How to Export Configuration Baselines and Configuration Items

Article
10/04/2022

In Configuration Manager, to export a configuration baseline or configuration item using the Configuration Manager SDK, read the relevant SMS_ConfigurationItem instance and write the SDMPackageXML property (string) to a file.

Important

The encoding of the XML file must be set to UTF-16 encoded Unicode.

To export Configuration Baselines and Configuration Items

Set up a connection to the SMS Provider.
Get the specific instance of SMS_ConfigurationItem class using the unique ID of the configuration item (CI_ID).
Copy the configuration item XML (SDMPackageXML) into a variable.
Write the configuration item XML content to a file.

Example

The following code example shows how to read an instance of a configuration baseline or configuration item and then export it to a file.

For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.


Sub DCMExportBaselineOrCI(swbemServices, _  
                          pathToFile,    _  
                          configurationItemId)  

' Set required variables.  
fileContents          =    ""  
configurationItemXML  =    null  

' Get specified configuration item (configurationItemId variable).  
Set getCIInfo = swbemServices.Get("SMS_ConfigurationItem.CI_ID=" & configurationItemId )  

' Copy configuration item XML into variable.   
configurationItemXML = getCIInfo.SDMPackageXML  

Wscript.Echo configurationItemXML  

' Open file for write (Unicode option enabled by second true).  
Set FSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")  
Set textFile = FSO.CreateTextFile(pathToFile, true, true)  

' Write XML content to file specified by pathToFile.       
textFile.Write configurationItemXML  
textFile.Close   

Wscript.Echo " "  
Wscript.Echo "Successfully wrote " & pathToFile  

End Sub


public void DCMExportBaselineOrCI(WqlConnectionManager connection,  
                                  string pathToOutputFile,  
                                  string configurationItemId)  
{  

    // Set required variables.  
    string configurationItemXML = null;  

    try  
    {  
        // Get the specified configuration item (configurationItemId variable).  
        IResultObject getCIInfo = connection.GetInstance(@"SMS_ConfigurationItem.CI_ID=" + configurationItemId);  

        // Copy configuration item XML into variable.   
        configurationItemXML = getCIInfo["SDMPackageXML"].StringValue;  
    }  
    catch (SmsException ex)  
    {  
        Console.WriteLine("Failed to retrieve configuration item xml. " + "\n" + ex.Message);  
        throw;  
    }  

    StreamWriter sw = null;  
    try  
    {  
        // Open file for output.  
        sw = new StreamWriter(pathToOutputFile, false, System.Text.Encoding.Unicode);  

        // Write XML to output file.  
        sw.Write(configurationItemXML);  
    }  
    catch (Exception ex)  
    {  
        Console.WriteLine("Failed to write configuration item XML to: " + pathToOutputFile + "\n" + ex.Message);  
        throw;  
    }  
    finally  
    {  
        if (sw != null)  
        {  
            sw.Close();  
        }  
    }  

    Console.WriteLine("Wrote configuration item XML to: " + pathToOutputFile);  
}

The example method has the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`connection`	- Managed: `WqlConnectionManager` - VBScript: SWbemServices	A valid connection to the SMS Provider.
- pathToOutputFile - pathToFile	- Managed: `String` - VBScript: `String`	Path to the output file.
`configurationItemId`	- Managed: `String` - VBScript: `String`	Identifier of a configuration item to export.

Compiling the Code

Namespaces

System

System.Collections.Generic

System.ComponentModel

Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider

Microsoft.ConfigurationManagement.ManagementProvider.WqlQueryEngine

Assembly

adminui.wqlqueryengine

microsoft.configurationmanagement.managementprovider

Robust Programming

For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.

.NET Framework Security

For more information about securing Configuration Manager applications, see Configuration Manager role-based administration.