Transering data without root access

[upforsin]

Hello,

Let's say I'm a site manager (I have access to all files within the site). Can I transfer all site's files including permissions and folder structures to another Alfresco server, which I'm the owner?

[afaust]

Yes, but it depends either on the configuration of your system or your ability to craft some custom web script / URL calls. Every Alfresco installation has a default action called "export" which can be called by any user. This action can create a downloadable ZIP-like file (ACP = Alfresco Content Package), which can - with potentially no or only minor adaptions - be imported into another Alfresco system using a similar "import" action.

Unfortunately, a default Alfresco installation does not provide a UI action to trigger either the "export" nor "import" actions. So unless your system has been configured with some customisations, e.g. by adding a 3rd-party module to provide access to those actions or having some custom configuration to enable this, you are forced to craft web script calls using any kind of HTTP / ReST client (e.g. cURL). Such a call essentially needs to "fake" the submission of a form for the action, including the necessary action parameters as specially prepared form parameters.

The relevant web scripts are https://github.com/Alfresco/alfresco-remote-api/blob/master/src/main/resources/alfresco/templates/we... (for submitting the form) and https://github.com/Alfresco/alfresco-remote-api/blob/master/src/main/resources/alfresco/templates/we... (for retrieving a structured definition of the form for a specific item / action). The "item kind" will be "action", while the "item ID" will be the name of the action, e.g. "export" / "import". The form definition will list the supported parameters. Form data can be submitted in JSON format, where the "dataKey" of fields should be used to reference the corresponding parameter values.

[upforsin]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, my system is just a default Alfresco installation.

I tried to craft a POST requests but I do not fully understand how does this web script work.

I'm using Postman, I filled "Basic Auth" tab, and in the "body" I typed:

{
     "itemKind" : "action",
     "itemId" : "export",
     "fields" : "",
     "force" : "false"
}

Of course, I got a 500 error: 

"00060014 Wrapped Exception (with status template): 00060168 An error occurred while processing the template 'When calling macro \"formDefJSON\", required parameter \"form\" (parameter #1) was specified, but had null/missing value.\n\nTip: If the parameter value expression on the caller side is known to be legally null/missing, you may want to specify a default value for it with the \"!\" operator, like paramValue!defaultValue.\n\nThe failing instruction:\n==> @formDefLib.formDefJSON form=form  [in template \"org/alfresco/repository/forms/formdefinition.post.json.ftl\" at line 2, column 1]'.

What should be the value of the "fields" parameter? How can I specify which site should it export?