Restore databases from exported XML files

You can restore a database that has been exported to XML by importing objects from the XML file.

You can also import PI AF objects with a command line utility. See Learn about the AF Import utility.

Avoid the Allow Update option when importing objects with duplicate names, such as event frames, into an empty PI AF database. Otherwise, problems can occur. However, you may then receive a message that objects, such as units of measure, already exist on the PI AF server. The import does not attempt to make any changes to existing objects, which means that if there are differences between objects' properties in the XML file and the destination system, they are not resolved.

1. Click File > Import from File.

2. In the Import from File window, select the XML file that contains the data and select the appropriate options.

   Import option	Description
   Allow Create	Allows new objects to be created. If you want to update existing items, clear this option to prevent accidental creation of new objects.
   Allow Update	Allows existing objects to be updated. If you only want to add new items, clear this option to prevent existing objects from being accidentally overwritten.
   Automatic Check In	Allows the import operation to automatically check in objects as the import proceeds. This reduces the maximum memory requirements of the operation. Use this option when you are importing a large number of objects.
   Create or Update PI Points	Causes any attributes with a PI point configuration specified in the XML file to be updated if they already exist, or created if they do not exist. This option invokes the appropriate Data Reference CreateConfig option, which creates or updates PI points, as well as resolving their substitution parameters and setting server and point IDs. The performance of the import operation is negatively affected when this option is selected. Note: PI points are not created unless the Tag Creation check box is selected in the PI Point Data Reference window.
   Preserve Unique IDs	Retains any unique IDs that exist in the source XML. This option is only valid when the Allow Create and Automatic Check In options are also selected. The performance of the import operation is negatively affected when this option is selected. There is no guarantee that PI AF will preserve unique IDs of attributes derived from templates because unique IDs of such attributes are generated based on the template's unique ID. Note: Because PI AF servers maintain a cache of rowids to ids, the import with Preserve Unique IDs option affects load-balanced PI AF servers differently from non-load balanced PI AF servers. In a non-load balanced scenario, removed items will cause the cache of rowids to ids to be updated. However, in a load-balanced scenario, the non-connected server will need to be restarted to have the cache updated after items are removed, and before the import with Preserve Unique IDs option is used to restore items to the same system.
   Disable New Analyses and Notifications	When enabled (the default), any new analyses or notifications that are created by the import are disabled by the import, regardless of the value of the Enabled property on the analysis or notification. The Status settings in the XML for existing analyses and notifications are ignored and they are not modified when the option is selected.