Using GAST, you can import and export metadata at will. It allows you to:
Create a backup of the entire metadata set. Each metadata has its own file, including maps and other data files. Once you have the backup, you can decide to import all or only some of them.
Move your metadata from one GeoNetwork catalog to another. This can be done to mirror your metadata or to upgrade an old installation. In the last case, you export your metadata from your old installation and then reimport them into the new one.
Fill the system with test data. Using the ’skip uuid’ option, you can reimport the same metadata over and over again. This is usefull, for example, if you want to perform stress tests.
Metadata are exported using the MEF format.
![[Important]](images/important.png) | Ownership |
|---|---|
Please, consider that the MEF format version 1.0 does not take into account user and group ownership. When exporting metadata, you loose this information. When importing metadata, the new owner becomes the user that is performing the import while the group ownership is set to null. |