What is the Clone and Clone Process? After Clone What Will happen in the instance and Why go for Clone and Why clone from product instance to Dev or Test Instance?

[ram2497]

What is the Clone and Clone Process? After Clone What Will happen in the instance and Why go for Clone and Why clone from product instance to Dev or Test Instance?

Thanks

Ram

[Sudhanshu Talw1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Ram,

Clone means to copy everything in a database from one instance to another.

Cloning(or Clone process) is typically used to copy a production instance to a pre-production instance to test changes. Cloning data comes from the most recent, nightly backup.

After clone your instances will be in synchronization means you have the upto date data on DEV, PRODUCTION or TEST instance.The best part of cloning is that the records have same sys_id's across various instances.

Cloning is done from production to TEST or DEV because the PRODUCTION instance is the one where the real business requests are made. The DEV is for development & TEST is for the user acceptance. The PRODUCTION is where you have the most sensible data the business process owned. That's why usualy cloning is done like this. Although there is no hard & fast rule sometimes test is cloned to DEV as well.

The biggest advantage that cloning an instance you will get everything on your development instance as such on PROD & with same sys_id as well.

For more info:

https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/orlando-platform-administration/page/administer/managing-data/con...

Thanks

Sudhanshu

[Shubham Bongulw]

Hi Ram,

In addition to Sudhanshu I would like to add-

Cloning means copying over everything the data , the scripts, images , css, etc., from one location to another

This normally happens from PRODUCTION instance - to development instances. to align the them in sync with production.

This is more like mirroring of the whole website. After cloning a website to a particular location the data which was earlier there will be lost. (hence any data which you would require needs to be backed up as XML before you initiate clone to a development instance.)

ServiceNow has a instance(specific link) for each of its customer and the customer uses it to log tickets or raise request or for different purposes . At the back end a team is working to solve these tickets and this team also develops apps for the customer/client .

Now when a instance is moved to production from development for the customer/client cloning is done to replicate a production instance over an existing sub-production instance before developing or testing changes. (You can say a reverse process from production to development in order to test new changes in instance and to modify it) Since production instances cannot be used as the target instance for a clone after the instance is live. Production clones are created during non-business hours .

Warm Regards,

Shubham Bongulwar

Please mark helpful or correct if it helps!!!

[manjusha]

Hi Ram,

Cloning need to done because every instance should be exact copy of the production instance.

so on pre prod we normally do move our devlopment part,we move our new developed functionality from dev-test-production.

pre-prod should be exact copy of production instance so for that production instance is cloned to pre-prod.

Also there can some differences like form level changes (field arrangement or some extra fields etc or something not working on dev and test but it is working on prod)on test or dev so in this case production instance is cloned to dev and test.

Thanks,

Manjusha Bangale

[Megha Padale]

Hi Ram,

Adding to all Cloning is typically used to copy a production instance to a pre-production instance to test changes. Cloning data comes from the most recent, nightly backup.

Clone process

In response to a clone request, the Now Platform performs the following tasks:

1. Generates a file to preserve operational data on the target server.
   Note: This file contains the data preserved by data preservers.
2. Copies the database schema from the source instance to the target instance.
3. Creates tables in the target instance database using the source instance table definitions.
4. Copies data from the most recent nightly backup of the source instance to the target instance database.
   Note: Certain exclusions are automatically large tables are normally excluded. These include audit, log, and email tables.
5. Briefly disables UI traffic and requests to the target instance server.
6. Displays the message Clone in progress... to any user accessing the target instance.
7. Restores operational data preserved from the target instance.
8. Runs any post-clone cleanup scripts on the target instance.
9. Briefly suspends all email functions on the target instance.
10. Queues an event to regenerate text indexes.
11. Enables UI traffic and requests to the target instance server.

Reference:https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/orlando-platform-administration/page/administer/managing-data/con...

If my answer helped you in any way, mark answer as helpful and correct.

Thanks and regards,

Megha.