How to import deleted record changes from Dev instance to Test instance?

[Farah5]

I have a table that contains 9 records, and these records already exist in our DEV, TEST, and PROD instances. My requirement is that I need to delete only one record, but I know that data changes don't get captured in update sets. Normally I would just export the table to XML and import it in the new instance, except I don't know if that will just create duplicate records, since all these records already exist in my other instances?

What is a good way to get go about this? I can't just go into the table in TEST and PROD and delete that one record, my employers wouldn't be okay with that solution.

[Allen Andreas]

Hello,

Importing only adds in new records, or updates existing records. There's system security features that prevent duplicate records from being created if the sys_ids are the same. However, your main overall question was how to move a "deleted record" update...to the other instances so that it too deletes there, correct? As you don't want to log in to those instances and delete the 1 record, etc. from the tables in the other environments.

Please mark reply as Helpful, if applicable. Thanks!

[Farah5]

Hi Allen, 

Yes you are correct. I didn't realize that importing won't create duplicate records, so that's great to find out, but that still doesn't solve my issue. I need to find way a track this record deletion so that I don't need to log into every instance and go delete that one record. 

[asifnoor · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I don't think through xml import or through update sets, the record can be deleted, because data is specific to the instance and hence they are not directly captured unless explicitly done. Even when you explicitly try to capture, they only capture what exists in the current instance.

If the data itself is deleted in dev instance, it will not be captured anywhere and hence you cannot make it affect in other instances. 

You might have to delete the record from the instance manually or you can write a fix script and then push that fix script through update set and run in the required instances.

Kindly mark the comment as a correct answer and helpful if it helps to solve your problem.

Regards,
Asif
2020 ServiceNow Community MVP