Having implemented both approaches across multiple large-scale IoT deployments, I can provide detailed insights on all three decision factors:
Bulk Import Speed vs API Control:
Bulk import is unmatched for raw speed - you can process 10,000 devices in under 20 minutes through the console CSV upload. However, this speed comes with significant limitations. The bulk import is a black box: you submit a CSV, wait for processing, and get a success/failure result. There’s no progress tracking, no partial success handling, and no ability to customize the registration logic.
API-based registration is slower (500-1000 devices/hour depending on your rate limits and device model complexity) but provides complete control. You can implement parallel processing with multiple API clients to improve throughput, add custom validation logic, integrate with external systems in real-time, and handle partial failures gracefully.
For your 15,000 device deployment, I recommend a phased hybrid approach: Use bulk import for the initial 80% of straightforward devices (same model, standard configuration), then use API registration for the remaining 20% that need custom setup or have complex dependencies. This balances speed with control where you need it most.
Error Handling and Duplicate Detection:
This is where API registration significantly outperforms bulk import. Bulk import error messages are notoriously vague - you’ll see “Row 847: validation failed” without details on which field or why. Debugging requires manual CSV inspection and trial-and-error re-uploads.
With API registration, you get structured error responses with specific field-level validation failures. You can implement intelligent retry logic, skip problematic devices while continuing with others, and maintain detailed error logs for troubleshooting.
For duplicate detection, API gives you programmatic control:
- Check if device exists before attempting registration
- Compare existing device attributes with new data
- Decide whether to update, skip, or fail based on business rules
- Log all duplicate handling decisions for audit purposes
Bulk import only detects exact device ID duplicates and fails the entire batch. If you have 10,000 devices in a CSV and one is a duplicate, all 10,000 fail to register.
Audit Trail and Compliance:
For regulated environments, API registration is essential. You can log:
- User/service account that initiated registration
- Source system and data lineage
- Validation checks performed
- Configuration decisions and why they were made
- Integration with change management systems
Bulk import audit trail is minimal: “User X uploaded file Y at time Z with N devices.” You don’t get device-level provenance or the ability to trace registration decisions back to source systems.
For your compliance requirements, implement API registration with structured logging that captures: device_id, registration_timestamp, source_system, user_identity, validation_results, and configuration_applied. Store these logs in a separate audit database with immutable records.
Practical Recommendation for 15,000 Devices:
- Segment devices by complexity: standard (80%) vs. custom (20%)
- Use bulk import for standard devices in batches of 2,000 to minimize failure blast radius
- Build API registration script for custom devices with full error handling
- Implement post-registration validation (API-based) for ALL devices regardless of registration method
- Create audit reconciliation process that compares source data to registered devices
This hybrid approach gives you bulk speed where appropriate while maintaining control, auditability, and error handling where it matters. You’ll complete the project faster than pure API while avoiding the pitfalls of pure bulk import.