Will the folder structure from a legacy system export be preserved during extraction?

Yes. The directory hierarchy inside the archive is preserved exactly in the extracted output. For migration work, this means the source system's file organization — media by date, configs by environment, exports by schema — is intact and ready to map to the target system.

Is it safe to extract a TAR.GZ export from an outgoing vendor or legacy system?

Yes. Extraction runs in a sandboxed server-side environment. Path traversal attacks are blocked, symlinks and hard links are skipped, and output is confined to an isolated directory. There is no risk to your local migration environment.

What size exports can I extract with this tool?

Archives up to 50 MB can be uploaded. Total uncompressed extracted output is capped at 5 GB per task. For larger full-system exports, phased or partial archives within these limits work well for initial auditing.

Can I use this to audit the contents of an export before building import logic?

Yes. Extracting and inspecting the archive structure before writing any migration scripts is a practical first step. Deliteful returns the full extracted file tree, letting you verify what was exported and how it's organized before committing to an import mapping.

Extract TAR.GZ System Exports During Data Migration Projects

Data migration projects almost always involve receiving a full system export — database dumps, file stores, config directories — packaged as a TAR.GZ archive by the source system or outgoing vendor. When that archive arrives and the receiving team lacks Linux tooling or a prepared extraction environment, Deliteful provides a safe, immediate way to unpack it and assess the contents before migration work begins.

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Legacy CMS platforms, on-premise ERP systems, and outgoing SaaS vendors frequently deliver data exports as TAR.GZ bundles. The archive often contains nested directories that map directly to the source system's structure — media libraries organized by upload year, database exports split by schema, or config files grouped by environment. Preserving that hierarchy during extraction is critical: it determines how files map to the target system. Deliteful extracts the archive and returns the full directory structure intact, so migration teams can audit the layout before writing any import logic.

Migrating from an untrusted or unfamiliar source system introduces real risk if archives are extracted carelessly. A malformed export could use path traversal sequences to write outside the intended directory, corrupting the migration workspace. Deliteful blocks this at the extraction layer and sandboxes each archive in its own isolated directory. The 5 GB uncompressed output cap covers the majority of incremental or partial exports used in phased migrations.

How it works

1
Sign in with Google
Create your free Deliteful account in about 3 clicks — no credit card needed.
2
Upload the export archive
Upload the .tar, .tar.gz, or .tgz export file from your source system, up to 50 MB.
3
Extraction runs server-side
Deliteful unpacks the archive in an isolated environment, preserving the original folder hierarchy and blocking unsafe paths.
4
Download and audit the contents
All extracted files are available for download, organized as the source system packed them — ready to map to your target.

Frequently asked questions

Will the folder structure from a legacy system export be preserved during extraction?: Yes. The directory hierarchy inside the archive is preserved exactly in the extracted output. For migration work, this means the source system's file organization — media by date, configs by environment, exports by schema — is intact and ready to map to the target system.
Is it safe to extract a TAR.GZ export from an outgoing vendor or legacy system?: Yes. Extraction runs in a sandboxed server-side environment. Path traversal attacks are blocked, symlinks and hard links are skipped, and output is confined to an isolated directory. There is no risk to your local migration environment.
What size exports can I extract with this tool?: Archives up to 50 MB can be uploaded. Total uncompressed extracted output is capped at 5 GB per task. For larger full-system exports, phased or partial archives within these limits work well for initial auditing.
Can I use this to audit the contents of an export before building import logic?: Yes. Extracting and inspecting the archive structure before writing any migration scripts is a practical first step. Deliteful returns the full extracted file tree, letting you verify what was exported and how it's organized before committing to an import mapping.

Create your free Deliteful account with Google and safely extract your system export archives before migration work begins.