Exporting templates using a version-neutral mechanism

A version-neutral mode of export is available for exporting component templates along with their payloads and referenced objects.

The version-neutral export and import mechanism allows you to export objects from any BMC Server Automation version 8.x system and import those same objects to any other BMC Server Automation system of the same version or of any later version. During the import of a version-neutral export package, you can preserve existing objects found on the target system.

The version-neutral export process creates an easily readable, XML-based content format file. The content format file is described in Format for XML-based content.

To export component templates

1. In the Component Templates folder, right-click a component template or a component template group or folder and select Export.
   The Export window opens.
2. If you chose a component template (and not a group or folder) for export in step 1, use the Export Mode Selection panel to choose between the standard export and the version-neutral export.
   The remaining steps in this topic describe the version-neutral export process. For a description of the standard export process, see Exporting BMC Server Automation objects.
3. Through the Export Destination Selection panel, enter the path in the Save to field or use the hierarchical tree to select the directory where you want to save exported objects.
4. To exclude certain types of referenced objects from the export, select any of the following options listed below. Often you can dramatically reduce the size of the export package by excluding referenced objects. However, if you exclude objects, ensure that the referenced objects exist on the target system.
   • Exclude Server Objects
   • Exclude BLPackages
5. To include referenced custom grammar files, select Include referenced grammar files. By default, grammar files are not included in the export package due to their typical size.
6. Click Export.
   The export process runs in the background. When the export is complete, a new zipped export package is created in the directory that you specified in step 3. This zipped export package has the same name as the object being exported, and it contains the XML-based content format file and all relevant payload files.