import and export ZIP archives from a command line in Pega PRPC 7

This article describes how to call Java classes in the Process Commander application libraries to programmatically export and import Process Commander class instances from and to Process Commander databases.

• The Export command writes the specified class instances from a source PegaRULES database to a ZIP file in a binary format or as XML.
• The Import command takes the ZIP file as input and writes the exported class instances to a target system PegaRULES database.You can specify the class instances by RuleSet name and version, by class name with or without descendants, or bypzInsKey key values.
  
  

Note : The source Process Commander system must be V5.2 or later, and the destination Process Commander system must have the same or a later version than the source system.

The following diagram shows a conceptual view of the components involved in the process:

n this diagram, the two Process Commander systems and a third computer executing the script are distinct. In practice, however, this operation can involve one, two, or three computers, or more if each Process Commander system uses a separate computer to host its PegaRULES database. The operation always involves two prconfig.xml files, one identifying the source PegaRULES database (containing the rules to be migrated), and the second identifying the target PegaRULES database.
Note that the Export and Import calls operate directly on the Process Commander databases, independent of the Process Commander applications. The transfer can even occur when the Process Commander application and its server are not in operation; however, the database servers must be running.
To complete this process:

1. Configure a Java JVM environment with access to the Process Commander engine JAR files and the appropriate database driver files.
2. Copy or create prconfig.xml files that specify the location and database access information for the source and target databases.
3. Call the Export method specifying the RuleSets or classes you want to move, and the ZIP file name to use.The Export method creates a Process Commander import archive file with the specified components from the source database.
4. Call the Import method specifying the name of the ZIP file and other database options.The Import method loads the database components in the import archive file into the target database.

Details on these steps are given below.
An example of an Apache Ant script calling these classes is provided below, but you could apply the same method to any scripting language. For example, you can create a Unix shell script to migrate a RuleSet version OurFinance:02-05-15 from a development system (labelled SOURCE in the diagram) to a unit testing system (labelled Target).
Important: This functionality does not duplicate the Product wizard. If you are moving entire Rule-Applications you should use the Import and Export Archive (formerly RulesMove) facility. When calling the Export method, you must specify exactly which RuleSets and/or classes you want to move. Before using these methods, be sure you understand RuleSets and RuleSet archives.