Flow Archiving via Export Function - Automated

[Eliot]

Hi,

TL/DR - Using Flow's own infrastructure, can I automate the exporting of a (or many) Flow(s), and the information about it, to an online storage resource¹?

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So ... I have a situation whereby I'm unsure if I'll last past probation at my new job ², but I think that I've implemented some good work via Flow, which I'd like to pass on to others. So I'd like to find a way to use the Export function to ensure that when/if I go, others can make use of the hard (annotated!!) work that I've put in here. Also, some of the (potential) functions that I've built for the infrastructure will probably rely on these.

I've done the job manually, and have a content type for the zips, so that there's also a little bit of metadata available in the library that I'll leave behind. I'm not worried about future users having issues with literal connections to the accounts/lists/apps/services involved, or how it all works. But I'd love to:

• V1 - Automate the exporting of one or all of my Flows in to zips that present as *new* not *updates* for importing.
• V2 - Provide an 'update' mechanism to V1 to update those that already have the flow, and provide the latest version for those that don't. So in terms of logic we'd be looking at something like: If the Flow archive already exists then determine if the Flow has been updated since said archive. If it has, then the archive process will output both a *new* AND and *update* zip for importing.

• V3 - Schedule the whole thing (this may be possible earlier)

I sense that the ability to discern updated flows will be the most difficult part.

All versions could just be stages of development ... whatever ... I don't know the right phraseology 😉 ... I'd just like to think that I can achieve this. At the moment my brain is making me think:

• Manual archiving.
• Then my (currently being built) 'List My Flows' Flow to read the names, extract the details required for the metadata, and update the library columns for the recently added items.

Anyway ... this question isn't asking for help in building the whole thing ... just ... If it's possible, where would I start? Or should I look at something in Azure?

Best

Eliot

¹ I use a SharePoint Document Library

² If I read the body language of the important people involved in keeping me here.

[Gristy]

Take a look at the Get flow command and what it gives you back. There is not a export function, but you could probally store the flow definition in a SharePoint list with some of the other metadata about the flow, which should be enough to recreate a flow.

[Eliot]

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@Gristy wrote:

Take a look at the Get flow command and what it gives you back. There is not a export function, but you could probally store the flow definition in a SharePoint list with some of the other metadata about the flow, which should be enough to recreate a flow.

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Cheers, @Gristy , much obliged.

Yeah, I've been playing with the *various* JSON outputs, and there really is a lot of information both in the Get flow, and inside some of the things that it delivers.

If I had the time (and I might, soon ... lol ... this probation ... my life!) I might look at the contents of the zip and see what can be recreated there. Since ... well ... it's entirely logical.

Thanks again!