Retreived updateset

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Akhila P
Tera Contributor

‎02-09-2025 06:53 AM

Hello everyone,

Can explain tell me about the difference between local update sets and retrieved update sets?

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Viraj Hudlikar
Giga Sage

‎02-09-2025 09:15 AM - edited ‎02-09-2025 09:19 AM

Hello @Akhila P 

 

In ServiceNow, a "local update set" refers to a collection of changes you make directly within your current instance (like a development environment), while a "retrieved update set" is a set of changes that you import from another instance, essentially bringing changes made on a different environment (like a test or production instance) into your current one. 

 

Origin: 

 • Local Update Set: Created and modified within your current ServiceNow instance, capturing changes you make directly to tables, forms, workflows, etc. 

 • Retrieved Update Set: Downloaded from another ServiceNow instance, allowing you to import changes made on a different environment into your current one. 

 

Functionality: 

 • Local Update Set: Used to group changes you want to move to another environment (like QA or production) by exporting them as an update set file. 

 • Retrieved Update Set: Used to apply changes made on a different instance to your current one by importing the update set file. 

 

How to Access: 

• Local Update Set: Go to "System Update Sets" > "Local Update Sets" in your ServiceNow instance to create and manage your local changes. 

• Retrieved Update Set: Navigate to "System Update Sets" > "Retrieved Update Sets" to import update sets from other instances. 

 

Example Use Case: 

• A developer makes changes to a form on their development instance. They group these changes into a local update set. 

• The developer then exports the local update set and imports it into the QA instance as a "retrieved update set" to test the changes in a separate environment. 

 

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Thanks & Regards
Viraj Hudlikar.

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CristianBatrinu
Tera Contributor

‎02-10-2025 11:31 AM

Hi,

 

 Local update sets are the update sets you create and work on directly in your current instance. They capture your local configuration changes as you develop or configure the system.

 Retrieved update sets are update sets that have been exported from a different instance and then imported ("retrieved") into your current instance. These allow you to bring in changes that were made elsewhere and apply them to your local environment.

Regards,

Cristian-Alexandru Batrinu