SAC Content Transport (Migration) Using CTMS

Different ways to transport SAC Content

SAC Provides three ways to transport your content from one tenant to another,

File System mode - In this method, using the menu option Transport > Export > File System, you create a package of your SAC content & its dependencies and download it to your local system in a .tgz file format, and import this .tgz file in your destination environment using the menu option Transport > Import > File System. This option is as simple as downloading from one location and uploading to another location.

Second option is using the Content Network method, you can navigate to the Content Network tab using the menu option Transport > Export > Content Network Storage. In this option similar to the earlier option you create a package with SAC contents and all its dependencies. The package created under this option is not-downloadable like in previous option. Once the package is created, you enhance its properties by giving it a name and description and assign required access to it ranging from Read / Write / Full Control, if you want to later on check the contents of the package or edit the contents within it. You can then assign a destination it to the package, the tenant environment to which you want to export the contents. Once exported, the package will be available in the destination environment under location Transport > Content Network Storage, from where you can seamlessly import it in your destination environment.

However, in this blog, we are going to check the third option of exporting SAC content, i.e. using Cloud Transport Management System, abbreviated as CTMS.

Pre-requisite for Transporting content using CTMS

To transport your package using the CTMS, a pre-requisite is that the CTMS needs to be installed in backend and integrated with SAC.

Once integrated, you need to define the transport routes...meaning define how the transport package will flow from the source environment to the destination environment.

On Successful integration of CTMS with SAC, you will see an option to upload package to CTMS will be added within the SAC interface like in below screenshot

This covers the existing options provided by SAC to transport, the Pre-requisites to use CTMS, and options post successful integration of CTMS with SAC.

Let's now look at how to transport using CTMS

• Create a SAC Content and its dependencies package by going to the Menu Option Transport > Export > Content Network Storage
• Once the Content is identified and selected, check the option data selection box, if you also want to move the data along with the content
• Move to the next step, using the 'Next' button at the bottom of the screen
• Enhance the Properties of the Package like Name, Description, Access etc.
• Do NOT add the destination. As we will be uploading this package to CTMS, where it will navigate through the defined route to the destination
• Click on Next
• A Package will be created, after creation it will be placed on the Content Network Tab
• If you are not able to see the Package, click on the bell Icon at Top-Right to check current status
• Or refresh the Content Network Tab window to see the latest entries
• Once the Package is created and visible, select the package, and upload it to CTMS using 'Upload to CTMS' button at the top of the window.
• Once the Package is uploaded to CTMS, navigate to the CTMS using the relevant URL.
• Once you are in CTMS, On the Left Pane, you will see an option 'Transport Nodes'. Click on It.

• A list of all the available transport nodes will be displayed in the adjacent pane
• Identify the node defined for SAC tenant.
• Once Identified, click on it to open it. The details of the node will be displayed,
• And in lower pane, it will also display the Content Package that was created

• Select the package that you want to upload and click on 'Import Selected'
• The Package will be Imported to the destination environment, and once done, a status of success or failure will be displayed next it.
• You should now be able to see your SAC contents in the destination environment.

Opinion

In my personal opinion, I feel the current version of CTMS is still very basic.

1. It just helps you move content from one environment to another.
2. Unlike the inbuilt Import > Content Network Tab in SAC, CTMS does not provide you with options to choose a different location in destination environment than the default.
3. CTMS does not give you any option or Overwrite Preferences during import, like if you do now want to overwrite existing objects, or overwrite only data or both i.e. the objects along with data. Which SAC does, and can be very useful in some scenarios.