7.2 Archiving Overview

Several different tools are available to archive Content Server structure, content and folders. Each tool serves a different purpose and they can all be used together. This section provides an overview of these tools and their uses. The remainder of this document provides a detailed discussion about using the Configuration Migration Utility and the Archiver.

"Configuration Migration"
"Archiver"
"Folder Archiving"
"FolderStructureArchive Component"
"ArchiveReplicationExceptions"
"Archive Tool Summary and Comparison"
"Running the Archiver as a Standalone Application"

7.2.1 Configuration Migration

The Configuration Migration Utility component is used to select elements of your Content Server instance to migrate to another instance. This component is installed and enabled by default with Content Server.

Overview

You can select individual elements (such as workflow tokens or content types) or entire sections (such as all user-related metadata or all metadata related to workflows). In addition, you can export and import an entire content server to create a snapshot of the content server at a certain point in time. It can be used to migrate a system from testing to production, or to provide an upgrade path from versions of the content server. By using the migration tool, you can keep an older version of the Content Server in production while testing new functionality on a newer version.

Each export configuration is packaged as a bundle which contains the information needed to re-create the configuration on another system. A bundle is a zip file that can be easily shared with other systems.

Functions

The Configuration Migration Utility is used to configure migration bundles for exporting to other systems. It is also used to upload and import bundles on an importing system. There are four main functions:

Upload Bundle: used to find a copy of an exported bundle and make it available for use on a receiving system.
Configuration Bundles: used to import the configuration from the uploaded bundle. This function creates new metadata fields or overwrites current fields, depending on options chosen during import.
Configuration Templates: used to create export bundles, which can later be uploaded and imported to another content server.
Recent Actions: used to view recent activity such as imports and exports and to view a log of those activities.

By using the Configuration Migration Utility with the Archiver, you can create a snapshot in time of your existing content server or you can use it to keep track of incremental updates to an existing system. The Configuration Migration Utility captures configuration information while the Archiver captures content.

See "Migrating System Configurations" for details about using the Configuration Migration Utility.

7.2.2 Archiver

Archiver can be used with the Migration utility to migrate a complete Content Server instance, including content, from one system to another.

Note:

Archiver does not include Digital Asset Management (DAM) video and audio renditions in the archives it creates. The archives do include the native file, thumbnail, the zip rendition that contains storyboard thumbnails, and the web-viewable .hcsp file, but do not include any additional video and audio renditions created by Inbound Refinery.

This limitation is by design. Many video files would make the archive too large, surpassing the 2GB limit on zip files. Also, in man production instances the video renditions are likely to be stored on a separate filesystem.

Overview

Archiver can be run as an Admin Applet, accessed from the Admin menu, or as a standalone version. The standalone version is required to:

Create collections.
Create a new archive by copying from an existing archive.
Browse the local file system to connect to new collections.

See "Running the Archiver as a Standalone Application" for details about using Archiver in standalone mode.

Functions

Archiver is a Java applet that is used to transfer and reorganize content server files and information. Archiver has four main functions:

Export: Used to copy native and web-viewable files out of the content server instance for backup, storage, or import to another content server instance. You can also export content types and user attributes. You export to an archive, which contains the exported files and their metadata in the form of batch files.
Import: Used to retrieve files and content server information from an exported archive. Importing is typically used to get a copy of content from another content server or to restore data that has been in storage. You can also change metadata values during an import.
Transfer: Used to transfer content from one content server instance to another over sockets. This is typically used to move or copy content across a firewall or between two content servers that do not have access to the same file system. You can also use the Transfer function to transfer archive files between content server systems that have access to the same file system.
Replicate: Used to automate the export, import, and transfer functions. For example, you can use replication to automatically export from one content server instance, transfer the archive to another computer, and import to another content server instance.

The following illustration demonstrates these basic functions.

Figure 7-1 Archiver Functions

Description of "Figure 7-1 Archiver Functions"

Caution:

Do not use Archiver as your primary method of disaster recovery; use standard backup systems for the database and file system.

7.2.3 Folder Archiving

You cannot use the Archiver to move folder structure and content, but you can use Folder Archiving to migrate the total folder structure of your Content Server from one location to another. This does not archive the folder content, just the folder structure.

Using Folder Archiving you can export and import the folder hierarchical structure directly from the Folders administration interface. The entire folder hierarchy is exported to a text file in HDA format, which can then be read by the Content Server when it is imported.

7.2.4 FolderStructureArchive Component

The FolderStructureArchive component is a separate product from the Folders component and must be installed separately.

Overview

The FolderStructureArchive component can be used with the archiving aspect of the Folders component but its functionality differs in several ways:

It can export selected portions of the folder structure. The Folders Archive function can only export the entire folder structure.
It can create incremental archives. These are archives that contain only changed folders. The built-in Folder Archive function creates archives that contain all items.
It can include both the folder structure and folder content in the archives. The Folder Archive function can only export the folder structure and none of the content.

Functions

This component can be used for three major purposes:

As a backup tool. With this component you can copy the folder structure, including its content.
As a duplication tool. This component can be used to copy the folder structure and content and create an exact copy on another computer, helping to simplify multiserver setups.
As a synchronization tool. With this component you can ensure that copies of your folders and their contents are kept synchronized across different systems.

7.2.5 ArchiveReplicationExceptions

The ArchiverReplicationExceptions component is installed (enabled) by default with Content Server. It enables administrators to prevent failed imports from stopping replication. It does this by capturing such failed imports and putting them into an exceptions archive and sending out email to the administrator that such a failed import has occurred.

For content items to be processed by ArchiverReplicationExceptions, the administrator must manually set configuration entries in the IntradocDir/config/config.cfg file. The configuration variables customize the behavior of the importing content server to allow for certain situations and to distribute the error reporting based on the configured criteria.

7.2.6 Archive Tool Summary and Comparison

The tools that can be used to archive structure, content, and folders all serve different purposes. All of the tools can be used together, but sometimes one might be preferred over the other. The following table summarizes each tool and its strengths and limitations.

Feature	Configuration Migration Utility (CMU)	Archiver	Folder Archiving	Folder Structure Archive Component
Primary purpose	A 'snapshot' tool, used to migrate one Content Server to another or to migrate to an upgraded instance	Primarily used for backup, storage, and transfer of data over sockets	Used to export and import a complete folder structure or hierarchy	Used to backup and duplicate a folder structure to synchronize the contents with another Content Server
Strengths	Enables you to choose specific parts of the Content Server to migrate Provides logging and trace files	Works with older content Provides logging and trace files	Ensures that the collection IDs on the target match those on the source	Can export selected portions of the folder structure.
Limitations	Cannot be used on pre-6.2 versions of Content Server. Migration of components can be difficult.	The standalone version is needed to create collections. Imported revisions do not automatically enter a workflow.	All current folders and content items in the folders are removed from the Content Server and replaced by the imported folder hierarchy.	Does not ensure that the collection ID of folders on the target match those on the source content.
What it archives	Metadata Security (roles and accounts) Profiles Schema Workflow Personalization Add-on components	Content Content types User attributes Subscriptions Security groups File Formats	Complete folder hierarchy (no content)	Complete or partial folder hierarchy and content Only changed content (if desired)
What it does not archive	Content Publisher projects Workflow state Does not synchronize: this is an additive archive	Folder structure Metadata, security and other features which are archived by CMU Weblayout structure	Partial or selected folder hierarchy Collaboration folders Content Metadata, security (other features which are archived by CMU)	Collaboration folders

7.2.7 Running the Archiver as a Standalone Application

The following information details how to run the Archiver as a standalone application, which is required to create collections.

To run Archiver in Windows:

To run Archiver on a Windows operating system:

Select the application from the Windows Start menu:

Click Start, select Programs, Content Server, instance_name, and then click Analzyer.

A login screen or application screen is displayed.

Tip:
It may take several seconds for the login screen or the application screen to appear, and the screen may be hidden by other windows.
If required, enter the administrator login name and password, then click OK.

The Main Archiver Screen is displayed.

To run Archiver in UNIX:

To run Archiver on a UNIX operating system:

Navigate to the DomainHome/ucm/cs/bin/ directory.
Enter ./archive
If required, enter the administrator login name and password.

The Main Archiver Screen of the application is displayed.