Importing and Exporting Process Groups

Modified on Thu, 11 Dec, 2025 at 3:11 PM

Summary

Clockspring allows you to manually export a Process Group to a file and later import it into another environment or another canvas location. Manual import/export is useful for one-off transfers, backups, or moving flows between instances that do not share a Registry.

1. When Manual Export/Import Is the Right Tool

Use this method when:

Sharing flows with another instance or developer
Moving flows between environments without shared Registry access
Backing up a Process Group locally
Copying logic without creating a versioned Registry entry

For ongoing Dev → Test → Prod promotion, use Version Control instead.

2. How to Export a Process Group

Right-click the Process Group → Download Flow Definition → choose one of two options:

A. Without External Services

Exports:

Everything inside the Process Group
Controller services defined inside the group
Connections, processors, ports, child groups

Does NOT export:

Controller services defined outside the group
Parameter contexts
Sensitive values

B. With External Services

Exports the entire Process Group plus:

All external controller services referenced by processors inside the group
The parameter context associated with the Process Group, including all parameters inside that context, not just ones used in the group

This produces a more self-contained export but may not match the target environment, especially if differences exist in service URLs or credentials.

3. What’s Included vs Not Included

Included

All processors, ports, and connections inside the Process Group
Nested Process Groups
Scheduling settings
Internal controller services
External controller services (if exporting With External Services)
Full parameter context associated with the Process Group

Not Included

Parameter values for sensitive parameters (must be re-entered)
System-level configuration
Anything outside the exported Process Group unless explicitly included

4. How to Import a Process Group

The import workflow is not obvious unless you’ve seen it before.

Step 1: Drag a New Process Group Onto the Canvas

In the toolbar, drag the Process Group icon onto the canvas to place it.

Step 2: Use the Upload Button

In the “Create Process Group” dialog, click the upload icon

This lets you select a flow definition file to import.

Imported groups bring in:

Processors
Controller services (if included)
Port structure
Child groups
Parameter context (if included)

After import, you can rename the Process Group as needed.

5. After Import: What You May Need to Fix

Depending on the target environment:

Controller Services

External services may:

Not exist
Need new URLs
Need credentials entered again (sensitive values aren’t exported)

Map processors to existing services or recreate them as needed.

Parameter Context

If exporting With External Services, Clockspring also imports the entire parameter context used by the group.

If a parameter context already exists with the same name:

Clockspring will create a separate one with a suffix
You may want to consolidate contexts manually afterward

Sensitive Parameters

Sensitive parameter values must be manually re-entered after import.

Missing Context Values

If parameter names do not match local environments, processors may show validation errors until updated.

6. Copy/Paste Between Groups and Instances

Clockspring allows direct:

Copy/paste within a canvas
Copy/paste between Process Groups
Copy/paste between different Clockspring instances

Steps:

Select one or more processors or a whole group
ctrl-c to copy
Switch to another Process Group or another instance
ctrl-v to paste

Notes:

Controller services referenced must exist on the target instance
Sensitive values will not transfer
Parameter contexts must already exist or be recreated

Copy/paste is often faster for small or iterative changes.

7. When Not to Use Manual Import/Export

Avoid manual export/import when:

You need ongoing updates between environments
You want proper version history
You need to track differences or revert changes
Multiple developers are working on the same flow

In these cases, Version Control is the better option.