Importing resources, processes, and events to applications

Import legacy processes, resources, and events to add them to applications in the Applications view. For each legacy item, a corresponding asset is created in a target application.

The following rules apply when importing legacy items to applications:

  • You can import only one version of a process to an application version. If you wish to import multiple versions of a process, see Importing multiple versions of a process for more information.

  • You can import a process, resource, or event to multiple applications to create multiple copies.

  • Applications can include either legacy items or assets created using LiveCycle ES4. Do not place both legacy items and LiveCycle ES4 assets in the same application.

  • In an application, process names must be unique. If the process you are importing has the same name of an existing process, even if their deployment IDs are different, the import operation fails.

  • In an application, Deployment IDs of processes must be unique. If the process you are importing has a different name but the same Deployment ID of an existing process, the import operation fails.

Application names and folder names have the following restrictions:

  • Names can have a maximum length of 40 characters.

  • The total number of characters in the path of an asset cannot exceed 256.

  • Names cannot include control characters (characters that have an ASCII value that is less than 32).

  • Names cannot include any of the following characters: "/", "\", "+", "$", "?", "*", ":", "|", "<", ">", ",", and the tab key.

If your legacy resources use a folder structure that conflicts with these restrictions, modify the folder structure before importing. Not adhering to these restrictions can cause resources to be inaccessible.

You can import legacy items from the run-time environment, the file system, and LiveCycle 8.x archives.

Check in imported items to save them on the LiveCycle Server. (SeeDeveloping applications in a multi-developer environment.)

    Importing multiple versions of a process

    Workbench does not allow you to import multiple versions of a legacy process simultaneously. If you wish to import multiple versions of a process:

    1. Create a new application to import the process.

    2. Import any one version of the process at a time.

    3. Reset its deployment ID. When you reset the deployment ID, the legacy process is converted to a LiveCycle ES4 compatible process. See Breaking the link to existing run-time instances for more information.

    4. Repeat the steps 1 to 3 for each version of the process you wish to import.

    Importing from the run-time environment

    Import legacy items from the run-time environment to create representations of them in the Applications view. The resultant application assets are directly linked to the instances in the run-time environment.

    Typically, you import legacy items from the run-time environment to edit them. For example, to edit a process version that exists in the run-time environment, import it to an application and then open it. (See Maintaining legacy run-time instances.)

    After importing, the locations in the run-time environment do not change. Consequently, references between imported items are persisted regardless of which application they belong to. Therefore, legacy applications continue to execute successfully.

    Note: Create applications before importing legacy items. (See Adding and removing applications.)

    Import legacy items from the run-time environment:

    1. Click File > Import.

    2. Under LiveCycle Runtime Content, select Event, Process, or Resource, depending on the type of item you are importing, and then click Next.

    3. Select the event types, resources, or process versions to import:

      • Events: Select one or more event types. To select multiple event types, expand the event categories and Ctrl+click.

      • Processes: Select one or more process versions. To select multiple process versions, expand the process groups and processes and then Ctrl+click.

      • Resources: Select resources or resource folders. If you select a folder, the entire contents, including subfolders and resources, are imported. Ctrl+click to select multiple folders or resources.

      Note: Do not import or upgrade pre populated system processes that are provided with Workbench. For example, Process Management Email (system).

    4. In the Enter Or Select Import Location box, specify the target location for the selected items, and then click Finish.

    Importing from the file system

    Import LiveCycle 8.x items from the file system when you want to use them in LiveCycle ES4 applications. For example, import processes that you exported to XML files from the LiveCycle 8.x environment.

    You can import individual files or entire folders. You can also duplicate the file structure on the file system in the application.

    After you import files with long file structures, verify that the path does not exceed the 256-character limit. When the imported file has a resulting path in the application that exceeds the 256-character limit, the item is inaccessible from Workbench.

    Note: Create applications before importing legacy items. (See Adding and removing applications.)

    Import from the file system:

    1. Click File > Import.

    2. Click General > File System and then click Next.

    3. Browse for the folder that contains the file to import.

      Note: If you import a file that is in a subfolder of the folder you select, the subfolder is also created in the application.

    4. Select entire folders or individual files to import.

      You can select files from multiple folders.

    5. Click the Browse button next to the Into Folder box and select the application folder to contain the files.

      To see only the file types that you are interested in, click Filter Types and select those file types.

    6. To replace assets in the application that have the same name and location as the items that you are importing, select Overwrite Existing Resources Without Warning. If you do not select this option, you decide whether to replace same-named files when they are being imported.

    7. Duplicate the folder structure of the file you are importing, including all folders to the root of the file system. Select Create Complete Folder Structure, and then click Finish.

    Exporting files referenced by literal values

    Workbench does not support literal values locally referencing files from the file system; outgoing file references can only be made to files stored in the LiveCycle Server. However, if your legacy LiveCycle 8.x process uses literal values that locally reference files from the file system, Workbench allows you to export these files to the server after upgrading your process:

    1. Use the Upgrade ES Artifacts tool to upgrade the LiveCycle 8.x process. For more information, see Upgrading legacy artifacts.

    2. Check out and open the process in the process designer.

    3. In the Process Properties View, navigate to the literal value and click the button.

    4. Specify a location on the server for the file to be exported. You could also create a new folder by clicking New Folder.

    5. Click Ok to finish exporting the file.

    Importing from LiveCycle 8.x archive files

    To import items from LiveCycle 8.x archive files (that were created using LiveCycle ES), first import the archive files into LiveCycle ES4 using Administration Console. After importing, the items in the LiveCycle ES archive file appear in the Processes, Resources, and Events views as they did in the original LiveCycle ES environment. For example, process versions appear in the same process group in the Processes view.

    Note: If the root of the path of imported resources is Applications, the imported resources do not appear in the Resources view. For example, an LiveCycle ES archive file contains the resources from the Application/LoanApplication folder. When this LiveCycle ES archive file is imported, the contents do not appear in the Resources view.

    Create applications before importing legacy items. (See Adding and removing applications.)

    Legacy LCA files that include service configurations

    In LiveCycle ES, when processes used services that were configured using the Components view, LiveCycle ES archive files included the service configuration. These service configurations cause problems when they are imported into LiveCycle ES4 environments. When you preview archive contents when importing into LiveCycle ES4, deselect any service configurations for service components.

    For example, a LiveCycle ES process uses the LDAP service. The connection properties for the LDAP service were configured using the Components view. When the process is packaged in a LiveCycle ES archive, the archive includes the service configuration. When imported, the service configuration is appears as ServiceConfiguration_LDAPService in the preview. This item should be deselected before importing into LiveCycle ES4.

    View full size graphic
    Note: Do not deselect service configurations for process services.

    Import legacy items from LiveCycle ES archive files:

    1. Use Administration Console to import the LiveCycle ES archive files. (See Import and manage LiveCycle 8.x archives.)

    2. In Workbench, open the Processes view and refresh the view. Refreshing causes any processes that were imported from the LCA file to appear.

    3. Open the Events view and refresh the view. Refreshing causes any event types that were imported from the LCA file to appear.

    4. Import the items that the LiveCycle ES archive file contained from their run-time location. (See Importing from the run-time environment.)

    Note: Refresh the Applications view to see the imported items.
    Note: Importing a LiveCycle archive file where the application contains a folder named components fails. To resolve this issue, rename the folder in the LiveCycle application to another name other than components, recreate the archive file, and reimport the file to the LiveCycle Server.

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