This page is for administrators or expert users who need to move items from one PhixFlow instance to another.

Overview

Exporting items from a PhixFlow instance produces a zip file that you can download; see Export Configuration and Configuring the Download Area. You can then import the zip to another PhixFlow instance.

Passwords

Passwords Saved in PhixFlow

Exported files do not include any passwords from the PhixFlow system, such as passwords for:

• user accounts
• accessing external data, for example using file or HTTP collectors and exporters or FTP sites.

Providing a Password to Encrypt the Exported File

By default, when you download an exported file, it is encrypted. You must provide a password that you can then use when you import the file into another instance. 

How to Import an Exported Zip

1. In the  Administration, select Import → Import Configuration.
2. PhixFlow opens the Import Configuration window, then immediately opens a file manager window, where you can browse for the zip file.
   
   
3. Select the zip file and click  Upload File.
4. If your zip file is encrypted:
   • PhixFlow prompts you to enter the password; see Passwords, above.
   • Optionally, untick Publish Streams, if you do not want PhixFlow to automatically publish stream data to its database; see Import and Updates to the PhixFlow Database, below.
   • Click .
5. PhixFlow imports the selected zip file.

When the import is complete, the console reports log messages that list the imported items. If the import fails, the console reports the errors; see Import Errors, below.

Importing Users to Another Instance

PhixFlow treats user roles and privileges as instance-specific. For this reason, exports from a PhixFlow instance do not include the references between user groups and users. When you import to another instance:

• existing local and mixed users retain their user groups, roles and privileges unchanged
• any new local or mixed uses that are added do not have user groups, roles or privileges set by the import process. You will need to set appropriate user groups, and therefore roles and privilages.

Import and Updates to the PhixFlow Database

If Publish Streams is ticked, at the end of the import process, PhixFlow publishes imported data to the database. This means that changes to streams and stream attributes will be applied to the stream data tables in the database when the import completes. If publishing fails, the import will still complete successfully and the publishing errors will appear in the console. See also Publishing Streams.

PhixFlow automatically rebuilds its database cache when the import completes. We recommend that you run large import processes during periods of low system usage, for example overnight. This gives PhixFlow time to complete the import and rebuild the caches without affecting the performance seen by users.

Import Errors

Large Imports

Very large imports can fail if they exceed limits on the server. If this happens, PhixFlow reports an Upload too large error. Consider splitting the items into several export zip files.

Missing Items

An import will fail if there is a reference to an item that does not exist:

• either in the import file
• or in the target system.

When you export items from one PhixFlow instance, it is important to ensure all items are present in the zip. For example, if items refer to other items in a package, ensure the package is included in the export.

If an import fails due to missing items, the console will log the following error message:

• Error 612 messages - one message for each missing item. The message reports the item with the reference, and the item that is missing at the start, in the form
  item-type "name" (reference) refers to item-type (reference)
  

   Example Error 612

  Area "inputform" (AreaComponent-08055461a13a51cb6914ca5be6dde21c) refers to Stream (Stream-36de2ecf9ecb2af08a42066d8c1fdd6a) but Stream (Stream-36de2ecf9ecb2af08a42066d8c1fdd6a) does not exist in the import zip or the repository.
  It is important for all referenced items to be imported. Please re-export from the source instance, including Stream (Stream-36de2ecf9ecb2af08a42066d8c1fdd6a)
  Note: To allow missing items when ALL AreaComponents refer to a Stream, consider adding AreaComponent.stream to System Configuration Allow Missing On Import. This will always null a reference from AreaComponents to a missing stream.

  
  

• Error 618 message - this message includes the reference for all the missing items.

   Example Error 618

  There are items missing from the import file. It is important for all referenced items to be imported.
  Please re-export from the source instance, including the following items:
  Stream-36de2ecf9ecb2af08a42066d8c1fdd6a

How to Find Missing Items

1. In the console, find the Error 618 message.
2. Copy the references for the missing items to a text file.
3. Go back to the PhixFlow instance where the import file was generated.
4. Go to  Administration → Other → Show in Repository,
5. Paste one missing item reference into the field.
6. PhixFlow opens the repository with the missing item highlighted.

Repeat this process to find all the missing items. Re-export all items you require; see Export Configuration. If you have may items, consider adding them to a Package.

Ignoring References

In very rare circumstances, there may be a problem with references between types of item. In this case, you can configure PhixFlow to "null" any relationship from one type of item to a missing instance of another type. For example, items from one instance can refer to users.  As different instances will have different users, the import will always fail. In this case, you can set PhixFlow to ignore (null) any references to missing users during an import.

To configure PhixFlow to ignore specific references,

1. In the console, find the  Error 612 message from the failed import process.
2. Copy the <from object>.<to object> string from the message.
3. Go to System Configuration and paste the string into the Allow Missing on Import field.
4. Save the configuration change.
5. Re-import the zip file.