Zero to Production Hands-On Workshop ›Importing Data
Import

Zero to Production Hands-On Workshop

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Importing Data

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Import

Introduction

You are going to import a relational dataset into your Neo4j Aura instance using the Import tool.

You will:

  1. Create a new graph data model from the Northwind dataset

  2. Explore and import a pre-built Northwind graph data model

  3. Learn how to build a graph data model in stages by mapping tables to nodes and relationships

Northwind Dataset

The Northwind dataset contains data about a fictional company called Northwind Traders, which imports and exports specialty foods from around the world.

The dataset contains tables for Customers, Orders, Products, Categories, and Employees.

mermaid
Northwind Relational Database Schema
erDiagram
    CATEGORIES {
        int categoryID PK
        string categoryName
        string etc
    }
    
    CUSTOMERS {
        string customerID PK
        string companyName
        string etc
    }
    
    EMPLOYEES {
        int employeeID PK
        string firstName
        string lastName
        int reportsTo FK
        string etc
    }
    
    PRODUCTS {
        int productID PK
        string productName
        int supplierID FK
        int categoryID FK
        decimal unitPrice
        string etc
    }
    
    ORDERS {
        int orderID PK
        string customerID FK
        int employeeID FK
        datetime orderDate
        string etc
    }
    
    ORDER_DETAILS {
        int orderID FK
        int productID FK
        decimal unitPrice
        int quantity
    }
    
    SUPPLIERS {
        int supplierID PK
        string companyName
        string etc
    }
    
    SHIPPERS {
        int shipperID PK
        string companyName
        string etc
    }
    
    REGIONS {
        int regionID PK
        string regionDescription
    }
    
    TERRITORIES {
        string territoryID PK
        string territoryDescription
        int regionID FK
    }
    
    EMPLOYEE_TERRITORIES {
        int employeeID FK
        string territoryID FK
    }

    %% Relationships
    CATEGORIES ||--o{ PRODUCTS : "categorizes"
    SUPPLIERS ||--o{ PRODUCTS : "supplies"
    CUSTOMERS ||--o{ ORDERS : "places"
    EMPLOYEES ||--o{ ORDERS : "handles"
    EMPLOYEES ||--o{ EMPLOYEES : "reports to"
    SHIPPERS ||--o{ ORDERS : "ships"
    ORDERS ||--o{ ORDER_DETAILS : "contains"
    PRODUCTS ||--o{ ORDER_DETAILS : "included in"
    REGIONS ||--o{ TERRITORIES : "contains"
    EMPLOYEES ||--o{ EMPLOYEE_TERRITORIES : "assigned to"
    TERRITORIES ||--o{ EMPLOYEE_TERRITORIES : "covers"

Create a graph data model

Your task is to:

  1. Download the Northwind dataset

  2. Create a new graph data model in the Import tool

  3. Open the Northwind dataset

  4. Review the source data and graph data model

Continue with the lesson to create the graph data model

Import the Northwind dataset

You need to download the Northwind dataset and create a new blank graph data model:

  1. Download the Northwind dataset

  2. Open the Import tool in Aura and select Graph Models.

    Open Import Tool →
    Aura Console - Import - Graph Models

  3. Create a new graph data model.

    Blank graph model in the Import tool

  4. Use the …​ menu to Open model (with data) and select the northwind-complete.zip file you downloaded.

    …​ menu - Open model with data

  5. You will see the tables (csv files) in the left-hand panel, and a graph data model of the Northwind dataset.

    The northwind dataset, files and graph data model

Review the Data Model

Review the data source tables and try to identify:

  • What tables will become Node labels

  • The associated relationships between tables through their primary/foreign keys

  • What fields will become properties on nodes and relationships

The data source tables and fields

Northwind Graph Data Model

Here is the complete graph data model for the Northwind dataset.

How does it compare to your thoughts after reviewing the source data?

mermaid
Northwind Graph Model
graph TD
    Territory -->|IN_REGION| Region
    Supplier -->|SUPPLIES| Product
    Product -->|PART_OF| Category
    Shipper -->|SHIPS| Order
    Customer -->|PURCHASED| Order
    Employee -->|SOLD| Order
    Employee -->|IN_TERRITORY| Territory
    Employee -->|REPORTS_TO| Employee
    Order -->|ORDERS<br/>unitPrice<br/>quantity<br/>discount| Product
    
    Territory(("<b>Territory</b>"))
    
    Region(("<b>Region</b>"))
    
    Supplier(("<b>Supplier</b>"))
    
    Shipper(("<b>Shipper</b>"))
    
    Product(("<b>Product</b>"))
    
    Category(("<b>Category</b>"))
    
    Order(("<b>Order</b>"))
    
    Customer(("<b>Customer</b>"))
    
    Employee(("<b>Employee</b>"))

Load the data

You task is to:

  1. Explore the graph data model to understand how the source data maps to the graph

  2. Run the import to create data model

  3. Query the graph to see the imported data

Continue with the lesson to create the graph data model

Customer node

Find the Customer node in the graph data model.

Select the Customer node in the graph data model and review the data model in the right hand panel.

Selecting the customer and showing the data model details

Zoom in

You will have to zoom in on the graph data model to see the node labels and relationship types.

You should be able to identify the following:

  • The node label - Customer.

  • The source table - customers.csv.

  • The node properties - the name, what data type is used, and what column from the source table is used for each property.

  • What property is used as the unique ID for the node label - customerId.

This mapping is how the import tool creates the graph data model from the source data.

Nodes and relationships

Review the other nodes and relationships in the graph data model and identify how the source data maps to the graph.

Try to identify:

  • What tables become node labels

  • What tables become relationships

  • What fields become properties on nodes and relationships

Run the import

Run the import to create the graph data model:

  1. Click Run Import

  2. Select your instance

    Dialogue to select the Aura instance to import into

  3. Enter your instance credentials (if required)

  4. A summary of the import will be displayed

    Import result summary showing 91 nodes loaded

Query the graph

You can view the data in the graph using the Query tool.

Open Query Tool →

Run the following query to return the Customer nodes:

cypher
Customer nodes
MATCH (c:Customer)
RETURN c
Result of the query showing the Customer nodes

Experiment with the data

Try running some queries to explore the data. For example:

cypher
Customer orders
MATCH (c:Customer)-[p:PURCHASED]->(o:Order)
RETURN c.companyName, o.orderID, o.orderDate
cypher
Graph of products order by a customer
MATCH (c:Customer)-[p:PURCHASED]->(o:Order)-[orders:ORDERS]->(product:Product)
WHERE c.customerID = "ERNSH"
RETURN c, p, o, orders, product
cypher
Employees, territories and regions
MATCH (e:Employee)-[it:IN_TERRITORY]->(t:Territory)-[ir:IN_REGION]->(r:Region)
RETURN e, it, t, ir, r

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you imported customer data from the Northwind dataset and started to build a graph data model.

In the next lesson, you will continue to build the graph data model by adding Order nodes and PURCHASED relationships between customers and orders.

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