Importing/Exporting Objects

Objects can be imported and exported between different Automation Engine systems or between individual Clients in the same system. The object information is stored in an XML file and can be exchanged between the different platforms. You can import and export objects either from the Automic Web Interface (Process Assembly perspective and Global Search dropdown list) or using the following script elements: IMPORT and EXPORT.

Important!

• To import the XML file, the target Automation Engine system must have at least the same Service Pack version as the source system
• The import function for XML data is downwards compatible. Importing objects from older versions into newer ones is supported. Importing newer XML data schemas into older Automation Engine systems is NOT possible.

Size and Number of Objects

The maximum allowed size of the XML import file in KB is set on Client 0 in the MAX_IMPORT_SIZE key in the UC_SYSTEM_SETTINGS - Systemwide Settings VARA object. As and administrator user, you can also limit the maximum number of objects that should be exported at once. Use the MAX_EXPORT_COUNT key for this purpose.

Differences between Transporting and Exporting or Importing

• When importing objects you can select the Automation Engine system folder in which the objects should be stored. When transporting, the folders, subfolders and objects are transferred to exactly the same locations in the target Client/System.
• Importing/exporting might cause a heavy workload for the Dialog Process (DWP), see Dialog Processes. As the Transport Case loads directly to the database, this is the better choice if you want to transfer large amounts of data.
• Using the Transport Case is also recommendable if you want to carry out mass changes in the file that is created for transporting. For example, you want to transfer all the objects in your test system to your production system. The name of the objects contains the TEST_ prefix and you want to replace it everywhere with the PROD_ prefix. You can do so via the AE DB Change utility, see AE DB Change.

Exporting Objects

You can export objects individually or you can select multiple objects and export them in bulk. You can also export folders and a combination of files and folders. In either case, one single XML file called export.xml is created that contains all the object-relevant data. It also contains the original folder structure. It is saved to your Downloads folder.

Some objects (Workflows, Schedules, and so on) reference other objects. When you export them, you can decide whether to include the referenced objects or not.

You can export objects from the following areas of the Process Assembly perspective:

My Favorites

• Folders on the Explorer pane
• Folders in the My Favorites main list
• Objects in the My Favorites main list

User Catalog

• Folders on the Explorer pane
• Folders in the main list
• Objects in the main list

Recently Used

• Objects in the Recently Used main list

Transport Case

• Objects in the Transport Case main list

Folder structure

• Folders in the Explorer pane except the <No Folder>
• Folders and objects in the main list

You can also export Queues from the Administration perspective.

Exceptions

Objects that are referenced in the following ways are not exported, even when you export referenced objects:

• Login, User, User Group, and Agent objects
• Variable objects referenced in attribute fields using curly brackets {VARANAME}
• Objects referenced in Pre- and Post-conditions on the task level in a Workflow
• Objects referenced in script functions other than :INC
• Objects located in Client 0 (for example, UC_* VARA in data reference of PromptSets, Agent objects in Jobs)

Exporting STORE Objects

Exporting STORE objects is slightly different because they contain text and/or binary files. When you export a STORE object, a ZIP file is created and saved to the Downloads folder. The ZIP file includes the following:

• The export.xml file with the information about the STORE object (and about any other object if you have selected multiple ones)

• A separate export file for each file within the STORE object. They are exported without file extension. You can add the extension if you want to open them from outside the Automation Engine.

  If you import the ZIP file into a different client or system, the Automation Engine automatically recognizes the file formats and displays them correctly in the imported STORE object.

To Export Objects

1. Select the folder, object or combination of both and right-click to select one of the following:

   • Export
   • Transfer > Export

2. The Export Objects dialog opens up.

   It displays the Settings: Export with references checkbox if the object to be exported contains references to other objects. This is important if you are exporting Workflows, Schedules, PromptSets, etc. Activate it to export the selected object and all its children.

   Note: This option is not available for Client (CLNT), Server (SERV), Agent (HOST), Login (LOGIN), Folders (FOLD), and Store (STORAGE) objects.

3. Click the Export Objects button.

   Either a ZIP file called export.zip (if you are exporting one STORE object) or an XML file called export.xml is saved to the Downloads folder. Both files are ready for importing into another Client or AE system.

4. If this folder contain links to other objects that are outside the structure you are exporting, an additional dialog is displayed prompting you to confirm whether you want to export those objects.

Importing Objects

You can then import the XML or ZIP file into a different Client or AE system. You can replace existing objects with the ones that you are importing and keep folder links, if available. If you are importing folders with sub folders, their structure is kept.

Important! The name of the XML file contained in the ZIP file must be export.xml when importing files from previous Automation Engine versions.

You can import objects to the following areas of the Process Assembly perspective:

Folder structure

• Folders in the Explorer pane except the <No Folder>
• Folders and objects in the main list

Importing Dashboards

If you export a Dashboard object from My Dashboards, and then import it, the imported Dashboard object is then available in Public Dashboards. If necessary, right-click the Dashboard and select Move to My Dashboards.

For more information, see Working with Dashboards

Importing Calendars

The following considerations are important when importing Calendars:

• If you are importing Calendar A and Calendar B contains Calendar Events that refer to A, you must also import those Calendar Events.
• Calendars are recalculated after each import. If this calculation takes place before the Calendar Events have been read, error messages might occur. You can ignore them, no manual intervention is required.

For more information, see Calendars (CALE).

To Import Objects

1. Right-click anywhere on the location to which you want to import and right-click to select one of the following:

   • Import
   • Transfer > Import

2. On the Import Objects dialog, click the upload icon and search for the file you want to import.

   Only ZIP and XML files can be selected.

3. Activate Settings: Replace existing objects if you want to overwrite existing objects with the ones you are importing.

4. When you replace objects, use the Keep existing folder links option to keep any existing object links as they are in the target system. This means that links to objects in Favorites, Dashboards, etc. will be kept as-is in the target system, and you will not have to recreate them.

   If an object is imported in a different folder than its existing home folder in the target system, the home folder will not be changed, but instead a link will be created in the target folder.

5. Click the Import Objects button.

   If you are replacing existing objects, the already available ones are replaced by the new ones.

   A message is displayed indicating which objects have been imported and/or replaced. Click Close to return to the Explorer.

Editing the Generated XML Files

Various tools are available that can be used to edit the generated XML files. If you use Notepad, take into account that it creates additional header information if exported objects include special characters (such as titles with German U umlauts) in order to display them. This changes the content of the XML. Thus, the Automation Engine cannot guarantee that importing will provide the results you expect.

Restrictions

Authorizations that are granted at object level (Authorizations Page ) cannot be exported.

For security reasons, passwords cannot be exported either.

See also:

• Storage (STORE)