XML Schema Definition (XSD) for Automation Engine XML export file format

[Michael A. Lowry]

I asked Automic Support for an XML Schema Definition (XSD) for the XML export file format used by the Automation Engine, and was told that an XSD is not available. I submitted an enhancement request, asking that such a document be created and published.

In the mean time, I am investigating the possibility of reverse-engineering an XSD, based on some comprehensive and representative sample XML export files, and  on Automic’s published documentation of the Automation Engine’s XML file structure for imports and exports.

There are tools (including some available online) that can automatically generate an XSD from a provided XML file. Obviously, any such tool must make some assumptions and educated guesses; the resultant XSD may not be optimized, and some important things like enumerations and constraints will likely be missing or incomplete. However, perhaps this would at least be a useful starting point. My idea is to start with an auto-generated XSD, and then make corrections, additions, and changes based on Automic’s public XML file format documentation (linked above).

Before going down this path though, I wanted to get some feedback from the community. Has anyone else tried to do this?

Note: this is related to my earlier question regarding change rules for modifying XML export files. We need an XSD for the Automation Engine XML export file format so that we can build tools for creating, changing, and validating these XML files.

[Michael A. Lowry]

I requested an XSD for the XML export format using the new ideas.automic.com; it has been accepted for voting.

 

XML schema description for AE export file format 

[Michael A. Lowry]

The idea was deleted by Broadcom.

[KesavanElangovan]

Michael_Lowry  Please let us know if there's an refined XSD of the exported XML.
We are in a situation to update most, if not all the jobs converted from our legacy system into Automic. 
The mass changes we are expecting to do are, update job names, post/pre process scripts, login, host groups etc. 

[Markus Embacher]

Hi @KesavanElangovan,

for mass updates please also consider the Change Utility that works based on a Transport Case.

https://docs.automic.com/documentation/webhelp/english/ALL/components/DOCU/21.0.9/Automic%20Automation%20Guides/Content/Utilities/admin_AboutAEDBChange.htm

Regards, Markus

[Michael A. Lowry]

Good morning @Markus Embacher. Note that @KesavanElangovan's comment was posted more than six years ago, so I imagine he has found a solution since then.

For those arriving at this thread in 2024 or later, here are some links related to the topic Markus raises.

• Transport case unload/load vs. XML export/import - a discussion of the pros and cons of each approach.
• Problems with AE DB Change program (ucybchng) - a list of bugs identified with the change program between circa 2015 and 20219.

We used the Transport Case mechanism between 2013 and 2019. During this period, we spent a significant amount of our time dealing with the many bugs and limitations of this approach. In 2019 we completed the transition to an XML-based approach, and we have never looked back.

[Markus Embacher]

Hi Michael,

thanks for making me aware, I received an update on that thread today and thought Kesavans post was a recent one.

Regards, Markus