> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://archivedocs.stackstate.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://archivedocs.stackstate.com/5.1/develop/developer-guides/stackpack/prepare_instance_template_file.md).

# Prepare instance template files

StackState Self-hosted v5.1.x

When preparing an instance specific template file, keep in mind that you will use some identifiers that point to the shared template file. It's highly recommended to [prepare your shared template first](/5.1/develop/developer-guides/stackpack/prepare_shared_template.md).

This file should include configuration blocks for the DataSource used by this instance, Topology information, QueryViews, etc. You can identify them in your export `.stj` file by identifier with `instance` entry, for example `"urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:sync:test"`. However, this file also requires pointers to functions, Component templates, and Relation templates from the shared template file as in the below example:

The file should also include mapping functions called `componentActions` from the shared-template file to execute on the instance nodes:

### Synchronizations and `componentActions` mappings

```javascript
{
"_type": "Sync",
"name": "Test",
"identifier": "urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:sync:test",
"relationActions": [],
"extTopology": -142, 
"topologyDataQuery": 
    {
        "_type": "Sts.StsTopologyElementsQuery", 
        "relationIdExtractorFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack name}}:shared:idextractor-function:test-relation-id-extractor"}},
        "componentIdExtractorFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack name}}:shared:idextractor-function:test-component-id-extractor"}},
        "id": -191,
        "consumerOffsetStartAtEarliest": false
    },
"componentActions":
    [
        {
            "_type": "SyncActionCreateComponent",
            "templateFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:shared:component-template-function:exchange-service-template"}},
            "id": -190,
            "mergeStrategy": "MergePreferTheirs",
            "type": "exchange_service"
        }
    ],
"id": -2,
"defaultComponentAction":
    {
        "_type": "SyncActionCreateComponent",
        "templateFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:shared:component-template-function:exchange-component-template"}},
        "id": -1,
        "mergeStrategy": "MergePreferTheirs",
        "type": "default_component_mapping"
    },
"defaultRelationAction":
    {
        "_type": "SyncActionCreateRelation",
        "templateFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:shared:relation-template-function:test-relation-template"}},
        "id": -188,
        "mergeStrategy": "MergePreferTheirs",
        "type": "default_relation_mapping"
    }
},
```

After getting Synchronizations and Mappings from the shared-template into your instance-specific file, you can start looking for instance-specific blocks in the STJ export and copy them to your instance-specific template. You can quickly identify instance specific blocks, as their Identifier contains `instance:{{instanceId}}` segment.

### DataSources

```javascript
  {
    "_type": "DataSource",
    "name": "test",
    "identifier": "urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:data-source:test",
    "pluginId": "Sts",
    "config": {
      "expireElementsAfter": 172800000,
      "_type": "Sts.StsTopologyDataSourceConfig",
      "autoExpireElements": false,
      "id": -143,
      "supportedWindowingMethods": [],
      "integrationType": "test",
      "supportedDataTypes": ["TOPOLOGY_ELEMENTS"],
      "topic": "{{ topicName }}"
    },
    "id": -140,
    "uiRequestTimeout": 15000
  },
```

### Topology Information

```javascript
  "extTopology": {
    "_type": "ExtTopology",
    "dataSource": -140,
    "id": -142,
    "settings": {
      "_type": "TopologySyncSettings",
      "cleanupInterval": 3600000,
      "maxBatchesPerSecond": 5,
      "id": -141,
      "maxBatchSize": 200,
      "cleanupExpiredElements": false
    }
  },
```

### QueryViews

```javascript
{
  "_type": "QueryView",
  "name": "TEST - {{instance_url}}",
  "query": "(domain IN (\"TEST\"))",
  "minimumGroupSize": 8,
  "groupedByDomains": true,
  "id": -72,
  "identifier": "urn:stackpack:{{StackPackName}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:query-view:test",
  "groupedByLayers": true,
  "showIndirectRelations": false,
  "groupingEnabled": true,
  "queryVersion": "0.0.1"
}
```

## Example of an instance template file:

```javascript
{
"nodes":
    [
        {
            "_type": "Sync",
            "name": "sync-Name",
            "identifier": "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:sync:{{sync-name}}",
            "relationActions": [],
            "extTopology": -142,
            "topologyDataQuery":
                {
                    "_type": "Sts.StsTopologyElementsQuery",
                    "relationIdExtractorFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:shared:idextractor-function:relation-id-extractor"}},
                    "componentIdExtractorFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:shared:idextractor-function:component-id-extractor"}},
                    "id": -191,
                    "consumerOffsetStartAtEarliest": false
                },
            "componentActions":
                [
                    {
                        "_type": "SyncActionCreateComponent",
                        "templateFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:shared:component-template-function:exchange-service-template"}},
                        "id": -190,
                        "mergeStrategy": "MergePreferTheirs",
                        "type": "exchange_service"
                    }
                ],
            "id": -2,
            "defaultComponentAction":
                {
                    "_type": "SyncActionCreateComponent",
                    "templateFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:shared:component-template-function:exchange-component-template"}},
                    "id": -1,
                    "mergeStrategy": "MergePreferTheirs",
                    "type": "default_component_mapping"
                },
            "defaultRelationAction":
                {
                    "_type": "SyncActionCreateRelation",
                    "templateFunction": {{get "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:shared:relation-template-function:relation-template"}},
                    "id": -188,
                    "mergeStrategy": "MergePreferTheirs",
                    "type": "default_relation_mapping"
                }
        },
        {
            "_type": "DataSource",
            "name": "datasource",
            "identifier": "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:data-source:{{datasource}}",
            "pluginId": "Sts",
            "config":
                {
                    "expireElementsAfter": 172800000,
                    "_type": "Sts.StsTopologyDataSourceConfig",
                    "autoExpireElements": false,
                    "id": -143,
                    "supportedWindowingMethods": [],
                    "integrationType": "{type}",
                    "supportedDataTypes": ["TOPOLOGY_ELEMENTS"],
                    "topic": "{{ topicName }}"
                },
            "extTopology":
                {
                    "_type": "ExtTopology",
                    "dataSource": -140,
                    "id": -142,
                    "settings":
                        {
                            "_type": "TopologySyncSettings",
                            "cleanupInterval": 3600000,
                            "maxBatchesPerSecond": 5,
                            "id": -141,
                            "maxBatchSize": 200,
                            "cleanupExpiredElements": false
                        }
                },
            "id": -140,
            "uiRequestTimeout": 15000
        },
        {
            "_type": "QueryView",
            "name": "ViewName - {{instance_url}}", "query": "(domain IN (\"TEST\"))",
            "minimumGroupSize": 8,
            "groupedByDomains": true,
            "id": -72,
            "identifier": "urn:stackpack:{{StackPack Name}}:instance:{{instanceId}}:query-view:test",
            "groupedByLayers": true,
            "showIndirectRelations": false,
            "groupingEnabled": true,
            "queryVersion": "0.0.1"
        }
    ],
    "timestamp": "2019-05-31T18:03:38Z",
    "version": "0.1"
}
```

The next step is: [Prepare a multi-instance provisioning script](/5.1/develop/developer-guides/stackpack/prepare_multi-instance_provisioning_script.md)