Can I delete data from 「cmn_location」、「sys_user」 and 「core_company」 table?

lipan · ‎08-07-2023

Hello Everyone,

There are some existing data on the [cmn_location] table, [sys_user] table, and [core_company] table in my company's development instance, verification instance, and commercial instances.

I would like to know if it is possible to delete the data from these three tables. What is the impact of deleting this data?

Rahul Kumar17 · ‎08-07-2023

Hi,

Deleting data from the "cmn_location," "sys_user," and "core_company" tables in ServiceNow can have significant implications on the functioning of your instances. Before proceeding with data deletion, it's crucial to understand the potential impacts and carefully plan your actions. Here's a general overview of the potential impacts of deleting data from these tables:

cmn_location Table:
- The "cmn_location" table stores location information, which is used for various purposes in the system, such as associating users with locations, organizing assets, and managing configuration items.
- Deleting location data could impact the accuracy of reporting, asset management, and other processes that rely on location information.
- Users assigned to specific locations might be affected, leading to data inconsistencies.
sys_user Table:
- The "sys_user" table contains user records, including essential details like usernames, email addresses, and roles.
- Deleting user records could lead to access issues, workflow interruptions, and reporting inaccuracies.
- Deleted user records might cause audit trail gaps and affect historical data.
core_company Table:
- The "core_company" table stores information about companies or organizations within your instance.
- Deleting company records could affect various processes that use company data, such as incident assignments, workflows, and data separation.
- Deleting a company might lead to data loss in associated records or workflows that depend on company data.

Important Considerations:

Deleted data is usually irrecoverable. Make sure you have proper backups and a well-documented plan before proceeding.
Impact can vary based on your instance's customizations, integrations, and business processes. Conduct thorough testing in a non-production environment.
Data dependencies: Ensure that you understand relationships between these tables and other parts of your system, such as references, foreign keys, and dependencies in scripts and workflows.
Compliance: Deleting user and company data might have implications for audit trails, security, and compliance requirements.

Recommendations:

Backup: Before proceeding, take backups of your instances, including data and configurations.
Test: Perform comprehensive testing in a controlled environment to understand the impact and potential issues.
Consultation: Consult with ServiceNow administrators, developers, and stakeholders to discuss the implications and potential alternatives.
Archiving: Consider archiving or deactivating data instead of outright deletion, especially for user and company records.
Phased Approach: If deletion is necessary, consider a phased approach, deleting a small subset first and monitoring the impact before proceeding further.

Due to the complexity and potential risks involved, it's recommended to engage with ServiceNow experts or consultants who can provide tailored guidance based on your specific instance and requirements.

Thanks,

Rahul Kumar

If my response helped please mark it correct and close the thread.

Thanks,
Rahul Kumar

View solution in original post

Maik Skoddow · ‎08-07-2023

Hi

removing records from these three tables can have unexpected impacts and lead to a broken system in the worst case as records from these tables are referenced nearly everywhere in the system.

You can use my feature

Get a report of all references for any record

to get a better understanding of a ll the tables in the background and throughout the system which have references to a single record.

Maik

bammar · ‎08-07-2023

Ok well 2 things. If you want to be super cautious then consider archiving instead of deletion. OR back up the records you will delete by exporting xml. From the user records its clear they are example users sort of demo data. If they are indeed demo data, data you found when you installed ServiceNow then you can remove it. You can check the timestamps of when the records were created and by who. So i would say ulimately you can Archive, backup and delete, delete but the first 2 allow for restoration if necessary and delete does too but it may be more difficult as time passes by.

Ravi Chandra_K · ‎08-07-2023

Hello @lipan

Greetings!

Is this manually created data or it is being integrated from any system?

Could you please tell me what is the main reason to delete the data.

in general, the data in development and production instances should be in sync.

So that when you develop and impersonate any user and check, it works.

also cross verify you're not using these locations and companies in any of the catalog forms.

if you're not using this data at all, make sure you have the same data in any other instance or take xml backup (so that you can import the data back in future).

Please mark the answer as correct solution and helpful if helped.

Kind Regards,

Ravi Chanda

lipan · ‎08-07-2023

Hi @Ravi Chandra_K

These data are automatically created, and the purpose of deletion is to store project related data in these three tables and delete data unrelated to the project。