Administrators can export an update set as an XML file to save a specific version of
an application or set of changes.
Typically you create an XML file of an update set when one of the following
conditions apply:
- The two instances do not have network connectivity so you cannot retrieve
update sets from the remote instance nor create a data source to pull, or
import, data directly from the source instance.
- You do not want to provide administrator credentials to the source instance
(for example, you do not want to share an administrator password with people
outside your company) so you cannot retrieve update sets nor create a data
source.
- You want to back up important customizations locally.
The ability to export and import customizations as an XML file is provided by the
following UI Actions:
- Export to XML on the Update Set [sys_update_set]
table.
- Export to XML on the Retrieved Update Set
[sys_remote_update_set] table.
- Import Update Set from XML on the Retrieved Update
Set [sys_remote_update_set] table.
The Export to XML UI Action on Update Set [sys_update_set]
table calls a processor called UnloadRetrievedUpdateSet, which
transforms a local update set into a retrieved update set, exports the retrieved
update set with its related list, and then deletes the temporary update set, if
necessary.
Both Export to XML UI actions depend on the script include
ExportWithRelatedLists, which exports a record and manually
defined related lists to a single XML file.