Content Packs › Export Content Packs

Export Content Packs

You create content packs to record (export) customizations so that you can reuse them in another implementation. For example, consider a test-to-production migration: You can reuse customizations by exporting a content pack on the test system and importing it on the production system. Using content packs provides greater efficiency and accuracy than repeating multiple customization processes manually.

Follow these steps:

1. Decide and record the objects that you want to include in the content pack.

   You can include any or all of the following categories:

   • API plug-ins
   • CA Process Automation processes
   • Events, including rules, and actions
   • Form Designer forms
   • Policies
   • Report data objects
   • Services, including service hours and request SLAs
2. For each category that you select, decide and record which objects to include. You can do the following for each category. The ant command guides you through the selection process.
   • Include all objects in your implementation; that is, all objects in all business units (domains)
   • Include all objects from one or more specific business units only
   • Include only the objects that you specify by object names, for example, in a comma-separated list
   • Include only the objects that you specify by object-specific criteria

     For example, for services, you can specify date last modified.

   Note: Events, rules, actions, and report data objects (including API plug-ins) are not specific to any business units. That is, they always apply to all business units.

3. On the source computer, select Start, Programs, CA, CA Service Catalog, Service Catalog Command Prompt.

   The CA Service Catalog command prompt opens.

4. Run the following command at this command prompt:

   ant create-contentpack
   

   The Catalog system creates the folder structure for the content pack.

   The Catalog system also prompts you to specify the following:

   • Basic identification data for the content pack, such as name, author, description, and so forth.
   • The message with which to prompt the user during import.
5. Answer the prompts.

   Note: We recommend that you name the folder to include the name, version, and locale (language) of the content pack.

   The ant command creates the content pack folder named %USM_HOME%\FileStore\contentpacks\folder-name.

   This folder includes the contentpack.properties file. This file stores the identification data for the content pack.

   This folder also contains several subfolders, including the following and others:

   • Events
   • Forms
   • Policies
   • Reports
   • Services

   If applicable, you populate these subfolders later in this procedure.

6. Answer the prompt about whether to export the objects into this content pack now or later, as follows:
   • If you specify Yes, skip to the next step.
   • If you specify No, run the following command on the source computer when you are ready:

     ant export-to-contentpack 
     

7. Answer the prompts about which objects to export, and their attributes. Use your answers to Steps 1 and 2 for reference.

   The ant command does the following:

   • Creates an XML file for each object that you specified, using the attributes that you specified
   • In most cases, copies the XML file to the appropriate subfolder

   For example, if you exported services, the ant command does the following:

   • Creates a services.xml file using the attributes that you specified
   • Copies the services.xml file to the Services subfolder of the content pack folder

   The ant command copies some (but not all) categories of objects to their subfolders. Therefore, you copy the remaining categories of objects to their folders manually, as explained in the next step.

8. When prompted, copy the objects that you want to include (if any) to the following subfolders of the content pack folder depicted in Step 4:

   Processes

   Stores CA Process Automation processes.

   Images\Offerings

   Stores images for the services that you have included the Services subfolder.

   Images\RatePlans

   Stores images for the service option groups that you have included in the Services subfolder.

   Prescripts

   Stores custom scripts to run before you import the content pack. Examples include scripts that unzip files required for the import or scripts that display critical information.

   Postscripts

   Stores custom scripts to run after you import the content pack. Examples include scripts that load data into the Catalog system or that prompt the user for configuration specifications.

   Plugins

   Stores custom API plug-ins.

You have created the content pack on the source computer. You are now ready to import it on the target computer.