Importing and exporting report definition, content, and package

During the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation installation, the BMC Decision Support for Server Automation content, delivered in an encrypted zip file named localized_blreports_content.zip, is installed in the BDSSAInstallationDirectory/portal/deployment directory. You can import the content into BMC Decision Support for Server Automation.

You can export report definitions, content, and packages from BMC Decision Support for Server Automation to XML files. You can also import report definitions from XML files. You can perform these tasks in IBM Cognos Administration.

The following sections are excerpts from the IBM Cognos Intelligence Administration and Security Guide to help you perform exporting and importing of report definitions. For additional detail about this topic and IBM Cognos Administration in general, see the complete IBM Cognos Intelligence Administration and Security Guide at PDFs.

Exporting from a Source Environment

 To export the IBM Cognos entries, you create or modify an export deployment specification and then run the export. You can also use a previously saved deployment specification for export or for redeployment of your entries.

The entries are exported to an export deployment archive in the source environment. Later, you import the archive entries into the target environment. You can update the entries in the target environment using the entries from the deployment archive. When you export, you select the entries to deploy, and you set the options that are used as defaults when importing.

To create a new export deployment specification

 If you want to preserve data source access accounts when you export a content store, you must select Include user account information. If you want to preserve configuration information when you export, then you can set the CM.DEPLOYMENTINCLUDECONFIGURATION advanced setting to TRUE.

1. In the source environment, open IBM Cognos Connection.
2. In the upper-right corner, click Launch, IBM Cognos Administration.
3. On the Configuration tab, click Content Administration.
4. On the toolbar, click the new export button.
   The New Export wizard appears.
5. Type a unique name and an optional description and screen tip for the deployment specification.
6. Select the folder where you want to save it and click Next.
7. Choose whether to export the entire content store or to do a partial export of specific folders and directory content:
   1. To export specific folders and directory content, click Select public folders and directory content, and then click Next. Proceed to step 8.
   2. To export the entire content store, click Select the entire content store and select whether to include user account information. Click Next and proceed to step 16.
8. In the Select the Public folders content page, click Add.
9. In the Select entries page, in the Available Entries box, select the packages or folders that you want to export.
   You can browse the Public Folders hierarchy and choose the packages and folders you want. Click the right arrow button to move the selected items to the Selected entries box, and click OK.
10. For each package and folder that you export, do one of the following:
    1. If you want the package or folder to have a different name in the target environment, or if you want to change the target location or add multilingual names, click the edit icon make your changes, and click OK.
    2. If you do not want users to access the package or folder and its entries, select the check box in the Disable after import column. This is useful when you want to test the reports before you make them available in the target environment.
11. Under Options, select whether you want to include the report output versions, run history, and schedules and what to do with entries in case of a conflict and click Next.
12. In the Select the directory content page, select whether you want to export Cognos groups and roles, distribution lists and contacts, and data sources and connections and what to do with the entries in case of a conflict and click Next.
13. In the Specify the general options page, select whether to include access permissions and references to namespaces other than IBM Cognos, and who should own the entries after they are imported in the target environment.
14. Specify the Recording Level for the deployment history and click Next.
15. In the Specify a deployment archive page, under Deployment archive, select an existing deployment archive from the list, or type a new name to create one.
    If you are typing a new name for the deployment archive, we recommend that you do not use spaces in the name. If the name of the new deployment specification matches the name of an existing deployment archive, the characters _# are added to the end of the name, where # is a number such as 1.
16. If you want to secure the archive, under Encryption, click Set the encryption password, type a password, and then click OK.
17. Click Next.
    The summary information appears.
18. Review the summary information and click Next.
    If you want to change information, click Back and follow the instructions.
19. Review the summary information and click Next.
20. Select the action you want:
    1. To run now or later, click Save and run once and click Finish. Specify the time and date for the run, then click Run. Review the run time and click OK.
    2. To schedule at a recurring time, click Save and schedule and click Finish. Then, select frequency and start and end dates and click OK.
       To temporarily disable the schedule, select the Disable the schedule check box.
    3. To save without scheduling or running, click Save only, and then click Finish.

Importing to a target environment

You can create a new import deployment specification, or modify an existing one and then run the import. You can import using an existing deployment specification if you previously saved it without importing, or if you want to redeploy your IBM Cognos entries. You can update the entries in the target environment with entries from the deployment archive.

When you import, you select from entries that were exported. You can either accept the default options set during the export, or change them. You cannot select options that were not included in the deployment archive during the export. You can also use the New Import wizard to upgrade entries from previous releases of the product. You can upgrade report specifications during the import, or choose to upgrade them at a later time using the New Report Upgrade wizard.

When you run an import, content store ids are deleted and new ids assigned. If the store ids must be retained because they are used by certain IBM Cognos functionality, you can choose to preserve store ids. When you redeploy, the wizard also shows whether the packages and folders were in the original deployment.

To create a new export deployment specification

1. In the target environment, open IBM Cognos Connection.
2. In the upper-right corner, click Launch, IBM Cognos Administration.
3. On the Configuration tab, click Content Administration.
4. On the toolbar, click the new import button.
   The New Import wizard appears.
5. In the Deployment archive box, click the deployment archive that you want to import.
6. If the deployment archive is encrypted, type the password, and then click OK.
7. Click Next.
8. Type a unique name, an optional description, and a screen tip for the deployment specification, select the folder where you want to save it, and click Next.
9. Select the content that you want to include in the import.
   To ensure that the required target package or folder exists in the target content store, click the edit button next to the package, and check the location. If you want, you can change the target location.
10. Select the options you want, along with your conflict resolution choice for options that you select.
11. In the Specify the general options page, select whether to include access permissions and references to namespaces other than IBM Cognos, and who should own the entries after they are imported in the target environment.
12. Specify the Recording Level for the deployment history and click Next.
    The summary information appears.
13. Review the summary information and click Next.
14. Select the action you want:
    1. To run now or later, click Save and run once and click Finish. Specify the time and date for the run. Then click Run. Review the run time and click OK.
    2. To schedule at a recurring time, click Save and schedule and click Finish. Then, select frequency and start and end dates. Then click OK.
       To temporarily disable the schedule, select the Disable the schedule check box.
    3. To save without scheduling or running, click Save only then click Finish.

When you run the import, you have the option of selecting to upgrade the report specification. If you choose not to upgrade the deployment specification at this time, you can upgrade it later.