SSUI Environments - Refresh Configuration Tab

The 'Refresh configuration' tab is available only for Sandbox environments and enables users to update with both configuration and sample data from Production and Pre-Production environments. The 'Refresh configuration' tab allows uploading import files and information about the latest import process.

Files Available for Import

The 'Files available for import' table displays STEPXML files that have been uploaded to the storage account associated with your environments.

Latest Import Process

The 'Latest import process' table displays data and metadata relevant to the last import as follows:

  • Process ID — An auto-generated ID assigned to the import; the ID is used by Stibo Systems Support for resolving issues.

  • State — Indicates if the import process is queued, running, or has been completed. When available, click the link to review details about the process.

  • Started — Date-time stamp when the process was started.

  • File — The name of the import file selected from the 'Files available for import' table directly above.

  • STEP BGP ID — The ID of the STEP background process handling the import.

  • Errors — The number of errors detected during the import. For additional information on errors detected, log into the STEP Workbench of the environment and find the relevant background process based on the STEP BGP ID.

  • Warnings — The number of warnings detected during the import. For additional information on warnings detected, log into the STEP Workbench of the environment and find the relevant background process based on the STEP BGP ID.

  • Abort — If active, a blue 'X' button displays in the cell and allows users to cancel an in-process import. This option is used primarily if the process is running too long or if the wrong file was selected from the 'Files available for import' table.

Publishing configuration and sample data

The configuration and sample data used to refresh an existing environment must be contained within STEPXML files published from other STEP environments (for example, from Production or Pre-Production environments). Those STEPXML files must be uploaded to a storage account that is associated with the environments. Files in the storage account are listed in the 'Files available for import' table on the 'Refresh configuration' tab and can be selected for import.

Prerequisites

To publish configuration and sample data from a STEP environment, download the required STEPXML file that holds the base configuration: 10.1-Mp3-Plus-Export-Setup.xml

This STEPXML file contains:

  • a gateway integration endpoint that is preconfigured to use the storage account associated with your environments with ID: ABS-STEP-Configuration

  • an example export configuration designed to deliver configuration data to the storage with ID: SaaS-Configuration-Export-2

  • an example export configuration designed to deliver sample product data template to the storage with ID: SaaS-ProductDataSample-Export-2

    Note: STEPXML files larger than 2GB cannot be handled on the 'Refresh configuration' tab.

Configuration for Publishing

To configure your STEP environment to publish configuration and sample data:

  1. Save the downloaded STEPXML file locally.

  2. Confirm that the desired target environment includes a context with the ID 'Context1.' If it does not, open the STEPXML file in a text editor and change the value of the 'STEP-ProductInformation' element attribute 'ContextID' from 'Context1' to the ID of a context that exists on your target environment ('Context1' is an often-used ID for a default context in STEP systems). Because these processes are cross-context, any context can be selected.

  3. Confirm that the desired target environment includes a setup group with the ID 'GatewayIntegrationEndpoints' for which gateway integration endpoints are valid. If the desired target environment does not include this setup group, edit the STEPXML file and change the value of the 'SetupGroupLink' element attribute 'SetupGroupID' to the ID of a setup group that can hold gateway integration endpoints.

  4. Confirm that the desired target environment has a classification with the ID 'stibo.EMConfigFolder.' If it does not, edit the STEPXML file and for both 'ExportConfiguration' elements, change the value of the nested 'ClassificationReference' element 'ClassificationID' attribute to the ID of the classification that should be used for holding the export configurations.

  5. Import the STEPXML file on the desired target environment.

  6. Log into the STEP instance on the target environment and verify that the three objects are created.

  7. Enable the imported 'ABS-STEP-Configuration' gateway integration endpoint.

For more information about the 'STEPXML Configuration Export' format plugin used by the 'SaaS-Configuration-Export-2' export configuration, refer to the STEPXML Configuration Export Format topic in the Data Exchange documentation.

For information about how to use and configure the 'SaaS-ProductDataSample-Export-2' export configuration template, refer to the Configuration Management topic in the Configuration Management documentation.

Note: When transferring asset sample data via the Refresh configuration tab, binary asset data (e.g., images) should not be included in the STEPXML files exported to blob storage. References to asset content will automatically be transferred between environments with the STEPXML asset metadata.

Importing Configuration and Sample Data

The 'Files available for import' table on the 'Refresh configuration' tab lists the STEPXML files that have been published to the storage account associated with your environments.

Important: The 'Import' option requires that the user ID used to log into the SaaS SSUI is also a valid user ID in STEP. Because changes in STEP will be made using this user account, it must be possible to access STEP using the same user ID. If different user credentials are required to access the SaaS SSUI, first create a STEP user account using the same user ID (e.g., customer-selfservice-01) on the target environment.

To import a file on a Sandbox environment, select the desired row from the table and click the relevant option.

The 'Import' option replaces the data and configuration already in the STEP database.

On the 'Confirm import process' dialog, click 'Cancel' to stop the process or click 'Import' to proceed. On the 'Import started' dialog, click 'Close'. The selected file is transferred to the STEP environment, and the import is initiated. Monitor the import process in the 'Latest Import Process' table.

Note: If the Sandbox environment being refreshed is on configuration-management add-on component version 7.0.15 (or a newer version), the import workspace is automatically set to 'Main' regardless of the workspace used when the file was exported.

The 'System reset and import' option resets the STEP environment to an empty state before the import is initiated. This means that:

  • Prior to the start of the import, all existing product and configuration data in the STEP database are deleted and cannot be recovered.

  • Upon completion of the import, only the imported data and configuration information are present.

  • Because this process results in the STEPXML file being imported into an empty STEP environment, the import context will automatically be set to 'Context1' and the workspace to 'Main,' regardless of the context and workspace set at the time the file was exported.

Monitor the import process in the 'Latest Import Process' table.

Note: Only use the 'System reset and import' option if an identity provider (IDP) integration with user synchronization enabled is configured for the Sandbox environment, or alternatively with a custom import file that creates the required user accounts (for further information, refer to the 'Uploading Custom Import Files' section below). Additionally, when the Sandbox environment is using integration with an identity provider, the file imported using this option must contain the STEP user group and privilege setup required to synchronize users. If not, an unintended outcome may be that users will have no ability to access the updated STEP environment as their login information will have been deleted during the reset portion of the 'System reset and import' process.

Uploading Custom Import Files

The option to upload a custom STEPXML file for import can be used for multiple purposes, for example:

  • To modify a file that was exported from a STEP environment.

  • In combination with the 'System reset and import' option, to reset a Sandbox environment to an empty state while still retaining access. This can also be used to pre-import actions that are required on the empty Sandbox environment to ensure a copy of the schema and partial data from another environment can be imported successfully.

  • To facilitate the process for fully refreshing a Sandbox environment and import a copy of the schema and partial data of another environment when no identity provider (IDP) integration with user synchronization enabled is configured for the Sandbox environment.

  • To allow creation of a STEP user account with the same ID as the user account that is used to access the SaaS SSUI, as such an account is required to exist before the 'Import' option can be used.

To create and upload a file that can be used for user account creation, follow the steps below:

  1. Download this STEPXML file to your local disk: STEPXML_User_Account_Creation.xml

  2. Open the file in a text editor and make the following changes:

    • If import of the file is required on an environment that is not empty, ensure that the 'contextID' value in the 'STEP-ProductInformation' element contains a valid context ID.

    • Adjust the ID value of the User element (CUSTOMER-SELFSERVICE-01 in example file) to match the SaaS SSUI user ID.

    • By default, user object passwords in STEPXML imports are ignored, and must be set to a known value through the user interface in the STEP Workbench in systems running 2023.3 or later. It is not required that this password matches the one that is used for accessing the SaaS SSUI.

    • Adjust the Name element value (CUSTOMER-SELFSERVICE-01 in example file) as required.

    • Add additional user accounts that are required and assign the new user accounts to pre-existing user groups as needed.

  3. Save the file and upload it using the 'Upload file' button below the 'Files available for import' table.

  4. Select the uploaded file from the table and click either 'Import' or 'System reset and import.'