Extracting The Database Dump File From Your SFTP Server using FileZilla SoftwareIssue Please see the below checklist that you need to follow before requesting for Database Dump Checklist Reason to request for DB dumpAcknowledge the data package terms provided by support via the caseOnce instance is suspended and data package terms is acknowledgedChange will be created for DB dump This article covers the steps involved to extract the database dump file from the SFTP server by installing FileZilla software. Pre-requisites : 1. Install FileZilla Software on your MAC or Windows. Please make sure you are connected to the Internet and not to a VPN. 2. You would have received the credentials from ServiceNow support team The credentials will contain such as: HostName , Username, Password, Key 🔑 that holds your private key in a .gz extension zip file. 3. Use the password to unlock the zip file and use the private key with password (2MFA) to authenticate on the SFTP host 4. Next see the resolution section which explains step by step process to extract the data from your FileZilla software by connecting to your host region via SFTP server.ReleaseAllCauseSFTP ProcessResolutionSteps to reproduce : (In this process I am using MAC system as an example) 1. Once the FileZilla software is installed. Go on FileZilla > Settings 2. A new popup window opens after clicking on settings > choose SFTP from the left hand side > then click add key file here you choose the zip file that contains key private key and not file holding .pub extension. See below 👇 3. Then you click on the sites icon > create a new site > Enter the details provided by ServiceNow support team hostname : sftp-ams.service-now.com (example) port : 22 Username: Password: 4. Then click connect Then you will be connected to SFTP server and can start downloading the file.Related LinksIf you face any issues contact ServiceNow support team for assistance Common FAQ's 1. How long does the customer have access to the data? When a migration account gets created, its password will be valid for 90 daysAfter 90 days the external access to the account will be blocked.If the password is not reset in the next 15 days, the local SFTP user will be automatically deleted and uploaded files recycled - the account can still be recovered from this stateAfter another 2 days, the recycled data is deleted - the account cannot be recovered past this point 2.Workflow of SFTP? SFTP works by using a secure shell data stream. It establishes a secure connection and then provides a higher level of protection for data while transferring it. It uses different encryptions that help move the data and ensure that data is unread, which is being processed. 3.What is the purpose of SFTP? SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) is a file transfer protocol that leverages a set of utilities that provide secure access to a remote computer to deliver secure communications. It is considered by many to be the optimal method for secure file transfer. Can easily defend any brute force attacks. Additional FAQ's Q: Can I request multiple DB dumps prior to the instance being decommissioned? A: No. The customer is entitled to only one dump once the retirement has been requested. It is recommended that we provide the DB dump close to their decommissioning date so they get all the data they had up to that point to avoid creating multiple DB dumps. Q: Can you pull a DB dump straight from a live instance? A: We can only provide the DB dump from the instance's latest backup. Q: How will the Database Dump affect the instance? A: Retrieving the DB dump does not affect instance productivity since we will use the latest backup of the instance. Q: Will the data provided be the most recent of our instance? A: The DB dump will use the latest backup available for the instance. Q: What's the SQL version of the DB dump? A: This varies from instance to instance. Support can help and find this in the internal system record for the instance (MySQL 5.x vs MariaDB 10.x). Q: How much data/ How big will the file be? A: You will be able to see the exact amount of data when the data dump has been delivered to you. Q: Why the actual DB size and dump size are different? A: Often, the customer doesn't understand that the total size we provide them includes data+index+metadata and all other system/DB files within the data directory. Also, the size of the index on frequently used tables can be more than the size of the actual data, which is not included in the dump. Mysqldump only writes data to the dump file (the index is created on the fly by the DB when the data is imported). Hence, the size of the dump and the mysql table will never match. Besides, there is overhead on how MySQL stores data (16K pages, etc.). We've seen 100GB dump turning to 230GB table in MySQL! Q: Will the dump include all attachments from tickets? A: The SFTP file will be an exact snapshot of your instance. Q: Why are some tables missing in the dump? A: We don't necessarily create a physical table for every table you see from the UI. For better performance, we handle some tables differently. For example, the task table's entire table hierarchy is stored in a single flat physical table. Except for a few exceptions, 99.99% of the instances have the task table flattened. This is the reason why the customer doesn't see the incident, case, and change tables in the dump as this data is stored in the task table. The following documentation contains more information: Task Table Flattening Q: Our contract ends at the end of the month on the 31st, but we need the instance up and running until then. Is this possible? A: Since we are only working with a copy of your backup after the instance has been retired, it will have no impact on the Instance. Q: Can a customer get a copy of their data monthly or quarterly? A: No, there is no contract specification or service built to handle this amount of traffic. Q: Can you provide assistance to the customer on how to see/use/restore their data? A: Contractually, ServiceNow will provide the customer with a copy of their database in an industry standard format once they are EOL. From here it's expected that the customer will take that copy and operate on it as needed. ServiceNow does not have the process or resourcing to provide assistance after a DB dump has been provided to the customer. Q: It's taking a long time to download the DB dump. Can you help with this? A: Unfortunately, we cannot control this since download time will depend on the customers connection to our SFTP server (i.e. public internet). Q: Can you send me a copy of the DB dump in an encrypted disk or physical media? A: No. The DB dump will be provided in our SFTP server only. Q: Can you make an exception of the use cases provided in this KB? A: No. We will only provide DB dumps to fit the use cases in this KB. Anything beyond the use cases of this KB will be out of the scope of this procedure. Q: How long will the credentials be good for? A: The credentials are valid as long as the file is still on the backup server. Q: When leaving the ServiceNow platform what does ServiceNow do with the instance? A: Full Backups of instances are kept for a maximum for 30 days. Once the instance is retired, the customer has 30 days to request the data dump. Q: What ServiceNow does with their data after the off-board? A: We do offer a certificate of data destruction, if requested, stating all data has been wiped from our servers. Q: What software can be used to access the SFTP server? A: FileZilla or Cyberduck. ***Please note that these items are only suggestions for the customer. ServiceNow is not partnered with any of these companies. Q: Can customers download their files with SFTP? A: Yes, our Global SFTP service is up and running, however, an SFTP client application may be required to access it. If using FileZilla. It is 2 factor authentication, a key pair + password is used to access SFTP accounts. Q: If the customer does not fit the criteria listed above, can they still archive their data? A: Yes, however, they will have to seek third-party assistance as ServiceNow does not provide a service for data archival. We do offer training if a company wishes to develop their own internal data archival service. See Training and Certification for more details. ***Please Note : Does ServiceNow assist after a DB dump is provided. ***Answer : Once we provide you with a DB dump we won't assist after the file is extracted. This is per our policy.