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Documentation
This Help Center provides documentation on all aspects of the HCL Commerce+ product, from installation and deployment to operating and customization.
Administering
The site administrator performs the tasks needed to support day to day operations of the Commerce+ site.
Extracting and loading data
Commerce+ provides utilities for preparing and loading data into a Commerce+ database. The loading utilities are flexible and you can continue to use these utilities when you customize the Commerce+ schema.
Data Load utility
The Data Load utility is an enhanced business object based loading utility. This utility provides an efficient solution for loading information into your HCL Commerce database. You can also customize the Data Load utility to load other types of data. The Data Load utility is the recommended loading utility.
Samples: Data Load utility
The samples that are provided with the Data Load utility demonstrate best-practice methods for loading data using common loading scenarios. Use the samples as a template for loading your own data to your store.
Catalog samples
The following samples demonstrate how to load catalog data using the Data Load utility.
Loading merchandising associations
This sample demonstrates how to load merchandising associations for SKUs that have already been loaded to your database.

Documentation
This Help Center provides documentation on all aspects of the HCL Commerce+ product, from installation and deployment to operating and customization.
- Overview
  Welcome to the HCL Commerce+ overview. Explore these feature overviews to learn how Commerce+ operates. Refer to the related links listed at the end of each topic to access expanded product documentation.
- Deploying
  This section provides details on deploying HCL Commerce+. It explains how to download the Docker images and Git bundles that comprise the product, how to create a minimal environment, and how to plan for a full deployment. It details supported software versions, patches, and configurations to ensure the platform performs well.
- Migrating
  The following topics show how to migrate an existing HCL Commerce Version 9.1 environment to Commerce+. The process consists of an initial migration of your database contents. This is followed by a code migration. Both are fully described.
- Operating
  The topics in this section focus on tasks that are performed by business users, marketers, and customer support representatives to connect with partners and attract and satisfy customers.
- Administering
  The site administrator performs the tasks needed to support day to day operations of the Commerce+ site.
  - Member groups
    A member group is a grouping of members - users, organizations, or other member groups - used for various business purposes. Two kinds of member groups exist: implicit and explicit. An implicit member group contains users that share common attributes and are therefore considered members of a specific member group. An implicit member group specifies criteria or attributes that users must satisfy in order to be considered members of that member group. You can also explicitly exclude certain users although they satisfy the criteria. An explicit member group contains explicitly assigned users, who may or may not share common attributes. A member group can be both implicit and explicit at the same time.
  - Inventory management
    Use the HCL Commerce+ Inventory to manage your inventory and access your Inventory Locations (ILs), where your inventory is physically stored and is delivered or shipped from.
  - Approvals
    Accurate, secure transactions require that a second individual approve some electronic marketplace actions before they proceed. This individual, called an approver, can accept or reject requests to perform a specific action. During the organization registration process, the organization administrator selects the business processes for which they want to enable approval. This is done by signing up for the appropriate approval member group during membership registration. The organization administrator also populates the approver member groups. Only users within these groups have the authority to accept or reject requests to perform those actions for which approval has been enabled.
  - System Administration
    Commerce Lab allows you to manage transport, messages, scheduler, Connectors, registries, and security policies.
  - Staging environment
    An Commerce+ staging environment is a runtime environment where business and technical users can update and manage store data and preview changes. The changes can then be propagated to the production environment.
  - Workspaces
    Workspaces provide a powerful and flexible way to manage and preview changes to your e-commerce website without affecting the live production environment.
  - Commerce+ database
    As a site administrator, maintain the Commerce+ database and ensure that any Commerce+ utilities and processes that load and retrieve data from the database is configured to connect to the database properly.
  - Extracting and loading data
    Commerce+ provides utilities for preparing and loading data into a Commerce+ database. The loading utilities are flexible and you can continue to use these utilities when you customize the Commerce+ schema.
    - Data Load utility
      The Data Load utility is an enhanced business object based loading utility. This utility provides an efficient solution for loading information into your HCL Commerce database. You can also customize the Data Load utility to load other types of data. The Data Load utility is the recommended loading utility.
      - Data Load utility architectural overview
        In order to work with the Data Load utility, you must first have an understanding of how it works.
      - Data Load input file format
        To run the Data Load utility, an input file is required. The input file must be a CSV or XML file. Your input file must follow a particular format for the Data Load to be able to load your file.
      - Business object mediators
        The data load business object mediator converts the business objects into physical objects. Two types of mediators that are provided with the Data Load utility are the component-based mediator and the table-based mediator. Several component-based mediators are available for catalog, inventory, and price components.
      - Data Load utility table-based mediator and builder
        Use the table object builder and table object mediator to load data directly into a table with the Data Load utility when a component-based business object mediator does not exist. You can use the TableObjectMediator and TableObjectBuilder to load your custom data directly into your target database tables. This mediator and builder can ensure that the data is loaded into the correct table and columns. You do not have to create a custom business object mediator and builder or extend an existing mediator or builder.
      - Data Load file difference preprocessing
        You can run a file difference preprocess for routine data loads to improve the Data Load utility performance for loading these files. Running a file difference can reduce the loading time that is required to load your routine updates to your Commerce+ database, reduce server usage time, and improve server performance.
      - Data Load utility best practices
        When you use the Data Load utility, there are some general configuration recommendations to ensure that you take advantage of the full capability of data load. If you are loading catalog, price, member, or inventory-related data with the Data Load utility, review the component-related best practices.
      - Configuring and running the Data Load utility
        To configure and run the Data Load utility, create a file to load, define the data reader, load order, and environment configuration files. Then, enter the data load shell script command with modifying parameters from a command-line interface.
      - Samples: Data Load utility
        The samples that are provided with the Data Load utility demonstrate best-practice methods for loading data using common loading scenarios. Use the samples as a template for loading your own data to your store.
        Setting up the Data Load utility
        Before you run the Data Load utility for the first time, you must configure the store and database environment settings.
        Catalog samples
        The following samples demonstrate how to load catalog data using the Data Load utility.
        Loading initial data
        This sample demonstrates how to simultaneously load top categories, subcategories, products, SKUs, attributes, and prices. This data is typically the first data to be loaded to your store.
        Loading merchandising associations
        This sample demonstrates how to load merchandising associations for SKUs that have already been loaded to your database.
        Replacing existing products and SKUs
        This sample demonstrates how to use the data load replace mode by replacing products and SKUs previously loaded to the database.
        Loading bundles and kits
        This sample demonstrates how to load bundles and kits to the database.
        Loading attributes, attribute values, and allowed values
        This sample demonstrates how to load attributes together with the associated allowed values and attribute values in a single load operation.
        Loading attribute dictionary data
        This sample demonstrates how to load attributes, attribute values, and predefined (allowed) values to the attribute dictionary.
        Changing the parent of a subcategory
        This sample demonstrates how to use the CatalogGroupRelationshipMediator data load mediator to move a subcategory from one parent to another.
        Loading category descriptions in multiple languages
        This sample demonstrates how to load English and French category descriptions in a single step operation, as well as a multiple step operation.
        Loading sales catalogs
        This sample demonstrates how to load catalog data with the Data Load utility. The sample demonstrates how to load a sales catalog, how to load sales categories and how to load catalog entries to a sales category.
        Loading data to an extended sites store and catalog asset store
        This sample demonstrates how to load data to your extended sites store and catalog asset store when using the extended sites business model.
        Loading catalog entry description override data
        This sample demonstrates how to load catalog entry description override data to your extended sites store.
        Loading list prices in multiple currencies
        This sample demonstrates how to load list prices in multiple national currencies simultaneously. You can load different national currencies to your store by modifying the source file in the sample. All currency codes are based on the ISO 4217 standard.
        Sample: Loading updates for catalog entry properties and descriptions
        This sample demonstrates how to use the Data Load utility update mode to update catalog entry property and description information. In this sample, the names for existing products and SKUs are changed.
        Sample: Loading updates for catalog entry descriptions
        This sample demonstrates how to use the Data Load utility update mode to update descriptive information for existing catalog entries. In this sample, the short descriptions for existing products and SKUs are changed.
        Inventory samples
        The following samples demonstrates how to load inventory data using the Data Load utility.
        Location samples
        The following sample demonstrate how to load location data by using the Data Load utility.
        Loading marketing data
        This sample demonstrates how to load marketing data into the Commerce+ database with the Data Load utility. After you load the data, Commerce Lab users can view and manage the marketing objects in the Marketing tool. By following this sample, you load data for marketing activities, e-Marketing Spots, customer segments, marketing content, and associated attachments for the marketing objects.
        Member samples
        The following samples demonstrate how to load member data using the Data Load utility.
        Order justification samples
        This sample demonstrates how to add return justifications to order appeasement in the Commerce+ database using the data load utility.
        Price samples
        The following samples demonstrate how to load price data with the Data Load utility. The samples include configuration and input files for use with the Data Load utility. You can copy and modify the sample files to help you create your own input files and configure the Data Load utility to load your own price data.
        Promotion samples
        The following sample demonstrates how to load promotion data with the Data Load utility. The sample includes configuration and input files for use with the Data Load utility. You can copy and modify the sample files to help you create your own input files and configure the Data Load utility to load your own promotion data.
        Examples: Mapping data
        The Data Load utility uses three configuration files when you are loading data: a load order configuration file, an environment configuration file, and a business object configuration file. The load order configuration file defines the order in which the data is loaded. The environment configuration file specifies the environment information such as database type, context settings, and global properties. The business object configuration file describes the business objects that are being loaded into the database; the file is specific for each business object. The following examples show you how to map data for an input source file.
      - Initializing the attribute dictionary
        If your store does not have an attribute dictionary, set the initAttributeDictionary property to initialize the attribute dictionary and then use the data load utility to create the attribute dictionary in Commerce Lab.
      - Substituting data load attribute values with variables
        You can substitute the values of most attributes in the wc-dataload.xml data load order configuration file and wc-dataload-env.xml data load environment configuration files. By using variable substitutions, you can change the value of attributes without editing the configuration file. For example, you can substitute the value of the user ID attribute for a variable.
      - Loading data into workspaces using the Data Load utility
        The Data Load utility supports loading data into a workspace. By loading data into a workspace you can make and preview changes to managed assets, without affecting what is running on your site.
      - Loading values for single and multiple value attributes
        You can configure the loading process for Catalog Upload and the Data Load utility to load data separately for both single and multiple value descriptive attributes. By separating these load processes, you can ensure that the values for your single value and multiple value attributes are updated accurately.
      - Reuse attribute assigned values with the Data Load utility
        You can use the Data Load utility to reuse assigned values for attributes when the same value is needed for multiple catalog entries. By reusing attribute assigned values across catalog entries, you can reduce the number of duplicate values that are created in the database.
      - Loading customer segment members by email address
        You can create a customer segment that business users can manage in the Marketing tool by loading a list of email addresses.
      - Loading member group members by email address
        You can load members into member groups by resolving the unique ID for a member with only the member email address. By resolving the unique ID with the email address, you do not need to include the member logon ID or distinguished name in your input file.
      - Loading promotions with the Data Load utility
        You can configure the Data Load utility to load promotion data in an XML input file to create or change promotions in a store. By using the Data Load utility to load promotions, you can quickly create or change multiple promotions in a single operation.
      - Loading marketing objects with the Data Load utility
        You can configure the Data Load utility to load marketing data to create customer segments, e-Marketing Spots, activities, marketing content, and any associated assets. By using the Data Load utility to load this data, you can quickly create multiple marketing objects and types of objects in a single operation.
    - Data Extract utility
      The Data Extract utility is a command-line utility that you can use to extract data from the Commerce+ database into an output file.
  - Administering Search
    HCL Commerce+ Search provides the core search capability for Commerce+, enabling product indexing and retrieval for customer queries across the storefront. It supports guided navigation, landing pages, and dynamic merchandising, helping shoppers quickly find relevant products while giving merchandisers tools to influence search results.
  - Logging services
    Commerce+ maintains a detailed set of logs related to a variety of processes and functions. These logs are available upon request.
  - Business events
    Each time that a command triggers a business event, a record is added to the BUSEVENT database table to persist data from the event. Event listeners and external systems (such as the Marketing component, a back end order management system, or an external analytics system) can use this data to perform further processing.
  - Business Object thresholds
    Applying limits on business operations reduces the risk of system attacks where unbound conditions might result in system failures.
- Extending
  Using Commerce+'s xC programming model, you can use HCL-provided extension points to extend existing Commerce logic. You can implement these extensions with the xC Customization toolkit provided by HCL. Commerce+ also provides Packaged Business Capability integrations that extend the product's reach and functionality.
- Securing
  These topics describe the security features of Commerce+ and how to configure these features.
- Performance
  Topics in the Performance section describe the means by which to plan, implement, test, and re-visit the optimization of Commerce+ site performance.
- Troubleshooting
  Topics in the Troubleshooting section highlight common issues that are encountered with Commerce+, and how they can be addressed or mitigated.
- Reference
  Topics in the Reference section contain all of the Commerce+ reference documentation.

Sample: Loading merchandising associations

This sample demonstrates how to load merchandising associations for SKUs that have already been loaded to your database.

About this sample

This sample loads the following associations:

A cross-sell from the SKU 'Cords-Black-29W x 28L' to the SKU 'Casual shirt-White-Small'.
An up-sell from the SKU 'Cords-Black-29W x 28L' to the SKU 'Classic pleated dress pants-Black-29W x 32L'.

Procedure

Before running this sample, ensure that you have loaded the initial data.

On a command line, go to the /opt/CommerceUtilities/samples/bin directory.
Open a command line in the . Change the directory to utilities_root/bin directory. For information about entering and leaving containers, see Running utilities from the Utility server Docker container.
Enter the following command:
- ./dataload.sh ../samples/DataLoad/Catalog/IntegrateScenario/wc-dataload-merchandising-association.xml

Verifying results

Verify that the merchandising associations are loaded by running the following SQL statement:

select * from MASSOCCECE where catentry_id_from = (select catentry_id from catentry where partnumber 
='Cords-Black-29W x 28L')

You can also verify the load by viewing the new associations in the Commerce Lab.

Note: By default, you cannot verify the merchandising associations for these SKU catalog entries in your storefront. If you want to view merchandising associations for SKUs in your storefront, your store JSP files can be customized to display this information. By default, your storefront displays the merchandising associations for only catalog entries that are products.

Cleaning up the data

To remove the data that you loaded in this sample from the database, run the CleanUp.sql file in the /samples/DataLoad/Catalog/IntegrateScenario directory.

Note: After you run the CleanUp.sql file, you might see that 0 rows are deleted for certain SQL statements. This result is expected, as not all rows are populated with data in this sample.