Working with Files and Items

 
 
 

Learn about importing files and items with the Vault Data Transfer Utility.

In a replicated environment, only data available to the local server is exported.

ImportantIn a replicated environment, the server can only update entities that it owns.

File Workflows

If an imported file already exists in the target vault, the Vault Data Transfer Utility validates that it is the same file by using the checksum and the create date.

For users who will be exporting from Vault, historical versions of files may display an incorrect lifecycle definition in the package XML. However revisions of a file will always display the correct lifecycle definition. Since the Vault schema does not keep track of the lifecycle definition and state ID for each iteration of a file, this information cannot be exported. During the export operation, the iterations in question are tagged with an XML comment so that they can be cleaned up manually as desired. An example of this workflow is when a user changes the lifecycle definition of a file from flexible to basic. It is important to note that the leading ( "tip") version will be 100% accurate. This message shows in the xml and command line if this situation occurs.

Item Workflows

Files added using the Data Transfer Utility may be missing metadata (Bill of materials and property info) for the items that they are linked to. Checking the file(s) out and then submitting them using the correct add-in will provide that data. Until that happens, an item update may cause data loss on the item.

To prevent this, the file component that is linked to the item must be marked as imported. This can be done by setting the component's UID to "importedUID" in bomwrapper.xml.

Components marked this way will not push (invalid) data from the file to the item. After the add-in is used to check in the file, the item will update correctly.