In this article, you will learn
- which steps are required to export and import a minimal system backup, and
- how to manage backups and instances using the Backup Management tool.
1. Introduction
The PPDTC - System Import / Export allows you to create various, including minimal backup of the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW and import it into the same or another instance of the application. The backup does not include Production Jobs, Print Items, or Print Jobs – this keeps the export size as small as possible.
All settings, templates, color setups, profiling projects, and profiles are preserved. Typical use cases include cleaning up an existing workflow, migrating to new hardware, or reproducing an issue on another machine.
To ensure that all functions are available, the PPD Tools Collection must be started with administrator privileges.
Version 1.22.0.9 or higher required
The functions described in this article are only available starting from PPDTC version 1.22.0.9. In addition, $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW must use at least PostgreSQL 12 and $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW version higher than 1.14.0. For information on how to update PPDTC, refer to the article Update.
2. General
Before you export or import a system, it is recommended to clarify the basic terms:
- Import / Backup – imports and backups are equivalent and are managed in the same way.
- Instance – an instance is a matching pair consisting of a file management directory and a database directory and corresponds to a backup or an import. A system can contain any number of instances.
- Default Instance – the main instance. Only one default instance can exist per system. It cannot be deleted via the user interface. The folders of an inactive default instance are named
FileManagement_PPDTCandPMSDataBase16_PPDTC. - Backup Instance – multiple backup instances can exist. Each backup instance can be set as the default instance, deleted, cleaned up, or renamed. The folders of an inactive backup instance follow the format
JJJJ-MM-TT-hh-mm-ss_xxxxx.
Exports can only be used on another machine if $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW version of the export is older than or equal to the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW version on the target machine. There must be no migration break between the versions – such incompatibilities are typically detected and reported accordingly. Database tables for Production Jobs, Print Data, and Orders are not fully cleared during export; instead they are only marked as deleted. After starting the application with the imported backup, you must either execute the Empty Trash routine in Administration > Routines or manually empty the corresponding trash areas in Articles > Articles, Orders > Print Items, and Production Jobs.
Data is not deleted
Importing a backup does not delete any existing data. $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW can be restarted at any time using the original instance data.
3. Export System
The System Export function, located under the menu item Applications > Local Workflow > System Export / Import, allows you to create a minimal backup of $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW that includes all settings, templates, color setups, profiling projects, and profiles. Production Jobs, Articles, Print Items and Orders are not included. The export is designed to keep application downtime as short as possible.
Application Downtime
The workflow downtime during the export depends on the size of the database. In most cases, the database backup and file backup are completed within approximately 10 minutes. The cleanup of the export is then performed in a sandbox environment and has no impact on the running system.
3.1. Performing the Export
The PPDTC - System Export is available in the Applications under Local Workflow > System Export / Import > Export.
Figure 1: Export menu item in Applications > Local Workflow > System Export / Import
To export the system, proceed as follows:
- Open the PPDTC application.
- Navigate to Applications > Local Workflow > System Export / Import > Export. This opens the System Export dialog.
- At the same time, an additional dialog, Backup Options, opens. The following configuration options are available in this dialog:
Additional Options – basic export settings for the system export:
- Delete File Versions [1] – when enabled, all intermediate file versions of a Print Item are deleted, reducing the export size.
- Check and Repair Export [2] – when enabled, the export is validated and cleaned, ensuring a consistent and optimized export package.
- Upload to PPD Cloud (ZIP only) [3] – when enabled, the export is uploaded to the PPD Cloud. This option is intended exclusively for support cases. A re-download of this export from the PPD Cloud is not possible.
Exclude additional Data – defines which additional data is excluded from the export. The more data is excluded, the smaller the export size becomes.
- Spot Color Profiles [4] – enabling this option excludes spot color profiles from the export.
- Fonts [5] – enabling this option excludes fonts from the export.
- Analytics Data [6] – enabling this option excludes analytics data from the export.
- Color Server Data [7] – enabling this option excludes color server data from the export.
- Program Files (PPD Folder) [8] – enabling this option excludes PPD program files from the export.
- Once you have configured the desired settings, click Continue to start the system export.
Figure 2: System Export dialog with Backup Options
The default settings in this dialog generally do not need to be changed. The dialog therefore closes automatically after 15 seconds if no user interaction occurs.
The ZIP file is stored in the C:\PMS_DATA or D:\PMS_DATA folder. The file size primarily depends on the number of color profiles stored in the application. In most cases, an export is between 1 and 2 GB.
3.2. Perform Import
The PPDTC system import is available in Applications > Local Workflow > System Export / Import > Import.
Default Instance
Before importing, the system automatically switches to the default instance to prevent potential errors.
Figure 3: Import menu item in Applications > Local Workflow > System Export / Import
To import a previously created export, proceed as follows:
- Open the PPDTC application.
- Select the Import menu item in Applications > Local Workflow > System Export / Import > Import.
- Select the previously exported ZIP file.
- After the extraction process has completed, you will be asked whether the instance should be started immediately. Answer the question "Do you want to start the instance?" with "Yes" to start $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW with the newly imported data.
- If the question "Should the import be the new default instance?" with "Yes", the import is marked as the main instance.
If the export is deployed on different hardware, a corresponding license must be installed after starting the $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW.
Figure 4: The confirmation dialogs
Backup
Further Backup creation options and instance management are described in the article Create a Backup.
Article Update: $PRODUCT_NAME_WORKFLOW 2.1.0 – 05/2026