Configuration Management

Overview

The Configuration Management API allows you to export your entire Falcon configuration as a portable archive and import it into another CID or restore it to the same CID. This is useful for:

Backup and disaster recovery - Regular configuration backups
Multi-CID deployments - Replicate configurations across environments
Configuration migration - Move policies and settings between test and production
Audit and compliance - Document configuration state at specific points in time

Configuration import/export operations can modify or create multiple policies, groups, and settings. Always test in a non-production environment first.

Export-FalconConfig

Create a ZIP archive containing Falcon configuration files including groups, policies, exclusions, rules, and scripts.

Syntax

Export-FalconConfig [[-Select] <string[]>] [-Force]

Parameters

Select

string[]

Selected items to export from your current CID. If not specified, all available items are exported.Valid values:

ContentPolicy
DeviceControlPolicy
FileVantagePolicy
FileVantageRuleGroup
FirewallGroup
FirewallLocation
FirewallPolicy
HostGroup
IoaExclusion
IoaGroup
Ioc
MlExclusion
PreventionPolicy
ResponsePolicy
Script
SensorUpdatePolicy
SvExclusion

Aliases: Items

Force

switch

Overwrite an existing export file when present.

Examples

Export-FalconConfig

Export Process

The export process:

Retrieves all selected items from your Falcon environment
Identifies dependencies (e.g., Host Groups assigned to policies)
Automatically includes dependent items in the export
Saves each item type as a JSON file
Creates a ZIP archive named FalconConfig_<timestamp>.zip
Removes temporary JSON files

Returns

Archive file information including full path, file size, and last write time.

FullName                                    Length LastWriteTime
--------                                    ------ -------------
C:\Users\admin\FalconConfig_20240305T1430.zip  245678 3/5/2024 2:30:15 PM

The export automatically includes dependencies. For example, exporting Prevention Policies will also export assigned Host Groups and IOA Rule Groups.

Import-FalconConfig

Import items from a FalconConfig archive into your Falcon environment.

Syntax

Import-FalconConfig [-Path] <string> [[-Select] <string[]>] [-AssignExisting] [[-ModifyDefault] <string[]>] [[-ModifyExisting] <string[]>]

Parameters

Path

string

required

Path to the FalconConfig archive (.zip file) to import.

Select

string[]

Import only selected items from the archive. If not specified, all items in the archive are imported.Valid values: Same as Export-FalconConfig

AssignExisting

switch

Assign existing host groups with identical names to imported items. Without this switch, imported policies will not be assigned to any groups.Aliases: Force

ModifyDefault

string[]

Modify default policies to match the import. Use All for all possible values or specify individual policy types.Valid values:

All
ContentPolicy
DeviceControlPolicy
PreventionPolicy
ResponsePolicy
SensorUpdatePolicy

ModifyExisting

string[]

Modify existing items to match the import. Use All for all possible values or specify individual item types.Valid values: Same as Export-FalconConfig (including All)

Examples

Import-FalconConfig -Path 'C:\Backups\FalconConfig_20240305T1430.zip'

Import Behavior

Default Behavior (No Switches)

Creates new items that don’t exist
Ignores items that already exist
Does not modify any existing items
Does not assign imported policies to host groups

With -AssignExisting

Creates new items
Matches host groups by name
Assigns imported policies to matched host groups
Still does not modify existing items

With -ModifyDefault

Creates new items
Modifies specified default policies to match import
Useful for standardizing default policy settings

With -ModifyExisting

Creates new items
Modifies specified existing items to match import
Updates policies, groups, exclusions, etc.
Use with caution in production environments

Import Results

The import process generates a CSV file with detailed results:

time,api_client_id,type,id,name,platform,action,property,old_value,new_value,comment
2024-03-05T14:30:15Z,abc123...,PreventionPolicy,def456...,Production Prevention,Windows,Created,,,
2024-03-05T14:30:16Z,abc123...,HostGroup,ghi789...,Production Servers,,Modified,assignment_rule,old_rule,new_rule,

Always review the import results CSV to verify all changes were applied correctly.

Common Workflows

Backup Configuration

# Create backup directory
$backupDir = "C:\FalconBackups\$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM')"
New-Item -Path $backupDir -ItemType Directory -Force

# Change to backup directory
Set-Location $backupDir

# Export configuration
Export-FalconConfig

# Verify backup
Get-ChildItem -Filter "FalconConfig_*.zip" | Select-Object Name, Length, LastWriteTime

Migrate Configuration Between CIDs

# Export from source CID
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $sourceClientId -ClientSecret $sourceSecret
Export-FalconConfig -Select PreventionPolicy, ResponsePolicy, HostGroup
$archive = Get-ChildItem -Filter "FalconConfig_*.zip" | Select-Object -First 1

# Import to target CID
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $targetClientId -ClientSecret $targetSecret
Import-FalconConfig -Path $archive.FullName -AssignExisting

Clone Production to Test

# Export from production
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $prodClientId -ClientSecret $prodSecret
Set-Location 'C:\Temp'
Export-FalconConfig
$prodConfig = Get-ChildItem -Filter "FalconConfig_*.zip" | Select-Object -First 1

# Import to test environment
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $testClientId -ClientSecret $testSecret
Import-FalconConfig -Path $prodConfig.FullName -ModifyExisting All -AssignExisting

Write-Host "Production configuration cloned to test environment"

Scheduled Backup

# Save as script: Backup-FalconConfig.ps1
param(
  [string]$ClientId,
  [string]$ClientSecret,
  [string]$BackupPath = "C:\FalconBackups"
)

# Create monthly backup folder
$monthFolder = Join-Path $BackupPath (Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM')
New-Item -Path $monthFolder -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null

# Authenticate
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $ClientId -ClientSecret $ClientSecret

# Change to backup directory
Set-Location $monthFolder

# Export configuration
$result = Export-FalconConfig

if ($result) {
  Write-Host "Backup completed: $($result.FullName)"
  
  # Clean up old backups (keep last 6 months)
  $oldBackups = Get-ChildItem -Path $BackupPath -Filter "FalconConfig_*.zip" -Recurse |
    Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddMonths(-6) }
  
  $oldBackups | ForEach-Object {
    Write-Host "Removing old backup: $($_.FullName)"
    Remove-Item $_.FullName -Force
  }
} else {
  Write-Error "Backup failed"
  exit 1
}

Selective Policy Update

# Export specific policies from production
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $prodClientId -ClientSecret $prodSecret
Export-FalconConfig -Select PreventionPolicy, ResponsePolicy

# Import and update only those policies in test
Request-FalconToken -ClientId $testClientId -ClientSecret $testSecret
$archive = Get-ChildItem -Filter "FalconConfig_*.zip" | Select-Object -First 1
Import-FalconConfig -Path $archive.FullName -Select PreventionPolicy, ResponsePolicy -ModifyExisting All

Disaster Recovery

# Restore from most recent backup
$backupDir = "C:\FalconBackups"
$latestBackup = Get-ChildItem -Path $backupDir -Filter "FalconConfig_*.zip" -Recurse |
  Sort-Object LastWriteTime -Descending |
  Select-Object -First 1

if ($latestBackup) {
  Write-Host "Restoring from: $($latestBackup.FullName)"
  Write-Host "Backup date: $($latestBackup.LastWriteTime)"
  
  $confirm = Read-Host "Continue with restore? (yes/no)"
  
  if ($confirm -eq 'yes') {
    # Authenticate to target CID
    Request-FalconToken -ClientId $clientId -ClientSecret $clientSecret
    
    # Restore configuration
    Import-FalconConfig -Path $latestBackup.FullName -ModifyExisting All -AssignExisting
    
    Write-Host "Configuration restored successfully"
  }
} else {
  Write-Error "No backup found in $backupDir"
}

What Gets Exported

The export includes all user-created configurations:

Policies

Prevention Policies (with settings and IOA rule groups)
Response Policies (with settings)
Sensor Update Policies (with settings and schedules)
Device Control Policies (with classes and exceptions)
Firewall Policies (with settings and rule groups)
File Vantage Policies (with rule groups and exclusions)
Content Update Policies

Groups and Rules

Host Groups (with assignment rules)
IOA Rule Groups (with custom rules)
Firewall Groups (with rules)
File Vantage Rule Groups (with rules)

Exclusions and Indicators

IOA Exclusions
ML Exclusions
Sensor Visibility Exclusions
Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

Other Items

Firewall Locations
RTR Scripts

Default policies and system-created items are exported but handled specially during import to prevent conflicts.

Permissions Required

Export Permissions

For each item type being exported, you need Read permission:

Hosts: Read (for Host Groups)
Prevention Policies: Read
Response Policies: Read
Sensor Update Policies: Read
Device Control Policies: Read
Firewall Management: Read
IOA Rules: Read
Custom IOA Rules: Read
IOC Management: Read
Real Time Response Admin: Read (for Scripts)
File Vantage: Read

Import Permissions

For each item type being imported, you need Read and Write permissions:

Hosts: Read, Write
Prevention Policies: Write
Response Policies: Write
Sensor Update Policies: Write
Device Control Policies: Write
Firewall Management: Write
IOA Rules: Write
Custom IOA Rules: Write
IOC Management: Write
Real Time Response Admin: Write
File Vantage: Write

In Flight Control environments, Sensor Download: Read permission is also required for CID comparison.

Best Practices

Regular Backups

Schedule automated backups before making major configuration changes. Keep backups for at least 6 months.

Test Before Production

Always test imports in a test environment before applying to production. Verify all changes in the results CSV.

Version Control

Store configuration archives in version control or secure backup storage with timestamps and change descriptions.

Document Changes

Maintain a log of configuration imports/exports, including purpose, date, and who performed the operation.

Troubleshooting

Export Issues

Export fails with permission error

Ensure your API credentials have Read permission for all item types being exported. Use -Select to export only items you have access to.

Archive file is empty or very small

Check if you have any user-created configurations. Default policies and system items may be filtered out. Use -Detailed to see what’s being exported.

Export hangs or times out

Large environments may take several minutes. Try exporting specific item types separately using -Select.

Import Issues

Import creates duplicates

Without -ModifyExisting, the import creates new items rather than updating existing ones. Use -ModifyExisting to update items with matching names.

Policies not assigned to host groups

Use the -AssignExisting switch to automatically assign imported policies to host groups with matching names.

Some items failed to import

Review the results CSV for failed items. Common causes include permission issues, naming conflicts, or missing dependencies.

Get-FalconConfig - View current configuration
Compare-FalconConfig - Compare configurations between CIDs
Request-FalconToken - Authenticate to switch between CIDs

Overview

Authentication

Alerts & Detections

Host Management

Real-time Response

Threat Intelligence

Policy Management

Cloud Security

Identity & Access

Security Operations

Monitoring & Analysis

Utilities

​Overview

​Export-FalconConfig

​Syntax

​Parameters

​Examples

​Export Process

​Returns

​Import-FalconConfig

​Syntax

​Parameters

​Examples

​Import Behavior

​Import Results

​Common Workflows

​Backup Configuration

​Migrate Configuration Between CIDs

​Clone Production to Test

​Scheduled Backup

​Selective Policy Update

​Disaster Recovery

​What Gets Exported

​Policies

​Groups and Rules

​Exclusions and Indicators

​Other Items

​Permissions Required

​Export Permissions

​Import Permissions

​Best Practices

Regular Backups

Test Before Production

Version Control

Document Changes

​Troubleshooting

​Export Issues

​Import Issues

​Related Commands

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Export-FalconConfig

Syntax

Parameters

Examples

Export Process

Returns

Import-FalconConfig

Syntax

Parameters

Examples

Import Behavior

Import Results

Common Workflows

Backup Configuration

Migrate Configuration Between CIDs

Clone Production to Test

Scheduled Backup

Selective Policy Update

Disaster Recovery

What Gets Exported

Policies

Groups and Rules

Exclusions and Indicators

Other Items

Permissions Required

Export Permissions

Import Permissions

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Export Issues

Import Issues

Related Commands