Export

License: PRO+ (Professional Edition or higher)
Plugin Type: File Action
Author: Diskover Data, Inc.

Overview

The Export file action allows you to extract file and directory metadata from Diskover and save it as a CSV file. This is particularly useful when you need to share Diskover data with external systems, generate reports, or integrate with third-party applications like Media Asset Management (MAM) platforms.

When you select files or directories in Diskover and run the Export action, the system retrieves the metadata for those items from the Elasticsearch index and writes it to a formatted CSV file at a location you specify. The export runs in the background, so you can continue working while large exports complete.

Key Features:

• Flexible Field Selection — Export specific metadata fields based on your workflow needs

• Full Path Construction — Automatically combine parent path and filename into a single path column for easier downstream processing

• UTF-8 Encoding — Full international character support for filenames and metadata

• Background Processing — Large exports run asynchronously without blocking your browser session

• Timestamped Filenames — Auto-generated filenames prevent accidental overwrites

• Cross-Platform Paths — Save locations support both Windows (C:\exports) and Linux (/mnt/exports) formats

Use Cases

Reporting and Analytics

Export metadata to generate storage reports or perform data analysis:

• Create file inventory reports for compliance audits

• Analyze storage utilization patterns by file type, age, or owner

• Generate tag-based classification reports for data governance

• Document file distributions before and after cleanup operations

Export the CSV and import it into Excel, Google Sheets, or business intelligence tools like Tableau or Power BI for visualization and analysis.

Asset Management Integration

Export metadata to synchronize with Media Asset Management (MAM) or Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems:

• Update external asset catalogs with current file locations and metadata from Diskover

• Sync file information with production tracking databases

• Populate MAM systems with technical metadata (file sizes, modification dates, tags)

• Bridge the gap between storage-level metadata in Diskover and application-level metadata in your MAM

The exported CSV serves as a data interchange format, allowing you to marry Diskover's rich file metadata with asset information in your third-party systems.

Requirements

Diskover Requirements

File System Requirements

Important: The save location you specify must be writable by the user account running the Diskover services. If the directory doesn't exist or lacks proper permissions, the export will fail. Coordinate with your system administrator if you need access to specific export directories.

Installation & Setup

The Export file action is installed via RPM package and requires a service restart to activate.

Installation Steps

1. Install the Package:

   dnf install diskover-file-actions-export

2. Restart Services:

   On the Diskover Web host:

   systemctl restart diskover-admin

   On all Diskover Task Worker host(s):

   systemctl restart celery

3. Verify Installation:

   • Log into the Diskover web interface

   • Select one or more files

   • Open the Actions menu

   • Confirm Export appears in the list of available file actions

Configuration

Configuration is managed through the Diskover Admin interface.

Location: Diskover Admin → Configuration → Plugins → File Actions → Export

Configuration Parameters

Default Export Fields

The following fields are exported by default:

Configuration Examples

Standard Configuration

For most reporting and export needs, the default configuration works well:

• Save location: Set to a shared directory accessible to your team (e.g., /mnt/exports/diskover)

• Document fields: Keep the defaults for general-purpose exports

• Full path field name: path (combines parent_path and name into a single column)

MAM Integration Configuration

For Media Asset Management integration, you may want to include additional metadata fields:

doc_fields: name, parent_path, extension, type, size, size_du, mtime, tags, mediainfo.duration, mediainfo.codec
full_path_field_name: source_path
save_location: /mnt/mam_imports/diskover

Note: Additional fields like mediainfo.* are only available if you have the corresponding Diskover plugins installed and have indexed media files with those plugins enabled.

Usage Guide

Selecting Files for Export

1. Navigate to your files: Log into the Diskover web interface and use the search bar or file browser to locate the files you want to export.

2. Select items: Check the boxes next to individual files or directories. Use Select All on the current page for bulk selection.

3. Launch the Export action: Click the Actions menu in the toolbar and select Export.

Configuring the Export

After launching the Export action, you'll see a form with the following fields:

Running the Export

1. Review the filename: Modify if you want a more descriptive name.

2. Verify the save location: Ensure the directory exists and you have write access. Change if needed.

3. Click Submit: The export task is sent to the background worker for processing.

4. Monitor progress: You'll be redirected to a task status page showing:

   • Task ID

   • Current status: PENDING, STARTED, SUCCESS, or FAILURE

   • Result details when complete

Retrieving Your Export

Once the task completes successfully:

1. Navigate to the save location you specified

2. Locate the CSV file with your filename

3. Open in Excel, import into your MAM system, or process with your preferred tool

Understanding the CSV Output

The exported CSV follows this format:

path,name,parent_path,extension,type,size,size_du,mtime,tags
/data/projects/video.mp4,video.mp4,/data/projects,mp4,file,1048576,1052672,2025-01-10T14:30:00,production
/data/projects/report.pdf,report.pdf,/data/projects,pdf,file,524288,528384,2025-01-09T10:15:00,archive

Column Order:

• If full_path_field_name is configured, the full path appears as the first column

• Remaining columns follow the order defined in doc_fields

• Header row contains field names for easy identification

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Logging

For troubleshooting export issues, administrators can check the following log files:

Diskover Admin logs:

/var/log/diskover/diskover-admin.log

Celery Worker logs:

/var/log/celery/worker.log

Web Server logs:

/var/log/nginx/error.log

Set log level to DEBUG in configuration for more detailed output when diagnosing issues.

Common Error Messages

Support

• Documentation: https://docs.diskoverdata.com

• Support Portal: https://support.diskoverdata.com

Last Updated: January 2026
Diskover Data, Inc.