud storage providers, including AWS, Azure, Dropbox, Google Cloud, and OneDrive. This limitation may not cover all your storage needs.

• Pre-Migration Folder Taxonomy Required: You need to organize and manage the folder taxonomy (organization) before migrating assets to AEMaaCS

Accessing the Bulk Importer

Originally, this tool was designed with administrators in mind, so you may not see this option available if you are not an administrator. It’s also important to note that this tool is explicitly intended for AEM Assets. You can use it directly within the AEMaaCS Assets interface or access it through the AEM Author instance, as Assets are integrated into AEMaaCS.

Although the underlying fields, options, and functionalities remain consistent, the look and feel might vary slightly depending on the interface you use. For this blog, we will demonstrate using the AEM Assets UI, which offers a more modern and visually appealing experience. However, you can follow along with the other UI as well.

To access the tool within AEM Author, go to Tools > Assets > Bulk Importer.

Alternatively, you can access a direct link to the Bulk Importer in Adobe Assets on the left menu.

Let’s see it in action.

For the upcoming demo, we will import images stored in AWS, specifically from an S3 bucket. To accomplish this, we will create a new Import Configuration in the Bulk Import Service, selecting AWS as the source. Then, we can configure the necessary settings and run the process to import the images into my AEMaaCS instance.

Here are the steps to follow to accomplish this:

1. Set up the required configurations in AWS

   You will need an API key and secret with read/write access to your AWS bucket. While this process is beyond the scope of this blog, here’s a high-level overview:

   • Create a user

   • Associate the user with an AWS policy IAM

   • Create an Access Key for the user

   

2. Setting Up Bulk Import Configuration for AWS Integration

   Create a new Bulk Import configuration to link your AWS account with AEM. The form is straightforward and self-explanatory. However, it's important to note that Adobe has provided specific instructions for some of these providers. More information about the required options is in the official Adobe documentation.

   

   

   

3. Verify Connection and Perform a Dry Run

   As a best practice, ensure the connection is properly established. Then, run the "Dry Run" option to test the configuration before proceeding with actual data operations.

   

   The Dry Run option provides details on the number of assets and an estimated time for the import process. This step is useful for verifying that your configurations are set correctly, especially if you used include/exclude filters.

   

4. Run the Import.

   

5. Validate the assets are where they should be

   

Wrapping Up

The Bulk Importer Service is Adobe's recommended method for migrating large-scale assets from an external source into AEM.

After migrating to AEM, companies can launch digital experiences quickly and at scale, ensuring a faster time to market. Oshyn is an AEM partner and the ideal option for help with migrating to AEM or maintenance on your AEM implementation.

Learn more about AEM assets in our ebook: Achieving Content Governance with AEM Page Publication Workflow.