Files can be imported into elluminate through a data source and import definition, or manually. The Manual File Import process runs an import on demand for a selected file.

elluminate imports the following file types: Excel, SAS Datasets, Text, CSV, XPT, and zipped files. Files zipped with Deflate64 are not supported.

The following considerations apply when importing data:

• Imports into a global data store are limited to FTP, Amazon S3, Box, and Nurocor MDR data sources and manual file imports.
• A data store for operational data (Operational Data Repository / Operational Oversight app) must be created before operational data are imported. Operational Data Repository custom field data must be imported from an Excel file.
• Columns determined to contain Unicode are created as nVarchar. nVarchar columns support up to 4,000 characters; longer values are trimmed to 4,000 characters.
• When Study Import Control is enabled for a study and an import exceeds the defined threshold for records with changes, the import completes with a warning stating that the changes in the imported file exceed the allowed threshold and were not imported.

Run a Manual File Import

1. Click the Platform Menu (9-dot) icon to open the Platform Menu.
2. By default, the Studies tab is selected. To import to a global data store, click the Global Data Stores tab.
3. Select Importer under Study Management.

4. Select the study or global data store from the list in the Platform Menu. The Imports window opens.

   

5. Click the Manual File Import button. A window opens for selecting the file.

   

6. Select the Integrate Automatically checkbox to integrate the imported data after the import completes. If the checkbox is cleared, the data are listed as 'Ready to integrate'.
7. If Integrate Automatically is selected, select the Integrate Upon Discrepancies checkbox to integrate imported data even when discrepancies are found. If the checkbox is cleared, data with discrepancies generate an error.
8. Select the Skip Mapping checkbox to skip running mappings on imported data. For example, mapping can be skipped when using a global data store with many studies.
9. Select the Defer Mapping checkbox to defer mapping, for example, until the last of multiple imports in the same study.
10. Select the Skip Publishing checkbox to skip publishing imported data for visualizations.

Important: Use Skip Mapping and Skip Publishing with caution. These options speed up an import but can affect Analytics and other elluminate tools. When mappings are not skipped or deferred, the import also runs any mappings previously deferred from manual imports.

11. Select the data store to import into from the Target Data Store drop-down.

12. Select the file type from the File Type drop-down.

    Tip: When importing an Excel spreadsheet, the Importer scans the first 10 rows to automatically identify the row with column headers. This streamlines the process of handling custom-formatted sheets, eliminating the need for a manual import definition in many cases. If automatic detection fails, use an import definition to specify the layout.

13. Click Select File to browse for the file, or drag the file into the window. The selected file is added to the Imports window, where the data are ready to be imported and integrated.

    

14. To add another file to the active import, use the Add File tab in the Imports window. Clicking Manual File Import again creates a new active import instead; only one active import is allowed at a time.
15. Each file in the same active import must have a different domain name or Excel tab name.
16. Use the Import column to select the domains to integrate into elluminate. By default, all domains are selected.
17. The Status column identifies whether a domain has issues, is ready to integrate, or is new to the study.
18. Click the Integrate button to begin the integration. A confirmation window opens.

19. Click Yes to proceed with the integration or No to cancel.

    When Yes is clicked, the data are integrated into elluminate, and the import status displays in the Imports window. Click the Expand (plus sign) icon for a domain to view the file. The Imports window always displays the most recently completed import.

    

Tip: If an import is already running when another import is started, the conflicting import is queued until the current import completes.

Create a New Import Definition

After a data source has been defined, a new import definition can be created. The definition details include information such as the name of the import, the data source, staging area, file, and header information. The import definition is added to the list of imports and is reused for future imports without repeating these selections. Previously created import definitions display in the Imports window. Import definitions are typically scheduled to run at set times.

Note: For details, refer to the Configure and Manage Data Sources article in the Data Sources section.

Note: A data source is not necessary when making a Manual File Import.

1. From the Imports window, click New or New from Template. To view the available templates, click the arrow to expand the list and select Templates.
   1. If New from Template is selected, the Select Template window opens.

   2. Select the template and click Select.

      

2. The Import Definition Details window opens. Enter the name of the import definition in the Name field. This field is required. When the import definition is created from a template, all details from the template are filled in except the Name field.

   Note: The window includes the Import Definition tab and, based on the selected data source type, the Options, Data Source Details, or Data Source tabs. Fields within each tab also vary based on the selected data source.

   

3. Select a data source from the Data Source drop-down.

   Note: The drop-down lists the study data sources defined for the study and the system data sources. Details for the selected data source display in the Import Definition Details window.

   Note: On the Data Source tab, click the Clear (X) icon in the Data Source Type field to clear the selected value. This allows the data source to be reconfigured without deleting or deprecating it.

4. Complete the fields on each tab for the selected data source, and then click Save.

Important: Creating the import definition does not run the import. The import runs only when scheduled or run manually.

Click a data source type in the following list for field details specific to that data source:

• Amazon S3

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Password (for zip file): Enter the password if the import file is zipped.

  Zip File Folder: Enter the folder within the zip file to load. The default is the root folder.

  Delimiter: Enter a delimiter. The delimiter applies to all included files.

  Append Only: Checkbox

  Include Unstructured Files: Select the checkbox to include unstructured files in the import. Unstructured files are placed into the study's eDrive.

  Options Tab

  When the file is missing: From the drop-down, select the action to take when the file to be imported is missing.

  • Fail when missing: Stops the import job.
  • Continue: Continues the import when possible.

  Archive: Select the checkbox to store a zip file containing the imported data. The zip file is stored in the data source specified by the import.

  Archive Location: Enter the path used to store the archived copy of the imported data. This path is relative to the URL specified in the data source used for this import. This field is available only when the Archive checkbox is selected.

  Fail Import on failed archive: Select the checkbox to fail the import when the archive cannot be created on the data source.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

• Box

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Password (for zip file): Enter the password if the import file is zipped.

  Zip File Folder: Enter the folder within the zip file to load. The default is the root folder.

  Delimiter: Enter a delimiter. The delimiter applies to all included files.

  Append Only: Checkbox

  Include Unstructured Files: Select the checkbox to include unstructured files in the import. Unstructured files are placed into the study's eDrive.

  Options Tab

  When the file is missing: From the drop-down, select the action to take when the file to be imported is missing.

  • Fail when missing: Stops the import job.
  • Continue: Continues the import when possible.

  Archive: Select the checkbox to store a zip file containing the imported data. The zip file is stored in the data source specified by the import.

  Archive Location: Enter the path used to store the archived copy of the imported data. This path is relative to the URL specified in the data source used for this import. This field is available only when the Archive checkbox is selected.

  Fail Import on failed archive: Select the checkbox to fail the import when the archive cannot be created on the data source.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Clario eCOA

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source: Select the Clario eCOA study or system data source from the drop-down. The data source details display in the Import Definition Details window.

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Data Source Details Tab

  Metadata Version: Select the correct metadata version for the import.

  • Specific Version: Select the metadata version from the drop-down. Select the version that corresponds to the study defined in the data source.
  • Latest Version Containing Text: Enter a search term for the most recent metadata version, typically a pattern based on the naming convention. The latest metadata version for the selected environment is used when importing data.

  Click the Test button to verify that the text search works and that a metadata version is found.

  Data Source Tab

  Use this tab to access or define the Clario eCOA data source for the import. To modify the data source for the study, click the Edit (pencil) icon for the field.

  Note: Clario eCOA contains electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO) data, encompassing domains different from typical EDC domains. These data are imported with both cumulative and incremental domains and processed to create a complete import without pausing for integration. The cumulative domains include:

  • Sites
  • Users
  • MetadataVersions

  All other domains are received as incremental datasets.

• Clinical Ink

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source: Select the Clinical Ink study or system data source from the drop-down. The data source details display in the Import Definition Details window.

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Options Tab

  The Options tab lists the domains configured for the import definition in the Domain Name, SQL, and Actions columns, with a query for each domain.

  To add a domain query, click the Add icon in the table header.

  To delete multiple domains:

  1. Select the checkbox for each domain to delete. To select all domains, select the checkbox in the table header.
  2. Click the Delete icon in the table header.

  Data Source Tab

  The Data Source tab displays the connection details of the selected data source in editable fields: Data Source Type, Server, User Id, Password, Database, and Additional options. Changes made on this tab apply only to this import definition.

  Click Test Connection to test the connection.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Databricks

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Options Tab

  The Options tab lists the domains configured for the import definition in the Domain Name, SQL, and Actions columns, with a query for each domain.

  Import all available domains from schema: Select the checkbox to import every table in the schema of the selected Databricks data source without defining a query for each domain.

  Pre-Load Domains: Click Pre-Load Domains to generate a query for every table in the schema of the selected Databricks data source. Each query ingests all columns from its table. The generated domains populate the list, so domains can be imported selectively without manually creating a query for each table.

  To delete multiple domains:

  1. Select the checkbox for each domain to delete. To select all domains, select the checkbox in the table header.
  2. Click the Delete icon in the table header.

  Multiple deletion applies to both manually configured and pre-loaded domains. To add a domain query, click the Add icon in the table header. To edit a domain query, click the Edit (pencil) icon in the Actions column.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the arrow in a field to expand the list, and then update the selection.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• File

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  ODM_Stage and ODM_Mapped are the required names for the ODM staging area and data mart, respectively, and should not be changed. Imports of ODM data to a data store other than ODM_Stage fail.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Choose File(s): Select the files to import.

  Password (for zip file): Enter the password if the import file is zipped.

  Delimiter: Enter a delimiter. The delimiter applies to all included files.

  Append Only: Checkbox

  Include Unstructured Files: Select the checkbox to include unstructured files in the import. Unstructured files are placed into the study's eDrive.

  Note: This setting can also be applied to files imported through storage areas such as SFTP, S3, and Box.

  Data Source Tab

  Click the Data Source tab to define a different data source if appropriate. When the data source type is File and the import definition is saved, the Data Source tab no longer displays.

• FTP (Including use for Covance)

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Choose File(s): Select the files to import.

  Password (for zip file): Enter the password if the import file is zipped.

  Zip File Folder: Enter the folder within the zip file to load. The default is the root folder.

  Delimiter: Enter a delimiter. The delimiter applies to all included files.

  Append Only: Checkbox

  Include Unstructured Files: Select the checkbox to include unstructured files in the import. Unstructured files are placed into the study's eDrive.

  Options Tab

  When the file is missing: From the drop-down, select the action to take when the file to be imported is missing.

  • Fail when missing: Stops the import job.
  • Continue: Continues the import when possible.

  Archive: Select the checkbox to store a zip file containing the imported data. The zip file is stored in the data source specified by the import.

  Archive Location: Enter the path used to store the archived copy of the imported data. This path is relative to the URL specified in the data source used for this import. This field is available only when the Archive checkbox is selected.

  Fail Import on failed archive: Select the checkbox to fail the import when the archive cannot be created on the data source.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Medrio Web Service

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Export Options Tab

  Coming Soon

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Merge eClinicalOS Web Services (Zelta)

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Options Tab

  Select the checkboxes to configure additional data source options:

  • Include Coded Values
  • Expand Categorical Variables
  • Include Extended Subject Information
  • Include Dictionary Coded Values
  • Include Only Locked Data
  • Include Code List Files
  • Merge Repeating and Non-Repeating Data on Log Forms
  • Include Form Timestamps
  • Include Cleared Data
  • Append Form Visit Names

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• ODBC

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Options Tab

  For ODBC Snowflake and SQL RDS import definitions, the Options tab lists the configured domains in the Domain Name, SQL, and Actions columns, with a query for each domain.

  To delete multiple domains:

  1. Select the checkbox for each domain to delete. To select all domains, select the checkbox in the table header.
  2. Click the Delete icon in the table header.

  To add a domain query, click the Add icon in the table header.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the arrow in a field to expand the list, and then update the selection.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Oracle Health Sciences InForm Discrepancy

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Auto-filled 'ODM_Stage'

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• PPD - Deprecated

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• PPD Preclarus - Labs

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source: Select the PPD Preclarus - Labs study or system data source from the drop-down. The data source details display in the Import Definition Details window.

  Import To: Select a data store, either a staging area or a data mart, where the PPD Preclarus lab data are imported.

  Data Source Details: The details of the selected PPD Preclarus - Labs data source display in the Import Definition Details window.

  Data Source Tab

  Use this tab to access or define the PPD Preclarus - Labs data source for the import. To modify the data source for the study, click the Edit (pencil) icon for the field.

  Note: When an import definition that has already run is updated to change the target data store, eCS recommends clearing all originally imported PPD data from the previous data store to support the incremental nature of the data source.

• PPD Preclarus - Subjects

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source: Select the PPD Preclarus - Subjects study or system data source from the drop-down. The data source details display in the Import Definition Details window.

  Import To: Select a data store, either a staging area or a data mart, where the PPD Preclarus subject data are imported.

  Data Source Details: The details of the selected PPD Preclarus - Subjects data source display in the Import Definition Details window.

  Data Source Tab

  Use this tab to access or define the PPD Preclarus - Subjects data source for the import. To modify the data source for the study, click the Edit (pencil) icon for the field.

• Rave Biostats Gateway

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source Type: Select the data source type from the drop-down.

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Data Source Details

  For a Rave Biostats Gateway import, select the following checkboxes to change the import details.

  • Incremental: Select the checkbox to import only new and changed records.
  • Include Lab View: Select the checkbox to import the Rave LAB View data. Select this option only when the LAB View feature is configured in Rave. Conflicts can occur when an existing CRF is named LAB.
  • MetaData Version:
    • Specific Version: Select the metadata version from the drop-down. When a specific version is selected, the metadata version does not update automatically when the Rave data structures change. Select the version that corresponds to the environment defined in the data source.
    • Latest Version Containing Text: Enter text to search for the most recent metadata version, typically a pattern derived from the naming convention (for example, REL or PROD). The latest metadata version for the selected environment is used when importing data.
    • Click the Test button to verify that the text search works and that a metadata version is found.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Rave ODM Adaptor

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source Type: Select the data source type from the drop-down.

  Import To: Defaults to ODM Stage. No other data store options are available for Rave ODM data.

  Data Source Details Tab

  For a Rave ODM import, select the operational data to import.

  • Audits: Selected by default and selects all items in the list. To select individual items, clear the Audits checkbox.
    • Subjects and Statuses
    • Study Metadata
    • Signatures
    • Sites
    • Users
    • Version Folders

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Rave Web Services

  Import Definition Tab

  Data Source Type: Select the data source type from the drop-down.

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• TrialMaster

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Additional Mapping (if available): Identify an additional mapping to be associated with this import.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the Edit (pencil) icon for a field, make updates, and then click the Save (checkmark) icon.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Veeva

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Select the data store (staging area or data mart) where the data are imported.

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the arrow in a field to expand the list, and then update the selection.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

• Veeva CDMS

  Import Definition Tab

  Import To: Auto-filled 'ODM_Stage'

  Data Source Tab

  Details entered in the Import Definition tab display in each field. To edit data source details, click the arrow in a field to expand the list, and then update the selection.

  If a study or system data source is not already defined, use the Data Source tab to define a study-level data source.

Run an Import From a Defined Definition

Use Run to run an import for a defined import definition in the Imports window. To import data before a scheduled import, select the import definition and click Run.

1. Click the Platform Menu (9-dot) icon to open the Platform Menu, and then select Importer under Study Management.
2. Select the study from the list in the Platform Menu.

3. From the study-level Imports window, click the row of a defined import definition. The row is highlighted.

   

4. Click the Run button. The Run Import confirmation window opens. The available checkboxes vary by import type.

   

5. Select the Integrate Automatically checkbox to integrate the data into elluminate. Data are not available until they are integrated.
6. If Integrate Automatically is selected, select the Integrate Upon Discrepancies checkbox to integrate imported data even when discrepancies are found. If the checkbox is cleared, data with discrepancies generate an error.
7. If Enable Changed Data Records Threshold is configured for the study, select the Skip Data Change Threshold Check checkbox to import files that exceed the threshold percentage without changing the study configuration.
8. Select the Defer Mapping checkbox to defer mapping, for example, until the last of multiple imports in the same study.
9. Select the Skip Mapping checkbox to skip running mappings on imported data. For example, mapping can be skipped when using a global data store with many studies.
10. Select the Skip Publishing checkbox to skip publishing imported data for visualizations.

Important: Use Skip Mapping and Skip Publishing with caution. These options speed up an import but can affect Analytics and other elluminate tools. When mappings are not skipped or deferred, the import also runs any mappings previously deferred from manual imports.

11. Click Yes to proceed or No to cancel.

    When Yes is clicked, the import begins, and the results display in the Imports window. The Status field shows whether the import succeeded or failed.

Tip: If an import is already running when another import is started, the conflicting import is queued until the current import completes.

Schedule an Import from a Defined Definition

Use Schedule to run an import automatically at a set time and frequency. Schedule imports from Importer with the Schedule button, or create and manage schedules in Tasks.

Note: Each study can have an import scheduled to one data store at a time. For example, Study_A can be scheduled to import to its Clinical Staging Area at the same time that Study_B imports into its Clinical Staging Area, but Study_A cannot schedule two imports into its Clinical Staging Area to occur at the same time.

1. From the study-level Imports window, click the row of a defined import definition. The row is highlighted.
2. Click the Schedule button.
3. The New Task window opens with three tabs: Task, Schedule, and Actions.
4. On the Task tab, the Name field defaults to a combination of 'Import', the study name, and the import definition name. Update the name as needed.
5. In the Description field, enter any additional description for the schedule.
6. The Active checkbox is selected by default. Clear the checkbox to prevent the schedule from running.
7. Click the Schedule tab.
8. Select the start date and time of the import.
9. Select the Repeat checkbox and set the Repeat every details.
10. Select the Ends checkbox and select the end date.
11. Click the Actions tab.

12. When scheduling from Importer, two actions are predefined: an import and an email. By default, the email notifies the user who creates the schedule when the import completes.

    Tip: To edit the import or email action, click the Edit Action icon in the action row. For example, rename the import, add recipients to the email notification, or send the notification only when the import fails.

13. Click Save. A task for the scheduled import is created.

Access and View Files from an Import

View Files in Importer

View and access files by clicking the domain name listed in the Imports window.

1. Click the arrow for a domain to expand it.

   

2. Click the Download icon to download the file.

3. Click the domain name. A window opens with a preview of the domain file structure. By default, the schema displays. Click the Source Data tab to view the source data.

   

4. Click OK to close the window.

View Files in eDrive

For each import, a Files in eDrive link displays in the Imports window. Click the link to open eDrive for that import and download the files. To access the files for a specific import, select the import in the Imports window.

Tip: When an import fails, use the Files in eDrive link to check for associated log files. For example, for a failed SAS import, the log file named in the error message is in the sas_etl subfolder in eDrive.

View Import History

The History option in Importer displays a record of all imports for the selected study or global data store, including successful and failed imports.

1. From the study-level Imports window, click History.

   

2. Click an import row to view its domains.

   

Best Practices Checklist

• Define the data source first. Configure the URL, credentials, remote folder, remote study, API keys, and other necessary properties before building the import definition; manual file imports are the only exception.
• Choose the simplest data source. Use out-of-the-box API connectors or S3 / Box pulls over custom SFTP scripts, as they require less setup and deliver data more quickly.
• Validate column size. Keep Unicode (nVarchar) columns under 4,000 characters to prevent truncation during import.
• Watch Study Import Control limits. If record-change thresholds are enabled and the import exceeds configured thresholds, the import completes with a warning, and the data are not imported.
• Schedule imports to avoid contention. A study can run only one import into a data store at a time. For example, Study A and Study B can import into their respective Clinical data stores simultaneously, but Study A cannot schedule two imports to run concurrently in its Clinical data store. Subsequent imports queue automatically, so stagger schedules for faster throughput.