Backup & Restore

Note  Backup & Restore is available only to users who belong to the fmesuperuser security role.

Use the Backup & Restore tools to perform the following:

  • Back up the configuration of a current instance of FME Flow 2014 or later.
  • Restore a backed-up FME Flow configuration to an instance of FME Flow that is of the same or later version.
  • View your history of backup and restore activity.

For more information about backup and restore of FME Flow configurations, see Upgrading FME Flow.

FME Flow Hosted Users: The tools on the Backup & Restore page of the Web User Interface do not allow you to perform a full restore of an FME Flow instance, including FME Flow data and the PostGIS database. To perform a backup and restore operation of an FME Flow Hosted instance, launch a new instance from a backup snapshot using the tools on the FME Flow Hosted Dashboard and the FME Flow Hosted Snapshots page. For more information, see Working with Backups in the FME Flow Hosted documentation.

Performing a Backup and Restore

Warning  If System Encryption is Standard (default) on the FME Flow that is backed up, it must also be Standard on the FME Flow that is restored, and use the same custom encryption key. Before proceeding, ensure your custom encryption key is downloaded and safely saved.

What FME Flow Components Are Migrated?

When you perform a backup and restore operation of an FME Flow configuration, the following components of your FME Flow are migrated:

  • Automations workflows
    • Note  The Retry settings of actions and external actions are restored to FME Flow default settings.
  • Notifications components, including Topics, Subscriptions, and Publications
  • Streams
  • Flow Apps, including workspace apps gallery apps.
  • Schedules
  • Repositories and the items stored in them, including workspaces, custom transformers, custom formats, templates, and resources. Any designations by users of a repository item as a 'favorite' are also migrated.
    • Warning  If Version Control is enabled, previous versions of repository files are not migrated. To access previous versions of repository files, version control must be configured with a remote Git repository prior to a backup and restore operation. Alternatively, you can view all versions from the Repositories page (History) prior to migration, and download them as desired.
  • Performance metrics for workspaces and schedules.
    • Note  Run a Workspace automations action Job Statistics are not migrated.
  • Projects
  • Deployment Parameter Store
  • Resources, which include the following:
    • Resources whose definitions and files are both stored with FME Flow, and are configured for migration. By default, the DATA, ENGINE, and DASHBOARD Resources are configured for migration. To determine if your resource folders are migratable, open the fmeFlowConfig.txt configuration file. Locate your resources under FME SERVER SETTINGS START > Shared Resource Management. Resources with a SHAREDRESOURCE_ISMIGRATABLE_* value of true are migrated.
      • Note  Resource folders containing large amounts of data require considerable time to back up, and result in large configuration files. We recommend defining large folders as non-migratable. Following backup and restore, manually migrate these folders to the new FME Flow. Alternatively, host big data on a UNC path, then point the new FME Flow to that path. For more information about configuring resource directories, see Resources.
      Note  FME Packages are stored in the ENGINE folder and, therefore, are migrated by default.
    • Resource connections whose definitions only are stored with FME Flow, but whose files are stored outside FME Flow. These definitions include any Amazon Web Service (AWS) S3 bucket or network (UNC path) connections that are defined. Only connection definitions are migrated (such as bucket names and authentication parameters), as the files themselves are not stored on FME Flow.
  • Database Connections and Web Connections
  • User Management configuration, including Users, Roles, tokens, and Authentication Services settings.
    • Note  To enable single sign-on (if configured) following migration, you must Update the Tomcat Properties File, if applicable. Additionally, if you restore to a new machine, you must: a) Assign a service principal name (SPN); and b) Register the SPN to a service account. For more information, see Updating the Windows Domain Configuration.
  • System Configuration settings, as follows:
  • Queue Control mechanisms, including queues, job routing rules, engine assignment rules, and Active Periods.
  • Your user preferences

Of note, the following components are not migrated as part of a backup and restore operation:

  • Remote Engine Services
  • FME Job Logs: To preserve job history, see Preserving FME Flow Job History with Upgrade in the FME Community. Do not import old job logs into your new or upgraded instance.
  • Job IDs: Job IDs start from 0 on a new installation.
  • Version Control: If the FME Flow you are backing up has Version Control enabled, the versioning metadata is not migrated. If versioning is important, keep this information in a remote repository such as GitHub.
  • HTTPS Configuration: Changes to configuration files, including references to certificates and keystores, are not preserved.
  • Other changes to FME Flow Configuration Files.
  • Any customization to Apache Tomcat or other web application server.
  • Licensing: Serial codes can be reused; however, licensing must be re-applied.
  • Proxy configurations.
  • Custom certificates installed for Java- or Python-based transformers or formats.
  • Custom JMS files, such as Tibco, Solent, or Rabbit MQ. FME Engine and FME Core files such as these are stored in <FMEFlowDir>\Server\fme\plugins and <FMEFlowDir>\Server\lib\jms, respectively. Any libraries that are added to the <FMEFlowDir> installation path are not backed up and must be copied manually to the restored install path.
  • Warning  If System Encryption is Standard (default) on the FME Flow that is backed up, it must also be Standard on the FME Flow that is restored, and use the same custom encryption key. Before proceeding, ensure your custom encryption key is downloaded and safely saved.

See Also