public static XMLMemento getPerspectiveConfiguration(IPerspectiveDescriptor perspDesc) throws Exception {
  Perspective perspective = ((WorkbenchPage) PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getActiveWorkbenchWindow().getActivePage()).findPerspective(perspDesc);
  XMLMemento memento = XMLMemento.createWriteRoot(IWorkbenchConstants.TAG_PERSPECTIVE);
  IStatus status = perspective.saveState(memento);
  StringWriter writer = new StringWriter();
  memento.save(writer);
  if (status.getSeverity() == IStatus.OK)
    return memento;
  else
    return null;
}
public static IStatus setPerspectiveConfiguration (IPerspectiveDescriptor perspDesc, IMemento memento) throws Exception {
  Perspective perspective = ((WorkbenchPage) PlatformUI.getWorkbench().getActiveWorkbenchWindow().getActivePage()).findPerspective(perspDesc);
  MultiStatus status = new MultiStatus(PlatformUI.PLUGIN_ID, IStatus.OK, "restoring perspective", null);
  status.merge(perspective.restoreState(memento));
  status.merge(perspective.restoreState());
  return status;
}