XML Data sources using relative XPATH with conditions can impact instance performance and ignore some records

Problem

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Long XML files imported by a data source with XML format are unable to import some records when the XPATH field has been set with the following format:

//path[condition]

For example, //kb_knowledge[kb_knowledge_base='<sys_id>'] or //incident[number='INC0010007']

 

 

Steps to Reproduce

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1. Run a data source of type XML.

   For more information, see the documentation topic Create a data source.

2. Set the XPATH to a relative path with a condition.

   For example, set XPATH for each row to //incident[number='INC0010007']

3. Click Load all records.

   Note that the records are not loaded and a a message appears on the data source:

   Relative XPATH expression is not recommended and can impact instance performance

Cause

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The XML data source import uses the XMLStreamDocument function, which in specific cases is not able to handle relative path with conditions, and returns null. Also, the use of a relative path involves extra overhead on the function.

Resolution

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To avoid both the search missing the date and to avoid performance issues on evaluating relative paths, use absolute paths, for example, /unload/incident[number='INC0010007'].