Using Siebel Tools > Working with Archive Files >

About Archive Files

You can export objects from the repository to an archive (SIF) file and then import objects from the archive file back into the repository. Use archive files when you want to back up sets of objects or move sets of objects to another environment that shares the same physical database schema as the source environment.

Archive files are database-independent because they only represent repository information. You can use them to exchange repository data between environments with different database platforms, including local and server databases, as long as the databases have the same schema.

You can include individual objects or entire projects in archive files.

Archive files can be controlled by source-control software. When importing objects from an archive file, you can specify conflict resolution rules at the object level, directing Siebel Tools to ignore an imported object, replace an existing object with an imported one, or merge the two on a property-by-property basis.

If you need to back up or move the entire repository to another environment, see About Exporting and Importing Repositories.

SIF files are written in XML format. Their structure is a hierarchy of the objects archived, listing all of their properties and including any associated scripts: Repository > Project > Object > Child Objects. An excerpt from a SIF file generated by adding objects to a hot-fix is given below (see Exporting Objects to a Hot-Fix).

<REPOSITORY

NAME="Siebel Repository"

... >

<PROJECT

...

NAME="Account (SSE)"

... >

<APPLET

ASSOCIATE_APPLET="Account Assoc Applet"

BUSINESS_COMPONENT="Account"

CLASS="CSSFrameListBase"

...

NAME="Account List Applet"

... >

<APPLET_METHOD_MENU_ITEM

... >

</APPLET_METHOD_MENU_ITEM>

...

</APPLET>

<BUSINESS_COMPONENT

CACHE_DATA="N"

CLASS="CSSBusComp"

... >

</BUSINESS_COMPONENT>

...

</PROJECT>

</REPOSITORY>