Clone options

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated August 25, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Clone options

    This topic outlines the various configuration settings available when requesting a clone in ServiceNow, specifically for the Yokohama release version. These options allow you to control data copying, scheduling, exclusions, and preservation of specific elements during the cloning process.

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    Key Features

    • Lock settings for this clone request: Locks clone settings at request time, preventing later changes in the clone profile from affecting the process. Not enabled by default.
    • Amount of data copied from the Task table: Limits historical task data to 90 days to reduce clone time. You can also exclude large tables to speed cloning; excluded tables retain schema but no data in the target instance.
    • Clone frequency: Enables scheduling of recurring clones with options such as weekly, biweekly, or every four weeks. Default is no scheduled cloning.
    • Backup options: Choose between using the most recent nightly backup or initiating an on-demand backup at clone start time. On-demand backups delay clone start until backup completion.
    • Exclude tables specified in Exclusion List: Prevents cloning of records from tables listed under Instance clone > Exclude Tables, but retains table structure. Default is to exclude these tables.
    • Exclude audit and log data: Omits audit and log records from cloning to create empty audit/log tables on the target. This may affect activity stream accuracy. Enabled by default.
    • Exclude attachment data: Prevents cloning of large binary files like videos and images but retains essential system files and attachments. This exclusion is enabled by default.
    • Preserve theme: Keeps the existing theme and CSS on the target instance, maintaining its look and feel post-clone. Enabled by default.
    • No. of days of In-progress Global Update Sets to be preserved: Optionally preserves global update sets in progress from the last 90 days. Does not preserve scoped update sets or those older than 90 days. Disabled by default.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    These clone options empower you to tailor the cloning process to your operational needs, balancing data completeness, cloning speed, and system consistency. By managing data volumes, scheduling clone frequency, and selectively excluding or preserving data types, you can optimize system refreshes and testing environments effectively. Understanding the defaults and available configurations helps ensure your target instance reflects desired data and settings while minimizing unnecessary data transfer and system downtime.

    A reference topic that contains various configurations for your data when requesting a clone.

    Table 1. Clone options when requesting a clone
    Field Description
    Lock settings for this clone request If you use a clone profile, this option locks the settings and options at the time of the clone request. Any subsequent changes to the clone profile, regardless of when the clone runs, don’t affect the clone request.

    This option isn’t selected by default.
    Amount of data copied from the Task table Limits the number of days of historical data for the task table and its child tables (for example Incident, problem, and change tables) to 90 days.

    To reduce clone time, consider excluding large tables altogether. When excluding tables, your target instance has the same table schema and hierarchy (empty usable tables) as the source instance.

    The default setting is to clone all data from the task table and its child tables to the target instance.
    Clone frequency This option enables you to schedule recurring clones from your source to your target instance. It enables you to define the clone frequency and the maximum number of occurrences. By default, the clone frequency is set to None.
    • None
    • Weekly
    • Every 2 weeks
    • Every 4 weeks
    Backup options Specifies which backup the clone request uses.
    • Most recent: The clone uses the latest nightly backup, unless an upgrade or a major change to the instance occurred.
    • On-demand backup: The backup begins at your specified clone start time. Your clone will only begin after the backup completes, pushing back the time at which the cloning process can start.
    Exclude tables specified in Exclusion List Helps to prevent cloning records from tables on the source instance, which are listed under  Instance clone > Exclude Tables. If a table is on the Exclusion List, the clone excludes the records on the table as well as records on the child tables.

    When excluding tables, their table schema and hierarchy are still cloned to your target instance. As a result, your target instance will have empty but usable tables after the clone.

    Note:
    Default table exclusions are still excluded and aren't affected by this setting. Including tables containing auditing, license usage, logging, and notifications.

    If you need the data from your excluded tables, you can choose to disable this setting.

    The default setting is that tables specified in the Exclusion List are excluded from a clone.
    Exclude audit and log data Helps to prevent the cloning of audit and log records from the source instance. This exclusion creates empty but usable audit and log tables on the target instance.
    Note:
    If you exclude audit and log data from your clone, the activity stream for records doesn't match the source instance. The activity stream relies on the audit table to generate the history.

    The default setting is that audit and log data are excluded from a clone.
    Exclude attachment data Helps to prevent the cloning of certain files from the sys_attachment table, such as:
    • Video files
    • Image files
    • Other large binary files
    Note:
    Default attachments and other system-relevant files (for example catalog item images, theme images, and icons) aren’t affected by this setting.
    The following default attachments and other system-relevant files aren’t affected by this setting and aren’t excluded from a clone:
    • Table name values that start with ZZ_.
    • Table names: sys_certificate, sc_cat_item,sys_upgrade_manifest, ecc_agent_jar, ecc_agent_mib, sys_store_app, or invisible.sys_store_app.

    The default setting is to exclude attachment data.
    Preserve theme Preserves the theme and CSS elements on the target instance. As a result, your target instance will keep its theme, its look and feel after a clone.

    The default setting is to preserve the theme on the target instance.
    No. of days of In-progress Global Update Sets to be preserved Preserves the last 90 days of in-progress update sets in the global application scope. This option enables you to keep in-progress, global update sets created within the last 90 days on your target instance.
    Note:
    This option doesn’t preserve your in-progress scoped update sets. Update sets that are older than 90 days aren't saved. Review and commit your update sets before cloning.
    The default isn’t to preserve update sets.