How are the config_backup_****.zip files being used during backup and restore

[kkalckstein]

The backup processes since version 16.01 creates a zip file of the format config_backup_<YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.zip in /opt/apigee/data/<comp>

A new file is getting created every time the configuration in /opt/apigee/customer/application/<comp>.properties changes, and a backup of the changed component is executed.

During the backup the zip folder content is checked, and compared to the current configuration.

However, it is not clear what exactly the function of the zip folder is, and since I had a question by a customer it would be great if someone could explain the functionality of that zip file in more detail.