You can use the Import and Export features to make a duplicate of a database item and insert the duplicate into another database. This is useful on multi-site systems, where those systems are not connected together, as it allows similar configurations to be duplicated between sites. (If your systems are connected together, you can simply copy and paste items between systems (see Copying a Database Item).
Example:
You might have a multi-site installation where the individual ClearSCADA systems are not connected. However, you want to have the same configuration on each system. You could create a template configuration on one ClearSCADA system, export that configuration and then import it into the other systems. This would help to reduce the time it takes to set up and maintain large systems. It also helps to ensure that multiple systems have the same configuration.
You can import and export any database item.
When you import and export a Group, Group Template, or Group Instance:
- You also import and export the items within the selected Group, Group Template, or Group Instance. For example, if you export a Group Template, you also export the database items within the Group Template.
- If you intend importing Group Templates and Group Instances separately, you need to import the relevant Group Template before you import a Group Instance.
If you import a Group Instance before you have imported the Group Template, the Group Instance will lose its association with the Group Template.
You can export any part of the database configuration to an older version of ClearSCADA if required (useful if some servers are running older versions of ClearSCADA to other servers on multi-site systems). The ability to export to an older version of ClearSCADA only applies to database configuration, which is exported as an .sde export file. When exporting to an older version of ClearSCADA, ensure that the correct older version is specified for the export file—you can only import an .sde file into a version of ClearSCADA that is identical to, or newer than the version of ClearSCADA specified for the .sde.