PDI Being Reclaimed for No Reason - No New PDIs Available

[blairedanny]

I have received emails stating my PDI will be reclaimed tomorrow, with no reason given.  It is not due to inactivity as I use my PDI every day.  I know that PDIs are unsupported and can be reclaimed whenever SN feels like it.  My concern is I have coworkers who have stated they have been on a wait-list for a PDI for months now and I don't want to be in that same situation.  If I have had a PDI for a significant amount of time, and utilizing it daily, once it's auto-reclaimed will I get priority on getting a new PDI?

[blairedanny]

I do realize PDIs are not supported, as I stated in my original post.  Luckily for me, I was able to get a new PDI immediately with a different email address

[blairedanny]

For others in this same predicament, I was able to get a new PDI immediately with a different email address, hopefully others have the same experience and are not without a "playground" for too long.

[Tanushree Maiti]

Hi @blairedanny 

FYI ->Keeping PDIs Available for Active Builders: Upcoming PDI Reclamation Changes

[blairedanny]

Interesting. I don't meet both of those criteria, as my PDI has had activity within the past 10 days. Maybe the email was a mistake and sent because I meet only the first criteria of 90 days old. Guess we will see if I still have my PDI after today. 

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @blairedanny 

As per the latest blog from ServiceNow regarding PDI reclamation:

 ServiceNow Personal Developer Instance (PDI) Update – Summary

ServiceNow is reclaiming inactive Personal Developer Instances (PDIs) to improve availability, as demand for PDIs has exceeded capacity.

Why is this happening?

• Many inactive PDIs are occupying resources.

• Reclaiming unused instances will help active developers obtain PDIs more easily.

• This is part of a broader initiative to improve PDI availability and performance.

Which PDIs will be reclaimed?

A PDI will be reclaimed only if it meets both of the following conditions:

• 90 days or older (from the provisioning date), and

• No direct login to the PDI in the last 10 days.

Note: Logging into the Developer Site or background activity does not count. You must log in directly to your PDI.

Notification Schedule

If your PDI is eligible for reclamation, ServiceNow will notify you before taking action:

• July 7: Initial notification

• July 10: Reminder (one day before reclamation)

• July 11: PDI reclamation

If you receive any of these emails, back up your work immediately.

How to Protect Your Work

Before your PDI is reclaimed:

• Export Update Sets

• Connect Scoped Applications to Source Control

• Export any custom data

• Save attachments and configurations

• Back up custom scripts and system properties

Future Improvements

ServiceNow is also working on:

• Improving the underlying PDI infrastructure

• Providing a more reliable and performant developer experience

• Continuously monitoring and enhancing PDI availability for the developer community

Key Takeaway

If your PDI is older than 90 days and you haven't logged into it within the last 10 days, it may be reclaimed. Log in regularly and back up your work to avoid losing your customizations and development artifacts.

https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-blog/keeping-pdis-available-for-active-builders-upcom...

How to Take Backup of PDI going forward:

Summary: How to Back Up Your ServiceNow Personal Developer Instance (PDI)

This guide explains the different methods for backing up your Personal Developer Instance (PDI) to protect your work before a reset or reclamation.

1. Back Up Using ServiceNow Studio (Scoped Applications)

Use ServiceNow Studio for scoped applications.

Steps:

• Create a GitHub account (if you don't already have one).
• Generate a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with the repo scope.
• Create Basic Auth Credentials in ServiceNow using your GitHub username and PAT.
• Create a GitHub repository for your application.
• In System Applications > Studio, select your application.
• Link the application to Source Control using the GitHub repository URL and credentials.
• Push your application to GitHub.

Restore: Import the application back from Source Control using the same repository and branch.

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2. Back Up Using App Engine Studio (AES)

For applications built in App Engine Studio:

Steps:

• Configure GitHub and a Personal Access Token.
• Create ServiceNow credentials.
• Open App Engine Studio.
• Select your application.
• Choose Link to Source Control.
• Connect it to your GitHub repository.

Restore: Use Import App in App Engine Studio to retrieve the application from GitHub.

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3. Back Up Using Update Sets

Update Sets capture configuration changes made on the platform.

Steps:

1. Create a new Local Update Set.
2. Make it the Current update set.
3. Perform all configuration work within that update set.
4. Set the update set to Complete.
5. Export it as an XML file.

You can also:

• Export multiple update sets as a batch.
• Publish an entire scoped application to an Update Set and export it.

Restore: Import the XML file into Retrieved Update Sets, then Preview and Commit the update set.

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Important Notes

• Always store backups outside your PDI.
• GitHub is recommended for application source control.
• Update Sets capture configuration changes, not business data.
• Metadata such as records is not backed up automatically.
• Export any required custom data, attachments, scripts, and configurations separately.
• Never store passwords or sensitive credentials in a public GitHub repository.

Link: https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-blog/how-to-backup-your-personal-developer-instance-p...