Migration of Metadata from one server to another

I think your options are either to perform a migration - forum.appian.com/.../Upgrade_Guide.html - or to export an application containing all objects from Production to your sandbox server.

A migration will, of course, mean clearing down your sandbox environment, so that may not suit. I should add that what you've already mentioned - migrating kdb files - is effectively a migration, or upgrade.

Importing an application would replace objects that already exist on the sandbox environment with the versions of those objects from the production environment, but that is probably the simplest way of achieving what you mention.

If you're concerned that it will take a long time to add all the objects to that application (including documents), you can speed up the process by using the "Add folder contents" option in /design (assuming it's available in the version of Appian you're using) and selecting the top level folders for processes, rules, documents etc.

I think your options are either to perform a migration - forum.appian.com/.../Upgrade_Guide.html - or to export an application containing all objects from Production to your sandbox server.

A migration will, of course, mean clearing down your sandbox environment, so that may not suit. I should add that what you've already mentioned - migrating kdb files - is effectively a migration, or upgrade.

Importing an application would replace objects that already exist on the sandbox environment with the versions of those objects from the production environment, but that is probably the simplest way of achieving what you mention.

If you're concerned that it will take a long time to add all the objects to that application (including documents), you can speed up the process by using the "Add folder contents" option in /design (assuming it's available in the version of Appian you're using) and selecting the top level folders for processes, rules, documents etc.