---
sourceDocument: Australia Build or modify applications
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/application-development

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Build or modify applications

ft:clusterId :

    - cadev

bundleId :

    - cadev

workflow :

    - Development, Data, and Analytics


---

# Cloning instances

# Cloning instances with AES {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated September 10, 2026  
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## Summary of Cloning instances with AES

This guide explains how ServiceNow customers can protect App Engine Studio (AES) data, tables, and templates when using the System Clone tool to copy instances from production to non-production environments.
It highlights essential steps and considerations to preserve critical data, maintain application integrity, and ensure smooth developer collaboration after cloning.
Show full answer Show less  

## Key Features

* **Plugin and Data Preserver Verification:** Ensure all AES plugins are installed on all instances. Configure data preservers on target instances to protect Automated Test Framework (ATF) and Instance Scan properties during cloning.
* **ATF Restrictions:** ATF tests are disabled by default on production instances to prevent data corruption or outages; running ATF on production is not supported.
* **App Engine Management Center (AEMC) Plugin:** Must be installed across all instances if development and deployment data are collected.
* **Data Preservation and Clone Exclusions:** Specific AES collaboration tables retain data on development instances and exclude production data from overwriting them, including collaboration descriptors, users, and groups.
* **Credential Tables:** Customers should create data preservers or ensure credentials are not overwritten if AES uses Credential Alias, Basic Auth, or Discovery credentials.
* **User Role Reassignment:** After cloning, users in AES-related groups or with specific AES roles must have roles reassigned to maintain access.
* **Post-clone Automation:** A ReSync Collaborations Permissions script automatically syncs collaborator permissions on cloned instances with collaboration plugins enabled.
* **App Template Protection:** AES custom templates, stored as scoped apps, must be preserved using cloning data preservers to avoid loss during cloning.
* **Additional Tables with Data Preservation:** Certain deployment and pipeline-related tables are preserved to maintain operational consistency across instances.

## Practical Considerations for Customers

* Create a clear cloning strategy to avoid unintentional data loss in development environments.
* Use the System Clone tool's data preserver functionality to protect AES applications, templates, and essential collaboration data.
* After cloning, utilize provided UI actions to resync collaboration permissions and clean up orphaned user or group references to maintain a clean collaboration environment.
* Ensure the collaboration plugin is enabled on cloned instances to support automatic permission syncing and collaboration continuity.

## Key Outcomes

By following these guidelines, ServiceNow customers can confidently clone production instances to non-production environments without losing critical AES data, templates, or collaboration settings. This ensures developers can immediately resume work with accurate data and permissions, maintaining productivity and minimizing risk during instance cloning operations.  
Learn how to protect the data, tables, and templates you've created in App Engine Studio when using System Clone to copy instances from
production to non-production.

## Preserving data and tables when cloning {#cloning-aes-applications__section_hv3_l5d_s5b}

The following are requirements for cloning instances with AES:

1. Verify that all of your AES plugins are installed across all instances.
2. If you're cloning a production instance, verify that you've set up a data preserver on the target instances to preserve the Automated Test Framework (ATF) and Instance Scan properties. For more information about data preservers, see [Create a clone preserver](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=create-new-clone-preserver&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US) and [Preserve data during an instance clone](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_CreateADataPreserver&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US).  
   Important:  
   By default, the ATF system property is disabled to prevent you from accidentally running these tests on a production system. Running ATF on a production instance is neither recommended nor supported due to the potential for data corruption or outages.
3. If you're collecting development and deployment data, the App Engine Management Center (AEMC) plugin must be installed on all instances.
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Cloning data and tables from a production instance over a non-production instance can overwrite data in your non-production tables. To ensure that data isn't lost in development environments, create a cloning strategy for collaboration.

1. The following tables have data preservation to ensure that the tables are correctly cloned between instances:  
   Note:  
   For the following tables, preservation is for global scope only.
   * Collaboration Descriptor tables:
     * App Collaboration Descriptors (sys_appcollab_descriptor)
     * App Collaboration Descriptor Permissions (sys_appcollab_permission_m2m)
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   * Collaboration Users and Groups tables:
     * App Collaboration Users (sys_appcollab_user)
     * App Collaboration Groups (sys_appcollab_group)
     {#cloning-aes-applications__ul_mrp_1bn_gxb}
   {#cloning-aes-applications__ul_pft_nm5_x5b}The data preservation ensures data is retained on the tables in the development instances.
2. The following tables have clone exclusions:
   * Collaboration Descriptor tables:
     * App Collaboration Descriptors (sys_appcollab_descriptor)
     * App Collaboration Descriptor Permissions (sys_appcollab_permission_m2m)
     {#cloning-aes-applications__ul_kxk_2bn_gxb}
   * Collaboration Users and Groups tables:
     * App Collaboration Users (sys_appcollab_user)
     * App Collaboration Groups (sys_appcollab_group)
     {#cloning-aes-applications__ul_lxk_2bn_gxb}
   {#cloning-aes-applications__ul_jxk_2bn_gxb}Clone exclusions ensure data from production instances isn't copied to development instances.
3. If AES is the only application using the Credentials table, consider creating data preservers for Credential Alias, Basic Auth, and Discovery credentials. Otherwise, you must ensure that these tables aren't overwritten when the production instance is cloned to non-production instances.
4. The following users must be reassigned their roles after cloning:
   * Users in the AES Users group
   * Users in the AES User Limited group
   * Users who have the sn_app_eng_studio.user role in non-production instances
   {#cloning-aes-applications__ul_ew1_mbn_gxb}
5. After cloning, a ReSync Collaborations Permissions post-clone clean-up script runs automatically, so any applications that were the same on production and development instances are automatically have collaborators synced. Developers can resume development on them immediately.  
   Note:  
   The cloned instance must have the collaboration plugin enabled.
6. If some applications were backed up prior to cloning and retrieved after cloning, you can use the Resync collaboration permissions related link on the sys_app record to reassign users and groups to their appropriate delegated development permissions.
7. If a collaboration descriptor is no longer associated with a user or group after cloning (in the event that development apps were wiped out during cloning as they were not in the source instance), select the Clean up records with empty references related link to remove the unreferenced user or group from the collaboration table. You should run this UI action after the cloning is done and all preserved applications have been retrieved (with Resync collaboration permissions already run on them).
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The following tables have data preservation to ensure that the tables are correctly cloned between instances:

* Pipeline Instance
* Request Authorization Key
* Deployment Request
* Deployment Environment Request
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## Preserving app templates when cloning {#cloning-aes-applications__section_p4w_45d_s5b}

Admins must protect custom templates from being overwritten during the cloning process.
Without protection, templates created in AES (both from
existing applications and from scratch) are in danger of disappearing during a clone.

When you create a template in AES, a scoped app is
automatically generated on the Custom Applications \[sys_app.list\] table in your instance.
Though they have different contents, template applications and standard custom applications
are treated similarly on the ServiceNow AI Platform. So, preserving app templates during a
system clone works the same way as preserving an application.

To protect app templates on your non-production instances, follow the process in [Create a clone preserver](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=create-new-clone-preserver&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US) or [Preserve data during an instance clone](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_CreateADataPreserver&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US).

## More information on cloning and data preservation {#cloning-aes-applications__section_ybq_k42_s5b}

See the following topics for more information on cloning and data preservation:

* For more information on using the System Clone tool, see [Instance Clone](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=system-clone-landing&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US).
* For more information on data preservation, see [Create a clone preserver](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=create-new-clone-preserver&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US).
* For more details on cloning instances with AES, see the App Engine Studio System Administrator Guide on [ServiceNow University](https://learning.servicenow.com/).
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| Learn more about cloning instances with AES | Additional ServiceNow resources |
|-|-|
| ServiceNow provides several additional resources on cloning instances with App Engine Studio. | [Cloning basics knowledge article](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1214608) |
| ServiceNow provides several additional resources on cloning instances with App Engine Studio. | [Cloning instances tips and tricks knowledge article](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1214621) |
| ServiceNow provides several additional resources on cloning instances with App Engine Studio. | [Extensive FAQ knowledge article on cloning instances](https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0715621) |
| ServiceNow provides several additional resources on cloning instances with App Engine Studio. | [App Engine Enterprise - Data Preservation During System Clone Whitepaper](https://learning.servicenow.com/nowcreate?id=nc_asset&asset_id=4b22db79479e91185cbdaf44846d43e1) Note: You must log in to ServiceNow University to access this resource. |
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