Rollback context properties

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Rollback context properties

    Rollback context records in ServiceNow store significant amounts of data to enable rollback operations. By default, these records are deleted after a specific expiration period (usually 10 days) to manage storage efficiently. The expiration is enforced by theClean Expired Rollback Contextsscheduled job that runs daily and removes expired records from theRollback Context [sysrollbackcontext]table.

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    If your organization requires retaining rollback contexts for longer than the default periods, you can configure system properties to extend the expiration duration for various rollback context types.

    Configuring Rollback Context Expiration

    To change the retention period for rollback contexts, add system properties in the System Properties [sysproperties] table. Each property corresponds to a specific rollback context Type listed in the Rollback Context [sysrollbackcontext] table. The property names follow the pattern glide.rollback.expirationdays and accept integer values representing the number of days to retain the rollback context.

    Key Rollback Context Properties and Their Defaults

    • App Install: glide.rollback.expirationdaysappinstall — Default 15 days. Extends rollback period for applications installed from the ServiceNow Store.
    • Batch App Install: glide.rollback.expirationdaysbatchappinstall — Default 10 days. For apps installed via Batch Installation.
    • Demo Data: glide.rollback.expirationcleandemodata — Default 10 days. For rollback of demo data operations.
    • Recorded Delete Operations: glide.rollback.expirationdaysdelete — Default 10 days. For rollbacks after delete operations.
    • Workflow Studio Flow Validation: glide.rollback.expirationdaysflow — Default 10 days. For rollback context created around flow execution during upgrades.
    • IRE Changes from CMDB Integration Studio: glide.rollback.expirationdaysinstpreview — Default 10 days. For rollback of Integration Studio recorded changes.
    • Other Types: glide.rollback.expirationdaysother — Default 10 days. Applies to rollback contexts classified as Other.
    • Plugin Activation: glide.rollback.expirationdaysplugin — Default 15 days. For rollbacks of plugins activated via Application Manager.
    • Anonymization Jobs: glide.rollback.expirationdaysredact — Default 10 days. For rollback after data anonymization jobs.
    • Background Script Execution: glide.rollback.expirationdaysscriptsbg — Default 10 days. Tracks INSERT, DELETE, and UPDATE SQL statements executed by scripts.
    • Test Executions: glide.rollback.expirationdaystestexecution — Default 10 days. For rollback of changes recorded during test runs.
    • Upgrades: glide.rollback.expirationdaysupgrade — Default 10 days. For rollback after a platform upgrade.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Extending rollback context expiration periods helps retain rollback data longer to support complex rollback scenarios or compliance needs.
    • Adjust these properties cautiously, as rollback contexts contain large amounts of data and extending retention increases storage usage.
    • Matching the property name to the rollback context type ensures only the intended rollback records have their expiration periods modified.
    • Changes take effect after adding or updating the system properties in the System Properties table.

    Change the default expiration period for different types of rollback context records.

    Because rollback contexts contain a significant amount of data, they're deleted after 10 days by default. The Clean Expired Rollback Contexts scheduled job runs daily to delete expired records in the Rollback Context [sys_rollback_context] table. If you need to retain a rollback context for more than 10 days, you can do so by adding a system property.

    To add a system property, navigate to the System Properties [sys_properties] table and add a property for the type of rollback context record that you want to preserve. You can determine which property to add for a given rollback context by matching the property name to the Type column on the Rollback Context [sys_rollback_context] table.

    Table 1. Rollback context properties
    Property Description

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for an app install

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_app_install

    		 By default, you have 15 days to roll back an application installed from the ServiceNow® Store before the rollback context expires. You can extend the expiration period by updating this property.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 15

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for a batch app install

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_batch_app_install

    		 By default, you have 10 days to roll back apps installed using the Batch Installation feature before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for demo data

    glide.rollback.expiration_clean_demo_data

    		 By default, you have 10 days to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for recorded delete operations

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_delete

    		 By default, you have 10 days after a delete operation completes to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context created for validating Workflow Studio flow execution before and after an upgrade

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_flow

    		 By default, you have 10 days to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for IRE changes recorded from CMDB Integration Studio.

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_inst_preview

    		 By default, you have 10 days after IRE changes are recorded from CMDB Integration Studio to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain rollback contexts in which the Type is set to Other.

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_other

    		 By default, you have 10 days to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for a plugin activation

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_plugin

    		 By default, you have 15 days to roll back plugins activated in Application Manager before the rollback context expires. You can extend the expiration period by updating this property.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 15

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for an anonymization job.

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_redact

    		 By default, you have 10 days after data is redacted by a Data anonymization job to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for a background script execution

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_scripts_bg

    		 By default, you have 10 days to roll back script execution before the rollback context expires. The rollback context tracks all INSERT, DELETE, and UPDATE statements executed by the script and recovers the data by undoing the SQL statements. You can extend the expiration period by updating this property.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for changes recorded during test executions

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_test_execution

    		 By default, you have 10 days after test execution to roll back before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10

    The number of days to retain the rollback context for an upgrade

    glide.rollback.expiration_days_upgrade

    		 By default, you have 10 days after the latest upgrade to roll back the upgrade before the rollback context expires. You can change the expiration period by adding this property and setting a new value.
    • Type: integer
    • Default value: 10