Importing and exporting BMC Server Automation objects

BMC Server Automation enables you to import and export the following types of BMC Server Automation objects:

• BLPackages
• Configuration files
• Component templates
• Depot software
• Extended objects
• Files
• Jobs (all job types with the following exceptions):
  • Deregister Configuration Objects
  • Distribute Configuration Objects
  • Patching (all operating systems)
  • Provision
  • Upgrade Model Objects
  • Virtual Guest
• Network Shell Scripts
• Smart group definitions for components, component templates, depot objects, jobs, and server smart groups (actual contents of the smart group are not exported)
• Snapshots (that is, a job run of a Snapshot Job)
• System packages

Using the capability to import and export BMC Server Automation objects, you can do the following:

• Move objects between separate BMC Server Automation systems.
  This is typically required in situations where expert users develop objects, such as complex Batch Jobs or BLPackages, allowing less sophisticated users to actually use those objects. If the two classes of users operate on separate systems, objects must be exported from one system and imported into the other.
• Place BMC Server Automation objects under version control.
  You can store exported object definitions as files and then place those files under a version control system. This provides an extra layer of protection for complex objects that might require substantial work to define.
• Import prepackaged content provided by BMC Server Automation.
• Package problematic objects so they can be forwarded to BMC Server Automation support for diagnosis.
• Promote application changes between functional areas of an organization, such as when you promote functionality from a development environment to a production environment.

For more information about the export and import processes that are available for all supported object types, see Exporting BMC Server Automation objects and Importing BMC Server Automation objects.

Another mechanism for the export and import of component templates along with their referenced objects is available. The mechanism is version-neutral, allowing you to export component templates from one BMC Server Automation version 8.x system and import them to any other BMC Server Automation system of the same version or of any later version. In addition, this mechanism allows you to preserve objects that already exist on the target system. For more information, see Exporting templates using a version-neutral mechanism and Importing templates using a version-neutral mechanism.