Import

What Is Import?

Import restores the JSON rule file downloaded with Export to the selected host group. The Check Fields configurations of the rules come together with the file as well.

The import is a full replacement

The rules in the file are not added to the existing list; all the existing page types of the host group are deleted and the rules in the file take their place. For this reason it is recommended that the existing rule set be backed up with Export before the import.

The Import Steps

1. The Import button on the toolbar is clicked and the JSON file to be imported is selected from the file picker that opens; the file picker does not apply an extension filter.
2. The "Are you sure?" confirmation question is confirmed with the Yes button; if No is selected, no change is made.
3. The file is uploaded and validated. While the operation is going on, the button icon turns into a spinning icon and the other operations on the toolbar become passive temporarily.

In a successful import no separate notification is shown; the rule list and the N Page Types number on the mode card are updated according to the content of the file. There is no additional deployment (deploy) step; the WAF configuration is automatically produced again and applied.

The Validation and the Errors

• If the file cannot be parsed as JSON, the import is rejected with the "Corrupted WAF rules file" error.
• If the path or the field pattern of a rule in the file is invalid, the import is rejected with the "Invalid WAF pattern (...)" error.
• In both cases the existing rule set stays unchanged.

Any Paths is always preserved

Even if the file does not contain the Any Paths (catch-all) rule, the host group is not left without a default: at the end of the import, Any Paths is automatically created again with its default configuration.

Uploading to a different group

The file does not carry the information of which host group it was taken from; it can be imported to any host group of any WAF-protected vService. The moving of the rule set between the groups or the devices is done this way.

Import (OpenAPI)

The Import (OpenAPI) on the same toolbar is a separate feature that produces rules from an OpenAPI definition file; see Import (OpenAPI).

Operational Best Practices

• The existing set should be backed up before the import. The import cannot be undone; the file taken with Export beforehand is the only way back.
• Only the Export output should be used. The content of the file is validated at a minimum level; a file that has been edited manually or that comes from a different source may lead to faulty rules entering the list.
• The target host group should be checked before the import. Since the file does not carry the group information, uploading it to the wrong group changes the rule set of that group unintentionally.