"sys_user table preservation during cloning - duplicate handling?

[kuuum_aaaya]

Here's your question formatted in English for the ServiceNow Community:

Title: User Management During Production to Test Environment Cloning

I'm planning to clone our production environment to a test environment and have a question about the sys_user table handling:

We intend to preserve (not exclude) the sys_user table during cloning, and I have some concerns about existing users:

1. For existing users like System Admin that exist in both environments with the same Sys ID, will the cloning process overwrite the test environment users or create duplicates?

2. If duplicates are created, what is the recommended approach to manage these duplicate user records?

3. Are there any best practices or considerations we should be aware of when preserving the sys_user table during cloning, particularly regarding user management?

Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[Dipu Joy · Accepted solution]

Your initial clone should have been a full clone, ensuring that all instances are synchronised with the same sys_id across the environment. If the sys_id matches, the TARGET data will be preserved during the clone, and the incoming data from SOURCE on the sys_id will be overwritten by the preserved data/values on the TARGET. In case of duplicates, the records can be deleted; however, please be mindful of the record references used within the instance, as they may result in orphan references.

Additionally, there is another method specified in this KB, along with the legacy methods, which you can refer to before setting your clone Excluders and Preservers. Please refer to the "Recommended Method: Preserve access and users in target without excluding" section on the below KB with "Legacy Method : (Can still use but with caution – can break related tables and instance functionality)"

• How can I exclude and Preserve Users, Roles, and Groups?
• Clone Tips and Tricks

KB to refer Go Live Best practice ( Tech Support Perspective) Onboarding

KB to refer for Duplicate removal Mass-Deletion and excess data management recommendations