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Export and Import Configuration

Use the export and import mechanism to transfer the active configuration as a file into another environment (e.g. test → production) or to take a backup before a larger change.

You reach export and import on the Configuration Snapshots page — open it via the navigation in Xchange.

What you need​

  • For the export: an active configuration — or a draft, which you save via Export Draft. The Configuration permission at the Read level is sufficient.
  • For the import: the Configuration — Activation permission at the Full level. Without it the action Import is not visible. Your administration grants this permission.

What's in the export — and what isn't​

The export contains the complete active configuration:

  • Routes with all settings, mappings, and processing rules
  • Connections with their technical parameters (addresses, paths, options)
  • Value tables with their entries
Credentials are not included in the export

Passwords, OAuth client secrets, API tokens, and similar secrets from connections are deliberately not exported. After importing into another system you must re-enter these values — otherwise the imported connections cannot function.

Export the active configuration​

In the Active Configuration area click Export. The browser immediately downloads a .json file containing the complete active state. Store the file in a safe place — it is the basis for any later import.

Import a configuration​

Click Import (top right next to the page title) and select the previously exported .json file.

If a draft already exists in the target system, the wizard asks for the mode:

  • Replace — the existing draft is discarded and a new draft is created from the import.
  • Merge — the import is merged into the existing draft.

If no draft exists, the wizard creates a new draft automatically.

Step 1: Select file​

The dialog shows the most important meta information of the file: Format Version, Exported At, Source System, and the number of contained connections, routes, and value tables. Check these values before continuing — that way you make sure you're importing the right file.

Import dialog step 1: file selected

Step 2: Review conflicts​

In the second step the system compares the file contents with the currently active configuration. Every entry is sorted into one of three categories:

  • New — the entry does not yet exist in the target system.
  • Conflict — an entry with the same name exists but differs in content.
  • Identical — a content-identical entry already exists. These are hidden at first, because there is nothing to decide about them; Show identical objects brings them in.

For every entry you decide what should happen:

  • Import — take the entry from the file (default for New).
  • Overwrite — replace the existing entry with the version from the file (typical for Conflict).
  • Skip — ignore the entry from the file and keep the existing state.

Import dialog step 2: conflict list

Complete the import​

The wizard has these two steps only; the import is completed in the second. Clicking Import turns your decisions into a new draft (or extends the existing one in Merge mode). The import does not change the active configuration yet — the draft goes through the normal validate-and-activate lifecycle.

After the import​

Right after the import the imported connections are not ready to use because their credentials are missing. Work through these steps in order:

  1. Open every imported connection and enter the password, client secret, or token.
  2. Run a connection test on the connection detail page to confirm the credentials are correct.
  3. Validate and activate the draft as usual — see Activate Configuration Changes.

Only after a successful activation does the imported configuration run productively in the target system.

Backup before a large change​

tip

Before a larger configuration change, take an export as a backup. Export the active state and store the file together with the date and the reason. If the changes turn out to be problematic later, you can re-import the backup and activate it.

Secure the draft before activating​

tip

In addition to Export for the active state, the draft area has a separate Export Draft button. With it you save the current state of the draft as a .json file — useful before experimental changes you might want to undo.

See also​