Working with the Import/Export Management Utility
Use import and export to move complete content and metadata to and from sites. Export stores the data in JAR (Java archive) files, and import extracts the content and metadata from the JAR files and places them in locations that you specify in the local database.
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This section provides information about exporting and importing data using the Import/Export Management utility.
• For information about exporting and importing data using a package and the Received Delivery Management utility, see Using Packages to Import and Export Data.
• For information about exporting and importing data using Microsoft Excel, see Using Excel to Import and Export Data.
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Export
Use export to place all the data stored in high-level objects in the local database into JAR files on the local file system. Optionally, you can include only objects that were created or modified within a date and time range. Later, use import to extract these JAR files to locations that you specify in the local database. The data that is exported (stored) and then imported (extracted) does not include information required for change control.
Export enables you to compress the data found in various objects into a JAR file, including the following:
• Folder and cabinet contents
• Product structure (built with active configuration specification)
• CAD document structure (built with latest configuration specification)
• Product structure with CAD documents (built with active configuration specification)
• Document
You can view all of the types of objects that you can export in the Export window. Documents referenced by other objects are included in the export data.
JAR files are given a generated name by default, although you can change the name when you save the file. The files have the .jar extension unless you specify a different file extension. You can open the JAR file with any software that opens and expands ZIP files.
Import
Use import to expand the compressed files created by the export process and place the objects in the local database. After you have imported the objects, they can be modified just like any other files.
If you use the default settings, import does not overwrite objects that exist in the local database and have the same status as the object that you are trying to import. Import determines whether an object is unique based on the following identifiers:
• The Unique Federated Identifier (UFID) of the object, which is composed of the local ID, the domain, and the site. A UFID is assigned to an object when it is stored to the database. Changing the revision, version, or iteration of the object results in a UFID change, but changing the life cycle state of the object does not.
• The business identity of the object, which is derived from the value of the following attributes:
◦ For a WTPart—Number, version, iteration, and view
◦ For a WTDocument—Number, version, and iteration
◦ For a CADDocument—CAD name, number, version, and iteration
If an object to be imported has the same name, number, version, and iteration values as an existing database object but a different UFID, the import fails. If you do not want the import to fail in this situation, select the Resolve Overridable Conflicts checkbox in the Import window or use a policy or rule file to change either the UFID or the name, number, version, and iteration values of the import object.
If there is a conflict in the value of other attributes, the system response varies depending on the attribute and the import options that you selected. For details about overriding conflicts, see Import and Export Policies, Mapping Rules, and Conflict Messages.
Processes
The export and import processes can refer to mapping rule files that transform or block attribute data on the interface to the JAR file. In addition, the import process can refer to context mapping files which control into which context imported objects are placed.
The way objects in the database can be created or modified is governed by use of policy files or selected actions available in the user interface during import or export. These import policy files or actions are applied after any mapping rules files are applied.
For information about mapping rules and policies, see Import and Export Policies, Mapping Rules, and Conflict Messages.
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