Bulk Link Records

How to quickly link large amounts of Records using the Bulk Link feature.

Often in Risk Cloud, a large amount of data needs to be created and related to other data objects. For example, if your organization wants to add a new control set and relate it to your existing internal controls in Risk Cloud. The Link Records tool allows you to link many records at once.

Jump to:

• Link Records in Bulk
• Populate the Linking Template
• Additional Information
• Frequently Asked Questions

In order to use the Link Records tool, you must:

1. Belong to a Role that has been granted the Bulk Link Records entitlement. 
   • Refer to the Module Entitlement for Roles article for more information on Entitlements.
2. .Have Edit access to the step in which each record resides
   • Refer to the Permission Sets article for more information on step access.

Link Records in Bulk

1. Navigate to Work > Link Records using the navigation bar at the top of the page.

2. Click Link Records.

3. In the New Link Records Instance modal, select the two mapped Workflows that contain records you want linked together, then click Create Instance.

4. On the Link Records Instance page, under Step 1: Generate Linking Template, click Download Template

5. Open the .xlsx file.

Review the Instructions in columns E-F and enter your data in columns A-B.

For examples of how to populate the spreadsheet, see the Populate the Linking Template section of this article below.

6. Save the updated template

Return to Risk Cloud. Under Step 2: Validate and Link Data, upload the .xlsx file with your record data.

If the spreadsheet you uploaded does not match the template, Risk Cloud will throw an error and ask you to use the template. Return to step 4 and then re-upload the completed template.

Once your file has been uploaded successfully, additional instructions and a Validate and Link Data button will appear

Read the instructions, then click Validate and Link Data

7. You will be navigated back to the Link Records history page. If any errors are identified in the spreadsheet you uploaded, you will receive a red notification reading “Record Linking Errors Found”.

Click the Go to summary button to return to the Link Records Instance page and review and correct the errors, then return to step 5. (Note: if any errors are found, no records will be linked)

If no errors are identified, you will receive a green notification reading “Records Successfully Linked”

You can return to the Link Records history page to download a summary of the records which were linked.

Populate the Linking Template

To populate the linking template, add records in columns A-B. Records listed side-by-side will be linked to each other, with one link created per row. Here are examples of completed linking templates for each Workflow Mapping type:

One to One Mapping

One record from Workflow 1 may be mapped to one and only one record from Workflow 2, and vice versa.

One to Many Mapping

One record from Workflow 1 may be mapped to multiple records from Workflow 2.

Many to One Mapping

Multiple records from Workflow 1 may be mapped to one record from Workflow 2.

Many to Many Mapping

One record from Workflow 1 may be mapped to multiple records from Workflow 2, and records from Workflow 2 may be mapped to multiple Workflow 1 records.

Additional Information

Error Validation Process

Upon initial upload of your completed spreadsheet, Risk Cloud will check that the spreadsheet template was used. Otherwise, an error will be thrown.

Individual records in the spreadsheet will be validated upon clicking Validate and Link Data. The following errors are possible:

• Record <record name> does not exist in Workflow 1/2.
• Please provide a record from Workflow 1/2.
• Record <record name> is not unique in Workflow 1/2. Records with non-unique primary field values cannot be linked in bulk.
• Workflow mapping violation: record <record name> is already linked to another record, and selected workflows have a <one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one> relationship. Records cannot be linked.
• Records <record name> and <record name> are already linked.
• Access restricted: you do not have access to record <record name> in Workflow 1/2. Please reach out to your administrator to be provided step permissions.
• Unexpected error occurred. Please try again or reach out to customer support.

If any errors occur, a user will need to re-visit the Link Records Instance page, correct the errors, and re-upload the corrected spreadsheet. No records will be linked until all errors are corrected.

Link Records Statuses

The following statuses are possible:

• Pending Upload: Instance has been created, but linking has not been kicked off
• Processing: Validation and linking are in progress
• Completed: Linking completed successfully
• Completed With Errors: Linking completed successfully, but some records were unable to be linked
• File Errors: Errors were identified in the linking spreadsheet and need to be corrected; no records were linked
• System Error: An unexpected error occurred - please try again or reach out to customer support

Primary Fields

By default, the Primary Field for a workflow is the system-generated Record Name (e.g., Control-1). If a custom Primary Field has been configured for a workflow, then the Link Records tool will allow either custom Primary Field values or system-generated Record Names to be entered into the linking spreadsheet.

The Link Records tool requires Primary Field values to be unique. If multiple records in a workflow have the same Primary Field value, an error will be thrown and these records will not be able to be linked unless they are given a unique name.

Refer to the Set Primary Fields in Workflows article for more information on Primary Fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many records can be linked at once?

You may link up to 1,000 record pairs in a single linking instance. Please note that the processing time to complete your linking will vary based on the number of records included in the spreadsheet. Other tasks processed by Risk Cloud, such as calculations and Jobs, may appear delayed if they are enqueued after a linking instance begins.

Why do I not see the workflow that I want to select to link records?

You can choose from workflows where you have Edit access to at least one step. Additionally, you must select two workflows which are connected via Workflow Mappings. Refer to the Connecting Workflows Together article for more information on Workflow Mappings.

If errors are found in my spreadsheet after clicking Validate and Link Data, will my other records be linked?

No. If any errors occur, you will need to re-visit the Link Records Instance page, correct the errors, and re-upload the corrected spreadsheet. No records will be linked until all errors are corrected.

Can I undo a Bulk Link?

No. Think before you link!

How do I know when linking has been completed?

You’ll receive a green notification if your instance completes successfully, or a red notification if errors are identified in your spreadsheet. You will receive this notification on any page in Risk Cloud, as long as you are logged in.

Who can view the Linking History and download completed linking summaries?

Only users who have the Bulk Link Records entitlement and Edit access to at least one step in Workflow 1 and Workflow 2 will see the linking instance listed on the Link Records history page and be able to download the completed linking summary.

My colleague says they completed a linking instance in Risk Cloud, but I do not see it listed on the Link Records history page. Why is that?

If you are unable to see linking instances completed by other users, you may not have Edit access to at least one step in both Workflow 1 and Workflow 2 for the instance. Refer to the Permission Sets article for more information on step access.