Export QVFs without data from Qlik Sense server, using PowerShell and qlik-cli

export_qvf.ps1

#requires -version 4
<#
.SYNOPSIS
  Export QVF files from Qlik Sense Enterprise server without data, grouped by user and stream.
.DESCRIPTION
  Export QVF files from Qlik Sense Enterprise server without data, grouped by user and stream.
  The time period for which to keep backups can be configured (standard is 30 days).
  Files are stored in [username]\[stream name] format. If the QVF is not published, the stream
  name 'Personal' is used.
.NOTES
  Version:        1.2
  Author:         Barry Harmsen / Bitmetric
  Creation Date:  2019-04-11
  Change Date:    2019-04-12
  Purpose/Change: Initial script development
  
#>

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser

$start_time = (Get-Date)

$qlik_server = "localhost"                                        # Qlik Server hostname
$backup_root_folder = "D:\QlikSense\Backup\Qvf_Export\Qvf"        # Target directory for backups
$log_folder = "D:\QlikSense\Backup\Qvf_Export\Log"                # Folder for log files
$file_prefix = (Get-Date).ToString("yyyyMMdd") + "_"              # Prefix for backed up QVFs (and log file)
$file_suffix = ""                                                 # Postfix for backed up QVFs (and log file)
$days_to_keep = "30"                                              # Number of days to keep backups



Start-Transcript -Path "$($log_folder)\$($file_prefix)backup_qvf_log$($file_suffix).txt" -Force


# Delete old backups
Write-Output "Removing backups older than $days_to_keep days"
$date_remove = (Get-Date).AddDays(-$days_to_keep)
Get-ChildItem -Path $backup_root_folder -Recurse | Where { ! $_.PSIsContainer } | Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt $date_remove } | Remove-Item


# Start new export/backup
Write-Output "Connecting to $qlik_server"
Connect-Qlik $qlik_server

# Loop through all the QVFs on the server
foreach($qvf in $(Get-QlikApp -full)) {
        
    # Remove illegal characters from userId and QVF filename
    # Extra replace for [ and ], which for some reason lead to an error (?)
    $user_id = ($qvf.owner.userId).Split([IO.Path]::GetInvalidFileNameChars()) -join ' '
    $qvf_name = (($qvf.name).Split([IO.Path]::GetInvalidFileNameChars()) -join ' ').replace('[', '(').replace(']', ')')
    

    # If the app is published, place it in a folder
    # with the stream name, otherwise use Personal
    if ($qvf.published) { 
        $stream_name = ($qvf.stream.name).Split([IO.Path]::GetInvalidFileNameChars()) -join ' '
        $backup_sub_folder = $user_id + "\" + $stream_name
    } else {
        $backup_sub_folder = $user_id + "\Personal"
    }

        
    # Check if the backup folder exists, if not
    # then create it.
    If(!(test-path "$backup_root_folder\$backup_sub_folder")) {

        Write-Output "Creating folder $backup_root_folder\$backup_sub_folder"
        New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path "$backup_root_folder\$backup_sub_folder"
    }
    
    # Export the QVF without data
    $export_filename = "$($file_prefix)$($qvf_name)$($file_suffix).qvf"
    Export-QlikApp -id $qvf.id -skipdata -filename "$($backup_root_folder)\$($backup_sub_folder)\$($export_filename)"


    Write-Output "******************************************"
    Write-Output "App:         $($qvf.name)"
    Write-Output "Id:          $($qvf.id)"
    Write-Output "Owner name:  $($qvf.owner.name)"
    Write-Output "Owner id:    $($qvf.owner.userId)"
    Write-Output "Stream:      $($qvf.stream.name)"
    Write-Output " "
    Write-Output "Exported to: $($backup_root_folder)\$($backup_sub_folder)\$($export_filename)"
    Write-Output " "
}


$elapsed_time = (Get-Date) - $start_time
Write-Output "Script runtime"
Write-Output "--------------"
Write-Output $elapsed_time

Stop-Transcript