IBM FileNet P8, Version 5.2.1            

Data migration: Recommendations for export include options

When you use FileNet® Deployment Manager to migrate data, review the best practices for export include options to improve the efficiency of the export and import actions.

Separate export and import actions for application assets and object instance components

Within the export manifest, the export include options control export activities on individual assets or objects. This control includes how associated objects for an asset, such as metadata or folders, are added to the deployment data set. In addition, the include options that are specified for an asset propagate to any related objects that are added as a result of the include options on the original asset. This cascading action, from one asset or object, to its associated objects, and then to additional associated objects, can result in a large number of objects being added to the deployment data set.

For example, when include options are selected for application assets, data design components can be automatically included with the object instance components in the deployment data set. However, this configuration can negatively affect the performance of both the export and import actions. For export, the number of associated objects that result from the selected include options can increase the processing time associated with the export action. For import, an additional negative impact is that FileNet Deployment Manager is required to search throughout the deployment data set for metadata and then arrange the import actions so that the metadata goes into the destination environment first as an implicit step.

To avoid these negative impacts, the recommended best practice is to separate the data design components of the application assets from the object instance data by doing several phased export and import actions. When you use this approach, export and import the application assets first, then export and import the object instance data.

Export include options for data design components

When you work with data design components for application assets, the following general best practices for selecting the export include options apply:
  • Export include options that are commonly included: The options for the Event and Lifecycle area can remain at the defaults, with the options selected, to export associated events and subscriptions.
  • Export include options that are commonly excluded: The following groups of export include options are usually not used for data design components: Folders and Contained Objects, Document-Related, and Social Collaboration options.
Other best practice recommendations are dependent upon the type of data design components that you are working with. The following best practices for selecting the export include options for data design components can improve performance for the export and import actions:
  • Export include options that are related to add-on features: For associated metadata that was created in the object store of the source environment by an add-on feature, do not use FileNet Deployment Manager to move the metadata. Instead, install the same add-on feature in the object store of the destination environment.
  • Export include options that are related to class definitions: For class definitions, add the user-defined property templates to the export manifest and use the Include choice lists on property templates include option to export the choice lists for the user-defined property templates. Do not use the Data Design include options for the class definitions themselves. This approach reduces potentially negative side effects that are caused by the export of unwanted property templates, such as those that are created by add-on features. Typically, the Include modified system classes option is not selected.

Export include options for object instance components

When you work with object instance components, the instance data and its relationships to other object store data determines the most optimal combination of export include options to use. The following best practices might work for a more simple export, but might not apply to all cases:
  • When you work with object instances, specify export include options that narrowly target the objects to export. This narrow targeting can avoid implicit inclusion of unwanted objects through propagation of the include options to other, associated objects.
  • In the Include Options window for an asset, click None to clear all selected include options. With all include options cleared, only the asset that is listed in the export manifest is exported into the deployment data set.
Exporting a narrowly targeted set of objects, or exporting an asset only with no associated objects, might not the correct action for the needs of your migration. In that case, the following best practices for selecting the export include options for object instance components can improve performance for the export and import actions:
  • Exporting all contents in a folder: To migrate all content in a folder, you can export the folder by explicitly including it in the export manifest as an asset to be exported. In the export include options, you can allow the selections for the Folders and Contained Objects area to remain at the defaults. The default selections for the export include options enable the implicit inclusion, through propagation, of the parent folders and subfolders, the folder contents, and the relationship objects.

    However, you might find that these selections include too much data, and you need a greater level of control. For example, you can clear the Include parent folders check box that is selected by default in the export include options. Then you can explicitly include the parent folder in the export manifest. This action enables you to avoid the export of an application-generated folder or folder tree, especially if it is better to migrate the parent folder with the application assets and not the object instances. Or, you can also choose to export the folder tree with a first set of documents when you do several, phased exports for a large set of objects.

    In addition, this action can prevent the inclusion of unexpected folders that might not relate to the export. For example, an object that is filed into more than one folder has multiple parent folders. You might only need one of these parent folders in your data migration. However, implicitly including the parent folders in the export through the export include options causes all of the parent folder trees to be added to the export. If the Include contents of folders export include option is also selected, a large amount of unwanted data could be added to the export.

  • Object relationships: An object instance might be related to other object instances and those relationships must be preserved. For example, select the Include relationship to containing folders option and maintain relationships to the parent folder. Without this include option, a document or custom object appears as unfiled after the import.
  • Documents that are revised over time: Some documents can be revised over time, resulting in multiple document versions. To include all versions of a document, select the Include all document versions export include option. This option includes all document versions and ensures that subsequent exports with the same export manifest can extract the latest version if the document is updated. If you want to export only the most current version of a document and do not want to export all versions, then you must add the current document version into the export manifest. However, this method can require more maintenance on the export manifest. Before reusing the export manifest, you must edit it to delete the older document version and then add the most current document version to the export manifest.
  • Export include options that are commonly included: In most cases, the export include options selections for the General and Event and Lifecycle areas can remain at the defaults.



Last updated: March 2016
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