Bulk Actions on SIMs

Bulk Actions enable you to make changes to a group of SIMs, rather than updating them individually. Each action comes with a .CSV template, which you can populate with the SIMS to update.

Note: The .CSV template also includes instructions to add and process the SIMs.

In this article:

For specifics on Bulk Activation, see Activating a Batch of SIMs Using a Bulk Action (CSV).

Basics

SIMs go through many changes during their lifecycles. You can use the Activate SIMs and Manage SIMs screens to update them individually, or use Bulk Actions and a .CSV template to simultaneously update them in groups, across products.

Depending on the number of devices in a bulk update, Bulk Actions may take a longer time to finish. When the action is complete, AerPort sends you an email with an action ID to identify and track the operation's status under Transaction History.

The Bulk Action Process

To display the Bulk Actions screen that displays the update process:

  1. Access the side navigation menu.
  2. Select SIMs > Bulk Actions.

The Bulk Actions screen guides you through the following process:

  1. Start:
    1. Select the bulk action you want to perform. For a complete list, see List of Bulk Actions.
    2. Click Download File to obtain a .ZIP file containing the .CSV template. Use this template as a guide to populate the file with the SIMs you want to process. For further information, see Preparing Your CSV Upload File.
      Note: Remove any blank lines in your .CSV file, otherwise they are included in the list of SIMs to process.
  2. Select File: Locate and select the downloaded .CSV file.
  3. Upload: Click Upload to begin the bulk action.
  4. Process File: Observe the messages that appear as AerPort processes your file. During processing, you can select another file to queue. When the file is processed, AerPort displays the results. You can view the details in Transaction History.

List of Bulk Actions

The following bulk actions are available.

Activation Actions:

  • Activate
  • Provision
  • Reprovision

Status Actions:

  • Bill
  • Cancel
  • Suspend
  • Unsuspend

Attribute Actions:

  • Change Rate Plan
  • Change Service Name (same as Service Profile)
  • Update Attributes

Traffic Actions:

  • Block Traffic Policy
  • Unblock Traffic Policy

Limits on Bulk Operations

When performing bulk operations, there are limits to the number of SIMs you can modify in a single operation:

  • Bulk actions via .CSV upload file: Maximum 10,000 SIMs.
  • Bulk actions via the AerAdmin API: Maximum 1000 SIMs.
  • Bulk actions on SIMs selected from the Manage SIMs list: Maximum 1000 SIMs.
    Note: This limitation is indicated by the Select first 1,000 of n active SIMs checkbox, below the Manage SIMs table. In the Manage SIMs page, n is replaced by the number of active SIMs in your account.

Preparing Your CSV Upload File

After you download a template, duplicate it and populate the original file with a list of SIMs to process.

CSV Upload File Fields

The following table alphabetically lists relevant fields in the .CSV file templates.
Note: The PROVISION and REPROVISION fields are described in detail here: Activation, Provision, and Reprovision CSV Upload File Fields.

Fields Name

Operations Using this Field

Description

accessProfile1ID

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES Identifier of the SIM to modify. The identifier must be 20 digits for ICCID or 32 digits for EID.
Note: ICCID and EID values are long numbers. If you use a spreadsheet to create the .CSV file, any large number may convert to scientific notation, which eliminates the value specificity. To resolve the issue, format the cell as a label and then paste the number into it (e.g., in Microsoft Excel, begin the cell contents with an apostrophe: '89044045817727484800000012274487).

After you save the .CSV file, reopen it in a text editor to ensure the value is a plain number between the commas, without quotes or apostrophes (e.g. … ,,,,EID,89044045817727484800000012274487,,,,).

accessProfile1IDType

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES SIM identifier type. Set to one of the following based on the cellular technology: 
  • ICCID: For a GSM or LTE device.
  • EID: For an eSIM device.
Note: Do not use quotes or apostrophes around the identifier type.

accessProfile1Technology

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES Cellular technology of the SIM. Set to one of the following:
  • GSM
  • LTE

If you want to provision or reprovision an eSIM, leave this field blank.

Note: Do not use quotes or apostrophes around the technology type.

accessProfile2ID

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES (Optional) Identifier of the secondary SIM to modify.
Note: If this is a single-mode SIM, leave this field blank.

accessProfile2IDType

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES (Optional) Cellular technology of the secondary SIM:
  • ICCID
  • EID
If this is a single-mode SIM, leave this field blank.
Note: Do not use quotes or apostrophes around the identifier type.

accessProfile2Technology

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES (Optional) Cellular technology of the secondary SIM. Specify only if you are modifying a dual-mode device.
If this is a single-mode SIM, leave this field blank.
Note: Do not use quotes or apostrophes around the technology type.

accessProfile3ID

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES (Optional) Identifier of the third SIM to modify.
Note: If this is a single-mode SIM, leave this field blank.
accessProfile3IDType BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES (Optional) Identifier type of the third SIM based on its cellular technology:
  • ICCID
  • EID
If this is a single-mode SIM, leave this field blank.
Note: Do not use quotes or apostrophes around the identifier type.
accessProfile3Technology BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES (Optional) Cellular technology of the third SIM. Specify only if you are modifying a dual-mode device.
If this is a single-mode SIM, leave this field blank.
Note: Do not use quotes or apostrophes around the technology type.

agentId

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Sales agent ID for capturing and tracking devices belonging to certain sales representatives, sales agents, or sales channels.
all BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY Set to one of the following values:
  • BLOCK
  • UNBLOCK
This field affects packet data, SMS, and voice traffic.

applicationType

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Application type to assist in troubleshooting problematic devices:
  • M: Device is mobile, which means it can move from one physical location to another as part of normal operation. This is the default value if the field is left blank.
  • F: Device is fixed, which means it does not move from one location to another as part of normal operation (e.g. if the device is fixed to a power source).

assignStaticIP

ASSIGNSTATICIP

Specify TRUE to assign a static IP to the SIM, and FALSE otherwise. The default value is FALSE.

You can assign a static IP only if it is included in the SIM's service profile.

cancel-code CANCEL (Optional) Reason you are cancelling the device. Set to one of the following integers:
  • 1: Unknown
  • 2: Voluntary

currentLocation

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) SIM's current location. This field has a limit of 30 characters.

customAttributeName1

customAttributeValue1

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Custom attributes enable you to track additional SIMs or device information in up to five separate custom fields in the Name-Value pair. 
  • customAttributeName1: Specify only customField1 in this field.
  • customAttributeValue1: Specify the value of the first custom attribute. The custom attribute value is limited to 64 characters and you can use any printable ASCII characters.

customAttributeName2

customAttributeValue2

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Custom attributes enable you to track additional SIMs or device information in up to five separate custom fields in the name-value pair. 
  • customAttributeName2: Specify only customField2 in this field.
  • customAttributeValue2: Specify the value of the second custom attribute. The custom attribute value is limited to 64 characters and you can use any printable ASCII characters.

customAttributeName3

customAttributeValue3

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Custom attributes allow you to track additional SIMs or device information in up to five separate custom fields in the Name-Value pair. 
  • customAttributeName3: Specify only customField3 in this field.
  • customAttributeValue3: Specify the value of the third custom attribute. The custom attribute value is limited to 64 characters and you can use any printable ASCII characters.

customAttributeName4

customAttributeValue4

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Custom attributes allow you to track additional SIMs or device information in up to five separate custom fields in the Name-Value pair. 
  • customAttributeName4: Specify only customField4 in this field.
  • customAttributeValue4: Specify the value of the fourth custom attribute. The custom attribute value is limited to 64 characters and you can use any printable ASCII characters.

customAttributeName5

customAttributeValue5

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Custom attributes allow you to track additional SIMs or device information in up to five separate custom fields in the Name-Value pair. 
  • customAttributeValue5: Specify only customField5 in this field.
  • customAttributeValue5: Specify the value of the fifth custom attribute. The custom attribute value is limited to 64 characters and you can use any printable ASCII characters.

deviceName

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Unique name for the SIM. This field has a limit of 24 characters.
deviceProfileId BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CANCEL, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES Identifier of the SIM. This is a separate identifier from the ICCID or EID, which is assigned when the device is provisioned (e.g. AER0000007743295).
id-1

id-2

id-3

CANCEL Identifier of the SIM to cancel. The identifier must be 20 digits for ICCID or 32 digits for EID.
Note: ICCID and EID values are long numbers. If you use a spreadsheet to create the .CSV file, any large number may convert to scientific notation, which eliminates the value specificity. To resolve the issue, format the cell as a label and then paste the number into it (e.g., in Microsoft Excel, begin the cell contents with an apostrophe: '89044045817727484800000012274487).

After you save the .CSV file, reopen it in a text editor to ensure the value is a plain number between the commas, without quotes or apostrophes (e.g. … ,,,,EID,89044045817727484800000012274487,,,,).

idType-1

idType-2

idType-3

CANCEL Identifier type of the SIM based on its cellular technology: 
  • ICCID: GSM or LTE device.
  • EID: eSIM device.

newRatePlan

CHANGERATEPLAN

Rate Plan Label for device billing purposes. The Rate Plan Label must be exactly the same as the label that was created for your account. You can find the Rate Plan Labels for your account under the Account, Accounts Details menu.

The Rate Plan Name must not be used in this field. Always use the Rate Plan Label in this field.

Note: Ensure that the rate plan is valid for the product associated with this SIM.
newRatePlanEffectiveDate CHANGERATEPLAN Specify a date in the format MM/DD/YYYY.

newServiceName

CHANGESERVICENAME

Service Profile Name, which identifies the network services your SIM can access. The service profile name must be exactly the same as that created for your account. You can find the Service Profile Names for your account under the Account, Accounts Details menu.

Ensure that the service profile is valid for the product associated with this SIM.

operation

BILL, BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, CANCEL, CHANGERATEPLAN, CHANGESERVICENAME, SUSPEND, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, UNSUSPEND, UPDATEATTRIBUTES

Specify the bulk operation name that you are selecting from the Bulk Actions list box:
  • BILL
  • BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY
  • CANCEL
  • CHANGERATEPLAN
  • CHANGESERVICENAME
  • SUSPEND
  • TRAFFICPOLICY
  • UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY
  • UNSUSPEND
  • UPDATEATTRIBUTE
packet BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY Set to one of the following values:
  • BLOCK
  • UNBLOCK

This field affects only packet data traffic.

removeStaticIP REMOVESTATICIP Specify TRUE to remove the static IP from the SIM, and FALSE otherwise.

reportGroup

UPDATEATTRIBUTES

(Optional) Integer representing the report group used to classify and group devices in reports. The value of the report group cannot be greater than 2147483647. A report group can contain up to 10,000 devices and there can be up to 256 unique report groups.

If a report group is not specified, your device is assigned to group 0, by default.

sms BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY Set to one of the following values:
  • BLOCK
  • UNBLOCK
This field affects only SMS traffic.
technology-1

technology-2

technology-3

CANCEL Technology of the SIM to cancel, which can be one of the following:
  • GSM
  • LTE

If you are cancelling an eSIM, leave this field blank.

voice BLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY, TRAFFICPOLICY, UNBLOCKTRAFFICPOLICY Set to one of the following:
  • BLOCK
  • UNBLOCK
This field affects only voice traffic.

Use Case for Bulk Updates to SIMs

To prepare a .CSV file to update your SIMs, you must build a list of SIM identifiers using one of the follow methods:
Note: Test both methods to ensure you have the correct and complete list of SIMs.
  • Primary method: Under the SIMs menu:
    1. Select Manage SIMs.
    2. Choose the required filters to generate the set of devices you want to modify.
    3. Use the Actions menu to Export all as CSV.
  • Secondary method: Under the Reports menu:
    1. Select Build > Account Devices Detail report.
    2. Choose the filters for the set of devices you want to modify.
    3. Click Generate Report > Download.
    Note: This method of retrieving SIM information omits SIMs that are not assigned to a Pool.

Below is an example of a .CSV named SIMsExported.CSV, which contains an exported list of SIMs:

MIN MDN MEID MSID HEX MEID ESN HEX ESN ICCID MSISDN IMSI Provision Date Status Status Date Rate Plan Pool Name Report Group Service Name
              '89011702278469573160' '12569175479' '310170846957316' 8/5/2021 Bill 8/5/2021 ALH_2GB_FIC   0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278483607077' '15864952191' '310170848360707' 2/22/2022 Bill 2/22/2022 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278483607044' '15752615308' '310170848360704' 8/1/2022 Bill 2/2/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278201312349' '13025682478' '310170820131234' 1/25/2024 Provision 1/25/2024 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278820705337' '12405198613' '310170882070533' 8/29/2023 Bill 3/1/2024 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011701328870210091' '12179619234' '310170887021009' 4/12/2023 Bill 10/13/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D7L_FIOT
              '89011701328870210109' '17692904600' '310170887021010' 4/12/2023 Bill 4/12/2023 ALH_2GB_FIC ALH2GBPOOL 0 ALH_IOT_D7L_FIOT
              '89011702278407991102' '12172619930' '310170840799110' 3/8/2023 Bill 9/9/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278407991110' '12172619931' '310170840799111' 3/8/2023 Bill 9/9/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278871667857' '12059629371' '310170887166785' 1/13/2023 Bill 7/14/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D3L_FIC
              '89011702278903587370' '13863321811' '310170890358737' 11/16/2022 Bill 5/17/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D7L_FIOT
              '89011702278483607085' '14646004035' '310170848360708' 10/6/2022 Bill 4/7/2023 FUSION_10MB_ATT FUSION_ALH 0 ALH_IOT_D7L_FIOT
Note: Notice that the ICCID column presents each identifier inside apostrophes (single quotes). However, the .CSV upload file for bulk operations requires the identifier to appear as an integer (no apostrophes/single quotes).

Let's call the upload file for bulk operations UPDATEATTRIBUTES-template.CSV.

If you open SIMsExported.CSV into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel, you see single quotes around each identifier (e.g. '89011702278871667857').

If you search and replace to remove all the single quotes, Excel treats each identifier as a very large number and converts it to scientific notation, which eliminates the specificity of the number (e.g. 8.90117E+19).

To avoid this, you can manually format each cell as a label by beginning each cell with a single quote and removing the trailing single quote (e.g.'89011702278871667857).

However, this process is cumbersome and often impossible for larger actions.

To more effectively format the identifiers from the SIMsExported.CSV file:

Method 1 - Google Sheets

  1. In Google Sheets, start with a blank sheet. Then import the SIMsExported.CSV file. To do so, select File > Import > Upload >Browse, select a locate file, and click Open.
  2. In the Import file box, enable Convert text to numbers, dates, and formulas and set the following configuration:
    • Import location: Replace current sheet
    • Separator type: Detect automatically

    In the column of SIM identifiers, the number is followed by a single quote (e.g.89011702278469573160'). However, if you put your cursor on the cell, you will see that the SIM identifier starts and ends with a single quote (e.g.'89011702278469573160').

  3. Click Import data.
  4. Perform a search and replace to remove the single quotes:
    1. Select Edit > Find and replace > Find > Replace, and do not check any boxes.
    2. Click Done to remove the trailing single quote. Now if you put your cursor on the cell, you will see that the SIM identifier starts but does not end with a single quote (e.g. '89011702278469573160).
  5. Click Insert > Sheet to add another sheet into the Google spreadsheet in a new tab.
  6. Repeat Step 2 to import the Bulk Actions template that you want to populate, such as UPDATEATTRIBUTES-template.CSV.
  7. Return to the first tab with the list of SIM identifiers and copy the full range of identifiers to the clipboard.
  8. Return to the second tab with the Bulk Actions template, locate the column to contain the SIM identifiers, such as accessProfileID, and paste the SIM identifiers.
  9. Make any remaining changes to the template for the bulk operation.
  10. Select File > Download > Comma Separated Values (.csv) to save the sheet as a .CSV file . Google saves the current tab as a .CSV file and downloads it to your computer's normal download location.

Method 2 - OpenOffice and LibreOffice

  1. Open the .CSV file in OpenOffice/LibreOffice.
  2. In the Fields section at the bottom, select the fields to import.
  3. In the Fields section, change Column Type from Standard to Text.
  4. In the Separator options section, change Text delimiter (OpenOffice) or String delimiter (LibreOffice) from double quotes to single quotes. This ensures the data imports as text instead of floats.
  5. Click OK to import the data.

Example CSV Upload File

Here is an example of a .CSV file to update the attributes on two SIMs:

My_UPDATEATTRIBUTES_file.csv

operation,deviceProfileId,accessProfile1Technology,accessProfile1ID,accessProfile1IDType,accessProfile2Technology,accessProfile2ID,accessProfile2IDType,accessProfile3Technology,accessProfile3ID,accessProfile3IDType,deviceName,currentLocation,reportGroup,applicationType,agentId,customAttributeName1,customAttributeValue1,customAttributeName2,customAttributeValue2,customAttributeName3,customAttributeValue3,customAttributeName4,customAttributeValue4,customAttributeName5,customAttributeValue5
UPDATEATTRIBUTES,,LTE,89011702278469573160,ICCID,,,,,,,MyDevice1,CALIFORNIA,,,,,First_attribute,,Second_attribute,,,,,,
UPDATEATTRIBUTES,,LTE,89185000190416000167,ICCID,,,,,,,MyDevice2,CALIFORNIA,,,,,First_attribute,,Second_attribute,,,,,,

Method 3 - Microsoft Excel with a Formula

Note: Aeris does not recommend using Microsoft Excel to view and edit .CSV text files, since it automatically converts data when opening a file. Use an alternative program, like those listed above, that enables you to handle input columns as text.
  1. Open SIMsExported.CSVin Excel and delete all the columns that you do not need (e.g., Only keep the ICCID or EID column as column A).
  2. Save the updated file as a separate .CSV, such as MySIMs.CSV.
  3. Open MySIMs.CSV in Excel and insert a formula in column B to remove the trailing single quote. For example, if the SIM identifier in cell A2 is '89011702278469573160', enter this formula in cell B2:
    =RIGHT(LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-1),LEN(A2)-2)

    This adds the following value in cell B2: 89011702278469573160.

  4. Copy the formula for all rows of SIM identifiers down column B.
  5. Save your changes, using a different file name, such as MySIMsClean.CSV. Keep the file open in Excel.
  6. Open the Bulk Actions template that you want to populate, such as UPDATEATTRIBUTES-template.CSV.
  7. Locate the column to contain the SIM identifiers, such as accessProfile1ID.
  8. Format this column as Number format, without any decimal places. To update the column format:
    1. Select the blank column, including the column heading.
    2. Right-click the column and select Format Cells > Number.
    3. Set the decimal places to 0.
  9. Return to your spreadsheet of SIM identifiers (MySIMsClean.CSV) and copy the full range of identifiers to the clipboard.
  10. Return to the Bulk Actions template (UPDATEATTRIBUTES-template.CSV), right-click row 2, and select Paste Options >Values.
  11. Save your changes.
  12. Make any remaining changes to this template before running the bulk operation and save the template as a .CSV file.
    Note: The next time you open the file in Excel, the SIM identifiers return to scientific notation.
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