Clone Admin Console – Quick Start Guide & Instructions Table of Contents What is the Clone Admin Console? What are the top changes to be aware of?Features and Highlights Frequent questionsHow to get started & FAQ This document provides information on the Clone Admin Console, the primary clone request submission tool for ServiceNow. What is the Clone Admin Console? The Clone Admin Console provides the ability to clone data from a source instance (typically production*) to your non-production instances (stage, test, development). Having a representative environment which resembles your production helps with upgrade testing, app testing and development. The Clone Admin Console is the primary UI (user interface) for submitting clone requests. It contains all your existing clone profiles, exclusions, preservers and cleanup scripts. We've added in-context guidance on the clone request page, added an on-demand backup option, and provided more visibility into clone progress. It is on the quarterly store release cadence, so we encourage you to always obtain the latest version for the best experience. *In some cases it is advantageous to clone in steps (also called clone chaining): e.g. first from your production to your stage instance, then from stage to all other development instances. This strategy leads to leaner clones, and can help reduce your clone duration impact. What are the top changes to be aware of? 1. Legacy clones and new clones are stored separately. Clones requested via the Clone Admin Console are stored on a new table (sn_instance_clone_request_list.do) and displayed on the new console homepage. Legacy clones are not shown in the console. Clones initiated via the legacy Request Clone page (clone_instance.do) will be stored on the legacy Clone History table (clone_instance_list.do). Since requests submitted from the clone admin console are stored in a separate table, request numbers in this new table may coincide with request numbers in the legacy table (clone history). 2. Your existing clone settings and configurations remain the same. You will find your existing clone instances, clone profiles, exclusions, preservers, cleanup scripts within both the new clone admin console, and within their original lists & forms. 3. Access and clone-related permissions. Access and clone-related permissions: The Clone Admin Console requires either the clone_admin or the admin role on the source and the admin role on the target instance in order to place a clone request. 4. The new experience utilizes the same clone engine as legacy clone. Known (backend) clone behavior will be the same between legacy and the new user interface. 5. Legacy clone request page sunsetting in Australia release With the move to the new user interface, sunsetting of the legacy page is targeted for the Australia release. Features and Highlights What are the Main Features of the Clone Admin Console? While our new app relies on the existing clone engine, it provides several enhancements (see highlights/features in next section). Using the Clone Admin Console you can: Modify / create new clone configurations, including clone profiles and clone instancesModify / create new clone definitions, including exclusions, preservers, cleanup scriptsSchedule clones, including recurring clonesView the status of clones using the dashboardView the percentage progress of an individual clone and where it is in the processCancel a clone requestRoll back a clone after it completed Highlights of the Clone Admin Console Streamlined clone request experienceA new scheduling tool to prevent conflicts (with ServiceNow scheduled maintenance)On-demand backup optionUnified clone-related settings in one placeA dashboard to easily view current cloning activityAdditional visual detail on clone progress status Frequent questions How do I access the Clone Admin Console? On any instance, running Washington release or newer, type 'clone' into the left nav. The Clone Admin Console module will appear. You can go to the homepage to obtain an overview or access the request clone page directly. Why is the clone homepage empty? The new clone admin console only shows clone requests submitted from the new clone admin console. Older clone requests can still be found under Clone History (via left nav). Where can I update to latest version? _instance_name_.service-now.com/$allappsmgmt.do?sysparm_search=clone (replace _instance_name_ with your instance) Store Link: Link to the Clone Admin Console on the ServiceNow Store. Here you can find details on the release notes for each version and system requirements. How to get started & FAQ On my instance, how do I navigate to the Clone Admin Console? In the Filter Navigator under ‘All’ search for ‘Clone Admin’ and select ‘Clone Home’Alternatively, go to: https://_instance_name_.service-now.com/now/clone/ui/homeNote: remember to change the URL to reflect your instance. How do I modify clone configurations using the Clone App? First navigate to the Configurations tab. You can now view and add Clone instances, or manage Clone profiles. How do I add a new clone profile or modify an existing profile? (Step-by-Step Guide) To add a new profile: Go to Configurations and click on Clone Profiles to view the list of all profiles.Click on the ‘New’ button in the top right to add a new profile. To modify an existing clone profile: Click on the profile name in the first column (example in the picture below: “New Clone Profile”). Note: The default ‘System Profile’ cannot be modified. To change the definitions of a clone profile, such as exclusions, preservers or scripts, click on the number under each definition: As an example, you can add or remove exclusions from the list by clicking ‘Edit’ at the top right: Note: certain system tables cannot be removed from the exclusions list. How do I add/remove an instance to my list of instances I can clone to/from? (Step-by-Step Guide) To add a new instance: Go to Configurations and click on Clone Instances to view the list of all instances you can clone to and from.Click ‘New’ to add a new instance to the list (in the top right).You will need to provide the full URL to your instance, example: https://_instance_name_.service-now.comProvide admin credentials to the instance to add the instance to your list. To remove or modify a clone instance you added previously: To modify an existing instance click on the instance name in the first column, make your modifications, and click update in the dialog box.To remove an existing instance click on the instance name in the first column and click delete in the dialog box. How do I add/modify exclusions, preservers or cleanup scripts in the app? Exclusions Exclusions are tables on your source instance which you wish to exclude from your clones (i.e. you do not want data from excluded tables to be copied to your target instance.) If a table is excluded its table schema will still be copied over during a clone. The result will be empty, usable tables on your target instance. To add an exclusion: Go to the ‘Definitions’ tab and select ‘Exclusions.’Click on ‘New’ in the top right.Under ‘Name’ type in the full table name e.g. ‘cmdb_ci_business_app’Click ‘Save’ in the top right. To modify an exclusion, modify the name and click ‘Save’.To delete an exclusion, click on the 3-dot-menu at the top right and select ‘Delete’, then click OK in the confirmation dialog. Preservers Preservers are tables that you wish to preserve on your target instance (i.e. you do not want data on these tables to be over-written during a clone). If a table on your target instance is preserved, data from the source instance will not be copied over during a clone. As a result, you will have the same data as you had previously. To add a preserver: Go to the ‘Definitions’ tab and select ‘Preservers.’Click on ‘New’ in the top right.Under ‘Name’ type in the name of your choice for your preserver (e.g. ‘Business Applications’).Type in the table name e.g. ‘Business Applications’.A dropdown list will appear, where you can select the desired table.Click ‘Save’ in the top right. To modify a preserver, modify the name and click ‘Save’.To delete a preserver, click on the 3-dot-menu at the top right and select ‘Delete’.Click OK in the confirmation dialog. For further details, please review the description on how to modify a clone profile above. Important Notes: For a table to be preserved, it must exist on both the source instance as well as the target instance. Please note that certain out-of-the-box exclusions and preservers cannot be altered. Cleanup Scripts These scripts run after a clone. Custom scripts can be added to this list. To add a new cleanup script: Go to the ‘Definitions’ tab and select ‘Cleanup Scripts.’Click on ‘New’ in the top right.Under ‘Name’ field, type in the name of your choice for your script (e.g. ‘My Post Clone Script’)Type in the order in which you wish the script to be executed or leave as-is (default is 100).Enter your script.Click ‘Save’ in the top right. To edit a script you created previously: Go to the ‘Definitions’ tab and select ‘Cleanup Scripts.’Click on the script name in the first column you wish to modifyAfter making your edits, click ‘Save’ in the top right. 3. To delete a script you created previously: Click on the 3-dot-menu at the top right and select ‘Delete’.Click OK in the confirmation dialog. How do I submit a Clone Request with the new clone app? You can submit a new clone request by clicking on the "Request Clone" button on the Homepage. Important: Please note that requests submitted via the app will not show up in the legacy clone history table (clone_instance_list.do). New requests are stored on the sn_instance_clone_request_list.do table and shown on the app Clone Dashboard page. How do I submit Feedback for the Clone App? Please input any feedback on the app using this MS Form: Clone App Feedback Form: https://forms.office.com/r/ReTjuz2Dfb Note: You can use the form multiple times, as often as you like. Thank you for your feedback. We’ll share and discuss your feedback with our product team as part of our iterative process.