Clone Profile Setup Questions

[Alex Winkley]

Hello,

We're targeting setting up cloning on our instance, and let's just say that it's been a while since we've done a full clone process. In the time since, we've implemented several scoped applications as well as retired a number of tables that existed during our last clone. With that in mind, I've been able to find most of my answers via the documentation, with the exception of the below questions.

• Is there a transform map or import process that can be done for setting up Clone Preserve and Clone Exclude tables? If at all possible, I'd like to avoid having to manually set up these tables in the Clone Preserve/Exclude tables, considering we have 100s to load
• Does the scope of the application for the clone_data_exclude and clone_data_preserver tables have any impact on how the clone runs and uses the configuration? If I have a table in a certain scoped application, do I need to make sure the application is set to that scoped app when creating the clone_data_exclude and clone_data_preserver record?
• How do you preserve data on the target instance for a table that doesn't exist on the source instance?
  • Since the table picker on the clone_data_preserver table is a table name field, I can only select tables on the source instance. Is it possible to preserve data on the target instance where the table doesn't exist yet? If so, what's your recommended strategy for doing so?

[Tony Chatfield1]

Hi, the intention of a clone is normally to replace the sub-production instance with an exact copy of Production, minus sensitive data and preserving core configuration IE your Admin accounts and test integrations; So I would think that if you have hundreds of preservers\excluders to create then there may be a business disconnect\misunderstanding somewhere?

• You could create a transform map to import excluders\preservers but making it easy to preserve\exclude is not necessarily going to result in a better long term business outcome.
• I don't believe that you need to set a scope and have excluder\preserver records for scoped apps that show they are configured in the 'global' scope.
• If you have tables in sub-production that do not exists in production, then the best solution is to export the subprod update-set(s) involved and reapply these after the clone. You can exclude\preserve update-set data, but if you don't get it right you will lose your updates (unless backed up), or you will be delayed while you have SNC restore the full instance from backup and then try another clone.
  Also, I see no value in cloning if you are not purging the garbage that a development instance accumulates over time and I think exclude less, preserve even less, provides the best results when maintaining a development environment.