Importing and exporting configurations

[Firmware refresh Version 2.1.0.3 and later] When you configure a new appliance, you can export and store the configuration settings for that appliance, including data grid users and groups and LDAP configuration settings. Later, if changes occur that require you to remove or reinstall the appliance, you can import the stored configuration data without losing any configuration settings.

Before you begin

To import or export configurations, you must first configure your appliance environment with data grids, users or groups, and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) information. For more information, see Configuring your appliance.

About this task

You might need to import and export configuration data if errors occur that require you to remove an appliance from a collective, or reinstall an appliance in a stand-alone environment. As an administrator, you set up appliances, which requires you to create data grid users and groups and LDAP configuration settings. After you complete this setup, you can preserve this information by exporting these configurations to a file. Then, you can use that exported file later to import the exported configuration information back into the appliance. You can import and export the following configuration information:

For example, you can export configuration information from an appliance. When you want to import configuration, remove one appliance from the collective. Then, use the import function to recover the configuration that appliance. You can then remove your other appliances from the old collective and add them to the new collective with the imported configuration. As a result, all of your appliances in the collective are using the new configuration.

Procedure

  1. Export your configuration information to a file that you can use later. For example, export to the file, exportconfig.json. Use the command-line interface, and run the config command, followed by a list of possible parameters; for example:
    config <export> -file exportconfig.json -silent
    In the previous example, the -silent parameter is optional. Specifying -silent flag removes configuration status messages from displaying to screen, since these messages are displayed by default.
    For stand-alone environments: If you are using a stand-alone appliance, complete steps 1 and 4, which include the following config command syntax for importing and exporting configurations:
    config <import|export> -file <filename> [-silent]

    The config export command accepts parameters with a value of 0 as well. In that, the command runs an archived export, which you cannot specify using the -file flag.

    For command usage information, type config usage.

  2. When you want to import the configuration that you exported, remove the appliance from the collective.
  3. Import the exportconfig.json file that you created in the first step. Use the command-line interface, and run the config command, followed by a list of possible parameters; for example:
    config <import> -file exportconfig.json -silent
    In the previous example, the -silent parameter is optional. Specifying -silent flag removes configuration status messages from displaying to screen, since these messages are displayed by default.
  4. Create a new collective with that appliance as the principle.
  5. Add other appliances back into the new collective, one at a time.