Packages
Packages (/packages) are the mechanism for moving a finished configuration between Orbita installations: a package bundles entities and everything built around them into a single file that can be exported, transferred, installed on another system — or used to upgrade it to a newer version.
Typical scenarios:
- moving a configured solution from staging to production;
- replicating one solution across several installations (e.g. an integrator's clients);
- versioning: you release package v1.1.0 with a new field and process — client systems upgrade by importing it without losing their data;
- built-in presets (Service Desk, CRM, HR, Project Management) are the same packages shipped with the distribution.
The section is available to administrators and holders of the admin.entities section permission ("Entity constructor & packages").
What a package contains
A bundle includes the selected entities and the objects attached to them:
| Section | What is transferred |
|---|---|
| Entities | Field structure, forms, state models, automations |
| Relations | Relations between package entities |
| Roles | Roles with CRUD permissions and record access rules |
| Dashboards | Dashboards and charts over the package entities |
| Processes | BPMN process templates |
| Portals | Self-service portals with their pages |
| Notification templates | Configured email/notification templates |
| Reports | Report definitions |
| Menu | Menu items for the package entities |
Data (the records themselves) is not part of a package — configuration is what travels. To move records use the Migration tab in Settings or the REST API.
Working with packages
Creating a package
- Open Packages → Create package
- Set the name, slug and version (semver, e.g.
1.0.0) - Assign entities to the package — related objects (roles, processes, dashboards, portals, reports) are picked up automatically at export time
An entity can belong to only one package; assignment is managed on the package page.
Export
The export button on the package page downloads a JSON bundle (format orbita_package_bundle, format version 2). The file is self-contained: it can live in git and travel between installations.
Import and preview
- Packages → Import
- Pick a bundle file — the system shows a preview: contents by section and the version verdict
- Confirm the installation
Preview verdicts:
| Situation | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Package not installed | Normal installation |
| The file is newer than the installed version | Upgrade: "Upgrade from v{from} to v{to}. User customizations are preserved (merge)" |
| Same version | Re-import repairs anything missing |
| The file is older than the installed version | Downgrade warning; requires explicit "I understand, downgrade anyway" |
Conflict strategies
When an object from the package already exists in the system, the chosen strategy applies:
- merge (default) — new fields/objects are added, user customizations survive;
- skip — existing objects are untouched, only missing ones are added;
- replace — objects are reset to the package state.
After installation a deploy report is shown: what was created, updated, left unchanged, and warnings (e.g. objects skipped due to conflicts).
Built-in packages
The Built-in packages block lists the presets shipped with the distribution (Service Desk, CRM, HR, …) with their versions. An uninstalled package shows Install; an installed one with a newer version available shows Update. This is the same mechanism as the onboarding wizard: presets chosen during onboarding appear here as installed packages.
Example: shipping a solution update
An integrator maintains a "Procurement requests" solution (package procurement v1.0.0) at a client and needs to add a "Budget line" field and a finance-approval step:
- On the staging system the integrator modifies the entity and the process
- On the package page bumps the version to
1.1.0and exports the bundle - At the client: Packages → Import; the preview says "Upgrade from v1.0.0 to v1.1.0"
- After confirmation the new field and process step appear in the client system; the client's local customizations (their automations, their roles) survive thanks to the merge strategy
See also
- Presets overview — what each built-in package contains
- Settings → Migration — moving a single entity's structure and importing data
- Initial setup — installing presets on first run