Site Archive: import does not work - message: Please choose a valid archive file to import.

I’ve updated the relevant help article so that it shows a sample IMSCC file being imported, instead of a zip. I also added a note about archives created via Admin Site Archive not being supported.

However, just as a side note, this import did used to work with zip files. I’m not sure when it stopped supporting them, since I rarely use this import option, but I have used it in the past to bring in course exports from other systems, testbanks, etc. It didn’t always work completely, so it was usually a toss up as to whether or not you ended up with the content you wanted out of the export, but it did work at least some of the time.

If you look at the help docs for site info, it clearly shows a zip file, so this may need to be updated if it’s not working:
https://sakai.screenstepslive.com/s/sakai_help/m/114554/l/1629507-how-do-i-import-content-from-an-archive-file

Site Info->”Import from Archive file” will still import from some archive formats, it just doesn’t seem like the zip files from the Admin Site Archive are currently one of those.

Perhaps it could indicate which formats are supported and if nobody knows what the SakaiArchiveFileParser does and import_mappings is we can maybe remove that and provide support for the files generated by Site Archive?

These sounds like 2 new separate issues though and might be features.

• SakaiArchiveFileParser should support importing zip file created by Admin Site Archive

• Site Info->Import from Archive file should indicate which files types are supported for import

I believe it actually did work at one point - I vaguely remember testing it many, many years ago. If it doesn’t work, then shouldn’t it be removed from Site Info as an option?

Has this ever worked this way or when was the last version where this worked? I’m seeing this thread from 2016 where Steve and Mitch are having a conversation I don’t completely understand.

The parser is looking for a file in the archive called import_mappings.xml and this isn't in any of the zip files, so it doesn’t consider this valid.

I’m not actually sure if files generated by Sakai Site Archive can be imported through Site Info? It would take Common Cartridge, and older Blackboard formats.

This file might be importable through the admin Site Archive tool, but I don’t think it is by a user using this test plan you described.

I’m not seeing anything in the code that creates this import_mappings.xml manifest file and I don’t see anything from Sakai’s history where this existed. This file hasn’t been touched in a very long time.

It’s possible a parser could be written to parse these archive files at the user level but that would be a different issue and more of a feature. Also the site can be exported as common cartridge which should import but might not be a 100% match to the Sakai Archive format.