A snapshot is the complete configuration of an Application captured as a portable JSON document. It contains every artifact that defines how the Application is wired, ports, pipelines, message types, schemas, maps, variables, constants definitions, and routing, and it does not contain any of the transactions that have flowed through it. A snapshot describes how the system is set up, not what it has been doing.

Snapshots can be taken at two scopes. An Application snapshot covers a single Application, its configuration, attached to that Application's snapshots list. An environment snapshot covers every Application in the environment in one file, attached to the environment. Either kind can be applied to put the configuration back in place, or exported as a JSON file to share, archive, or move to another environment.

Almost everything inside a snapshot travels as plain JSON. Two specific pieces are the exception: the values stored inside an application's Authentications, and the values held against its Constants. When the operator opts to include either of these at snapshot time, the snapshot is password-protected for those values, the same way a PDF can be password-protected. The same password is required to import them elsewhere.

Either, both, or neither may be included at creation time. The password is asked for only when something is being encrypted; if both Include authentications and Include constants values are left unchecked, the snapshot is entirely plain JSON. If either is checked, a single password protects whatever is included.

For the background on each of the two encrypted members, see Authentications and Constants.

Open the Snapshots panel to see every snapshot you have access to, both snapshots taken locally and snapshots imported from a file. Application-scope snapshots live attached to their Application; environment-scope snapshots live attached to the environment itself.

Each row in the list displays the following columns:

The list view follows the platform's Selected Application behavior, with an Application selected, the list filters to that Application's snapshots; with no selection, the list spans every Application you have access to plus the environment-scope snapshots, and the Application column is shown.

From a row, the available actions are Apply, Export, and Delete. Above the list, a primary Take snapshot button creates a new entry, and an Import button brings in a snapshot file from disk.

Open the Snapshots panel and click Take snapshot.

1. Choose the Scope:

• Application, the snapshot captures one Application. If an Application is already selected in the navigator, it is preselected here; otherwise pick the Application from the list.
• Environment, the snapshot captures every Application in the environment as a single file. No Application picker; the scope is the whole environment.

2. Confirm or edit the auto-generated Name. Optionally add a Description to record why this snapshot was taken, both can also be edited later from the list.

3. Decide what to include in the encrypted payload, if anything:

• Include authentications, every Authentication object the snapshot's scope owns is added to the encrypted payload.
• Include constants values, the current value of every Constant in the snapshot's scope is added to the encrypted payload. Constant definitions (names, descriptions, and every {{Constant.Name}} reference) travel in the clear regardless of this choice.

Either, both, or neither may be selected. Leave both unchecked to capture configuration only.

4. If either option is checked, the dialog reveals two password fields. Enter a password and confirm it, the same as setting a password on a PDF. The password is required again at export and import time, but not to apply the snapshot locally.

5. Click Take snapshot. The new snapshot appears at the top of the list, marked Taken in the Source column and tagged with your username under By. A lock indicator appears on the row if the snapshot contains an encrypted payload.

Applying a snapshot replaces the current configuration with the contents of that snapshot. An Application-scope snapshot replaces the configuration of that Application; an environment-scope snapshot replaces the configuration of every Application it covers. No password is needed, snapshots already in the list are decrypted in place when needed.

1. Locate the snapshot in the list and click Apply on its row.

2. A confirmation dialog appears summarizing what will be replaced. Read it carefully, this action overrides the live configuration.

3. Confirm to proceed. The Application (or every Application in the environment, for an environment-scope snapshot) is rebuilt from the snapshot.

Click Delete on the snapshot's row and confirm. The snapshot is removed from the list and cannot be recovered. Deleting a snapshot has no effect on the live configuration, it only removes that saved copy. If you may want it back later, export it to a file first.

Exporting writes a snapshot to a .json file you can store, send, or import into another environment.

1. Click Export on the snapshot's row.

2. Decide what to include in the encrypted payload of the exported file:

• Include authentications, available only if the snapshot was taken with authentications. You can opt out at export time to hand the file off without them; you cannot add authentications that were never captured.
• Include constants values, available only if the snapshot was taken with constants values. Same rule: opt-out is allowed at export, opt-in is not.

3. If either is included, enter and confirm a password. One password protects whatever is in the encrypted payload of the exported file. The recipient will need this password to import the encrypted parts.

4. Click Export. Your browser downloads the snapshot as a .json file.

Importing brings a snapshot file from disk into the snapshots list. The file may have been exported from this environment or any other. Application-scope files land in the corresponding Application's list; environment-scope files land in the environment's list.

1. Open the Snapshots panel and click Import.

2. Select the .json snapshot file from your computer.

3. If the file carries an encrypted payload (Authentications, Constants values, or both) Art2link ESB prompts for the password.

• Enter the correct password and click Import to bring the snapshot in with everything in its encrypted payload decrypted. Authentications come across intact; Constants values land in their corresponding slots.
• Or click Import with the password field left empty (or with the wrong password). Art2link ESB asks whether you want to proceed without the encrypted payload. Confirm to import the structure only, Authentication objects are discarded, and Constants land with empty value slots ready for an operator to fill in.

4. The snapshot appears in the list, marked Imported in the Source column and tagged with your username under By. Apply it from the list whenever you are ready.