Customizations tracked by update sets
Update sets track customizations to application tables, fields, and records.
Update sets capture configuration details but exclude task or process data. For example, they record catalog item definitions, variables, and variable choices, but not submitted orders or catalog tasks.
update_synch attribute
To see the list of tables where customizations are tracked, navigate to and filter on attributes contains update_synch.
- Some core tables require special update handling because they represent information on multiple tables. When the update_synch attribute is added to these tables, duplicate update records are created, causing major conflicts that are difficult to troubleshoot and repair.
- Using the update_synch attribute to migrate data records between instances can cause performance issues. To migrate data see Import sets key concepts to use an instance-to-instance import.
Special handlers
Special handlers represent information on multiple tables. These changes are packaged into one update set entry so that all records are properly updated when the customization is committed.- Workflows
- Form sections
- Lists
- Related lists
- Choice lists
- System dictionary entries
- Field labels
Choice lists
Update sets store both new and updated choice options as separate records in the sys_update_version and sys_update_xml tables. For example, if you extend the Task table with a u_activity table, add a state field choice visible only in your extended table.
When you publish these changes as an update set, the update only contains update and version records for the choice you added to the u_activity table. The choice options in the task table are unaffected.
Dictionary changes
Using update sets help to prevent you from applying dictionary changes that result in data loss. For example, blocked dictionary changes include removing tables or changing a column data type.
Home pages and content pages
Home pages and content pages aren’t added to update sets by default. Add pages to the current update set by unloading them.
The functionality found in homepages, arranging information from your instance to tell a story about your data, is found in dashboards on new instances. On upgraded instances with Next Experience enabled, users can view existing homepages if they have a direct URL, but they can't create or edit them. Responsive dashboards and Analytics Overview dashboards take over homepage functionality.
Use the Homepage deprecation help tool to convert the homepages on your instance to responsive dashboards.
Application changes
The system creates a separate update set for each application that only contains changes associated with the application. This separation verifies that access settings for each application are properly evaluated and applied when committing update set changes.