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Site Import/Export in B2C Commerce
The site.xsd schema file describes the structure of data that is exported from an instance to a zip file, or imported from a .zip file. The site.xsd file describes all site-related data and global, non-site-related data (that is, organization-level data, such as shipping methods). This topic applies to B2C Commerce.
Site export exports certain objects (including database objects and static files) and stores them in a single .zip file, which is available for download. You can upload the zip file to another instance and import it there. Site import is possible only if there’s no custom site in the instance.
To access Site Import Export, select .
Use Site Import/Export as follows:
| Mode | Purpose | Included Data |
|---|---|---|
| Import | Initial Instance Setup. You can "clone" an instance. This approach is most helpful during development to initialize a developer's instance or a testing instance. (Use Site Import to set up an initial "staging" instance, but then the import won’t be used again in a primary instance group.) | Initial global data (site independent) such as:
Site data including business objects as:
Site relations data such as Catalog-Site assignments |
| Export | Archiving Instance Data | All instance data comprising all sites and corresponding business objects and global data is exported. |
| Export | Particular Instance Data | Selective site and instance data:
|
| Export/ import | Copying an entire Instance | B2C Commerce customization projects often involve several development teams working in parallel on different development instances. The Site import/export lets them share instance configurations and data across multiple instances. Site import/export lets them save a snapshot (configuration and data) of an instance and restore it on the same or another instance. This feature can also be used for instance configuration versioning. |
| Export/ import | Copying specific site data for testing | When testing new code or troubleshooting a problem, it can be necessary to export data from a production instance to import it on a developer sandbox. However, it isn't desirable to import all of the site's data, either because of the size of the site or because of privacy concerns around customer data. In this case use the export feature to export only the site-specific data you want and import it into your sandbox. |
Granularity: selected sites.
Other information you must know about Site Import/Export:
- The Site Import/Export function in the Business Manager uses standard Business Manager imports/exports for some of its object types; so some XML files use the same schema within Site Export .zip files.
- Site Export also supports some object types excluded from the standard import/export functionality (for example, schedules and site preferences).
- It isn't possible to trigger a Site Import programmatically.
- A catalog and a site can be exported without the static content being included in the resulting archive file. This behavior allows users more granular control over the export process. This behavior is also important because the size of the archive files rapidly exceeds the WebDAV file size limitation when images are included.
- Compatibility of the import/export format is ensured for the same B2C Commerce version only.
- The list of custom cartridges used for Business Manager is supported in the site import/export. The file preferences.xml, which contains global preferences, includes the additional preference identified by the key "CustomCartridges".
- Use the site export function in Business Manager to export a catalog and a site without the static content being included in the resulting archive file. This change provides more granular control over the export process. This change is also important because the size of the archive files rapidly exceeds the WebDAV file size limitation when images are included.
Business Manager Import Location
.
Initial Instance Setup
Configure:
- Initial organization data (site independent) such as:
- Global preferences, such as locales and instance time zones
- Global custom objects
- Schedules
- System object attribute extensions
- Custom object types
- Custom preference type definitions
- Catalogs, price books, and inventory lists
- Site-specific data including business objects, such as:
- Custom objects
- Content library, assets, and images
- Customers and customer groups
- Shipping, tax and payment configuration
- Stores
- Site preferences
- Search configuration
- Source Codes
- Catalog price book and inventory list site assignments
Archiving Data of an Instance
Use Site export to export instance data that consists of all sites and corresponding business objects and global data (except carts, wish lists, and orders).
Pipelets
N/A
Site Export File Consistency in B2C Commerce
The Catalog, Customers, Inventory, and Access Roles site export files are created consistently, exported in sorted order. This behavior makes sure that a diff of XML feeds is guaranteed to reveal data changes and differences. Developers work in a collaborative environment, working with and changing a common site import definition. Thus, exports provide the only way to compare the content of two instances. This topic applies to B2C Commerce.
- The customer file is sorted by address ID in ascending alphabetical order
- The access roles file is sorted in ascending alphabetical order based on the resource path of an access control element. If the resource paths of two access control elements are the same, it then sorts by the permission.
- The Inventory file is sorted in ascending alphabetical order based on product ID.
- The catalog file is sorted by the following rules (in the following order):
| Element | Sort order |
|---|---|
| Categories | Depth-first recursive ordering. Sibling categories are ordered by position. Unsorted categories appear at end of list ordered by name. Example: Root, JA, JB, JC, K, KA, KB, |
| Category refinement definitions | Sorted by position |
| Category refinement bucket definitions | Sorted by position |
| Category product attribute groups | Sorted by position |
| Category product attributes | Sorted by position |
| Category links | Sorted by position |
| Products | Sorted by SKU |
| Product bundled products | Sorted by position |
| Product retail set products | Sorted by position |
| Product product set products | Sorted by position |
| Product options | Sorted by position |
| Product links | Sorted by position |
| Product variation attributes | Sorted by position |
| Product variations | Sorted by position |
| Shared product options | Sorted by ID |
| Shared product option values | Sorted by position |
| Shared variation attributes | Sorted by ID |
| Shared variation attribute values | Sorted by position |
| Category assignments | Ordered by category name, then position (unsorted products at end), then product SKU |
| Recommendations | Ordered by sourcetype, sourceid, targettype, typecode, position |
| For all business objects: Custom attributes | Sorted alphabetically by ID across all attribute groups |
Site Export Archive Structure
Description of the structure on which the .zip file is based. The export process creates this directory structure within the archive. If a selective export with a subset of data is started, a fragmented structure according to the data units selected is created. A site import parses the archive and expects the exact same structure. This topic applies to B2C Commerce.
Preferences.xml
Organization-specific preferences.
Schedules.xml
All schedules.
Meta/
| First level | Second level | Third level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| system-objecttype-extensions.xml | |||
| custom-objecttype-extensions.xml | |||
| custom-objecttype-extensions.xml |
Custom-Objects/
Import processes all import files in this directory; Export generates a file per object type.
Catalogs/
Root directory for all catalog data files.
| First level | Second level | Third level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| my_catalog_1/ | Root directory for all data related to a specific catalog. Export uses the catalog ID as the directory name. Import processes any subdirectory of catalogs/. | ||
| catalog.xml | Data file for the catalog. Export uses the catalog ID as the file name. Import can handle any file name (catalog ID is specified in the file). | ||
| my_catalog_2/ | |||
| catalog.xml | |||
| static/ |
Inventory-Lists/
Root directory for all inventory lists.
| First Level | Second Level | Third Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| inventory_list_A.xml | |||
| inventory_list_B.xml |
Price Books/
| First Level | Second Level | Third Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| my_pricebook_1.xml | |||
| my_pricebook_2.xml |
Static/
Directory contains all organization static files
Sites/
All site directories
| First Level | Second Level | Third Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| my_site_1/ | |||
| site.xml | Site definition | ||
| preferences.xml | Site settings | ||
| promotions.xml | Campaign and promotions. See Promotion and Campaign Object Import and Export in B2C Commerce for more information. | ||
| tax.xml | Site tax table | ||
| shipping.xml | Site shopping methods and costs | ||
| custom-objects/ | Import processes all import files in this directory. Export generates a file per object type. | ||
| library/ | Content library of the site | ||
| library.xml | |||
| static/ | |||
| customers.xml | All site customers | ||
| customer-groups.xml | All site customer groups | ||
| source-codes.xml | Source-code definitions for the site | ||
| search.xml | Search settings: synonyms, stopwords, | ||
| payment-processors.xml | Configuration of standard payment processors and definition of custom payment processors. | ||
| stores.xml | All stores of the site | ||
| my_site_2/ | The structure is similar for all additional sites. |
Use Site Import/Export to Import Reference Application Demo Sites in B2C Commerce
Import B2C Commerce reference application demo sites into a sandbox. Demo sites are prebuilt and enable you to explore storefront functionality. Unlike custom sites, demo sites don’t need to be exported from other instances. They can be immediately imported into sandboxes. This topic applies to B2C Commerce.
There are two demo sites:
- Storefront Reference Architecture (SFRA) Demo Sites: When you import an SFRA demo site,
Business Manager shows a list of available demo configurations. Each demo configuration
is a combination of site data and feature code that you can import into the sandbox. To
select the demo configuration that you want, read the descriptions provided in the list.
When you import a demo configuration, Business Manager:
- Imports the configuration's site data into your sandbox.
- Uploads the configuration’s cartridges and code into a unique code version directory.
- Automatically activates the code version directory. (Each configuration has its own unique code version directory.)
- Search indexes are automatically updated.
- SiteGenesis (SGJC) Demo Site: When you import the SGJC demo site, Business Manager imports the site data only. You upload code separately. Search indexes aren’t automatically updated.
