Export Objects and Files

The Objects and Files tab lets you to change settings for exporting object and file content.

Important: When you export objects, make sure that the target vault does not refer to the same external repositories as the source vault. Vaults that refer to the same repositories can cause duplicate objects in the target vault.

Export existing objects

Use a search filter

By using a filter, you can specify which existing objects you want to export. For example, you can export certain objects by object type or property. In particular, when publishing certain documents, such as brochures or press releases, for interest groups only, you can use the search filter for the publication when, for example, the requirement of a certain class or property is met.

If a previously exported object is no longer part of the export set, mark it to be destroyed in the target vault

By enabling this setting, any of the objects that were included in an earlier export set but are not in the current one will be deleted in the target vault upon import. If you wish to delete for example certain price lists from a vault designed for partner use, you need to make sure that this setting has been enabled and that the price lists do not fit the criteria of the export set.

Note: The setting is job-based and applies only for scheduled export and import jobs.
Note: The setting Do not import object destructions in the properties of the import job overrides this setting.

Include latest versions only

You can choose to export only the latest versions of the selected objects for archiving. Older versions of the selected objects will not be archived.

Save files also in PDF/A-1b format

You can indicate whether you also want to save the files in PDF/A-1b format when archiving them. PDF/A-1b format complies with the standard ISO 19005-1:2005, on the long-term preservation of electronic documents.

Saving in PDF/A-1b format is possible with Office files and standard PDF files. Files in PDF/A-1b format are not imported during import. Saving in PDF/A-1b format slows down the export to some extent.

Clear Archiving Marker

If you have chosen to export objects with the Marked for archiving property defined, you can indicate that the property should be cleared after the content export. With this setting is enabled, the exported objects are no longer marked for archiving.

Destroy exported objects after exporting

You can set M-Files to destroy the exported objects after the export. You cannot select this setting if you have selected to export the latest versions or changes since the latest run only.

Export migrated objects as internal objects

When this option is enabled, objects from external repositories are exported without their external repository ID. It can be useful to enable this option if external repository IDs contain sensitive data. For example, customer names.

Export information on destroyed objects and object versions

Instead of the existing objects, you can choose to export data from the destroyed objects and object versions only. This function is intended mainly for clearing the destroyed objects from the vault.

Export only changes since latest run

You can select to export only the changes made since the latest export. This means that only new objects and content that has versioning or non-versioning changes are exported. Thus, also objects whose Last modified timestamp has not changed can be included in the export job.

For example, these content changes are included in the export package when Export only changes since latest run is selected:
  • Object created
  • File content edited
  • Object metadata edited
  • Object deleted
  • Object undeleted
  • Object checked out
  • Checkout undone
  • Conflict resolved
  • Object version label changed
  • Comment added for object version
  • New object version imported to vault

By default, M-Files offers the date of the latest export (or of the last import of exported objects to the source vault with a timestamp older than the previous export).

Note:

When the Export only changes since latest run option is enabled, only new objects and content that has versioning or non-versioning changes since the given date and time are exported. If you export also metadata structure elements, the elements are not exported unless there are changes to files or objects.

If you want to export metadata structure elements regardless of whether objects or files have been changed, do one of these operations:
  • Export the metadata structure separately.
  • Disable the Export only changes since latest run option. However, if you do not limit the scope of the export in any way, it can take a considerable amount of time to complete the export job.

Preview

Click the Preview button to see the number of objects to be affected by the export process.