This article discusses the Partial Snapshot feature. You can target the list of metadata that you want to capture instead of capturing all your metadata. If you want to capture all your metadata or if this is your first time capturing metadata, you can also use the Full Snapshot feature for a simpler and complete metadata backup. This interface is available by right clicking an asset on the desktop and also from the Options Menu.
Settings tab
This is the first tab that you will see when you launch the Partial Snapshot feature.
The Item Name text box defaults with the Snapshot Item's (blue icon on canvas) name. You can update it here. This is typically used to remind yourself of the Org that you are connecting with.
The Salesforce Username defaults to the username that you launched with. You can update it with the username that you want to use. This newly entered in username will be persisted upon a successful snapshot capture.
The Account Authentication options are:
- Salesforce DX - Used when your target is a scratch Org.
- Developer Edition - Used when your target is a Developer Edition Org. For developer sandboxes, please use the Sandbox Account option instead.
- Sandbox Account - Used when your target is a Sandbox Org. This option can be used for all Developer, Developer Pro, Lightning Developer Pro, Partial and Full Copy sandboxes.
- Production Account - Used when your target is a Production Org. In case your administrator has disabled login through the salesforce default https://login.salesforce.com page. For those cases, please use the Custom Domain option.
- Custom Domain - Used when you typically go to https://<my_company_name>.my.salesforce.com page to login to your Org.
- OAuth Endpoint - Used when your administrator has set up an auto-login (typically, Single Sign-On - SSO - through OAuth). You will need your OAuth login page URL to use this option. Typically, it is https://<my_company_name>.my.salesforce.com
The Salesforce Password requires your Salesforce password. This text box is hidden if you used the Salesforce DX or OAuth Endpoint Account Authentication options.
The Security Token is optional. If your location is unknown to salesforce, you will get a LOGIN_MUST_USE_SECURITY_TOKEN error and then this option will be required.
The Select Assets With File checkbox helps you load a pre-created template file with information about what metadata to select. This is useful if you have been given a list of metadata to capture or want to capture the exact same metadata across multiple Org. This checkbox is not enabled by default. When you select this, it opens a dropdown to the right.
The Select Job List File option opens a file browser to select a Snapshot Job List file. A Snapshot Job List is usually saved during a Deploy Metadata operation and contains a list of metadata that was selected for deployment between Orgs. This is typically used when you want to capture the exact metadata that was previously deployed to this (or some other) Org.
The Select Package.xml File option opens a file browser to select a package.xml file. A package.xml file is typically a developer-focused, manifest file used by Salesforce Metadata API to retrieve or deploy metadata across Orgs. This is typically used when a developer gives you an exact list of metadata to capture and deploy.
The Select Snapshot Limits File option opens a file browser to select a Snapshot Limits file. A Snapshot Limits file is a template file that contains a list of metadata that was previously captured in some Org. This is typically used when you want to capture the exact list of metadata as some other Org.
The Load Selected Packages checkbox instructs Snapshot to capture the original (uncustomized) managed and unmanaged packages that are installed in this Org. You will not need this capability if you are capturing the metadata for comparison, deployment, or disaster recovery reasons. You might need this capability if you are capturing the metadata for documentation or compliance reasons. This checkbox is not enabled by default.
The Load Package Customizations checkbox instructs Snapshot to capture the customizations associated with the managed and unmanaged packages that are installed in this Org. You will need this capability if you are capturing metadata for comparison, deployment, disaster recovery, documentation, or compliance reasons. This checkbox is enabled by default.
The Load Extra Object Information checkbox instructs Snapshots to capture additional Object and Field information using the SOAP API. You will need this capability if you are capturing metadata for documentation or compliance reasons. This checkbox is enabled by default.
The Display Number of Selected Assets checkbox instructs Snapshot to count the number of metadata assets in your Org. This is useful for staying under the Metadata API number limit of ten thousand (10,000) assets in one retrieve. If you expect to go over this limit, you can use the Asset Groups feature to chunk your metadata capture. This checkbox is not enabled by default. Enabling this will trigger off an asset enumeration when you leave this tab.
The Display Number of Folder Assets checkbox instructs Snapshot to count the number of Reports, Dashboards, Email Templates, and Document (old Salesforce Documents, not the new Salesforce Content Libraries) assets in your Org. This is useful for staying under the Metadata API number limit of ten thousand (10,000) assets in one retrieve. If you expect to go over this limit, you can use the Asset Groups feature to chunk your metadata capture. This checkbox is not enabled by default. Enabling this will trigger off a folder asset enumeration when you leave this tab.
Note: The combination of Selected Assets and Folder Assets should be under ten thousand (10,000) assets in one retrieve. You can use the Asset Groups feature to handle this in an automated fashion.
The Display Package Customizations checkbox instructs Snapshot to display the managed package customizations to select partial customizations during asset selection. For example, you can select just two (2) of the four (4) of the Metazoa Snapshot object customizations under the Custom Objects listing. This checkbox is enabled by default.
Note: If you move away from the Settings tab to customize the asset selections and come back to this tab, your customizations will revert to the previously saved selections.
Main Assets tab
You can select four of the main metadata types in the Main Assets tab:
- Packages - Managed and unmanaged packages installed in your Org. By default, no packages are selected.
- Profiles - Standard and custom profiles present in your Org. By default, all Profiles are selected.
- Permission Sets - Permission Sets created and installed in your Org. By default, no Permission Sets are selected.
- Custom Objects - Standard, custom, managed, event, knowledge article type, custom metadata type (MDT) objects present in your Org. By default, all Objects are selected.
You will find that the assets are not listed in the appropriate lists by default. This is designed thus for performance reasons. You can use the Selected <metadata_type> radio button to list the <metadata_type> and then select partials.
Note: You must select something after selecting the Selected <metadata_type> radio button. Otherwise, you are actually choosing to capture no assets of that metadata type.
Pro Tip: Profiles work as a junction with Custom Objects, Apex Classes, Apex Pages, Custom Applications, Custom Tabs, and Flows. In other words, if you want to capture all Object Permissions for the Admin (API name for System Administrator) Profile, you must select all Custom Objects + the Admin Profile. If only selected Objects were selected, the Object Permissions for other Objects are dropped from the Admin Profile. So, if you are working on only selected Objects, you can use this to your advantage and carve your snapshot capture to only those Objects that you are interested in.
Extra Assets tab
You can select Roles, Groups (Public Groups), Queues, and Custom Object Translations in the Extra Assets tab.
By default, no Roles, Groups, Queues, and Custom Object Translations are selected for capture. Please change the options if you need any of these metadata assets in your snapshot.
Note: Custom Object Translations works as a junction (much like Profiles) with Custom Objects, Custom Labels, Custom Tabs, Custom Applications, Page Layouts, Quick Actions, Record Types, Sharing Reasons, Validation Rules, Web Links, and Workflow Tasks.
Other Assets tab
You can select Page Layouts, Apex Classes, Apex Pages (Visualforce Pages), and Other Assets using the Other Assets tab.
Any metadata type that does not fall into the Packages, Profiles, Permission Sets, Objects, Roles, Groups, Queues, Custom Object Translations, Page Layouts, Apex Classes, Apex Pages, Reports, Dashboards, Email Templates, and Documents list are grouped in the Other Assets list. Significant metadata types in this list include Apex Components, Apex Triggers, Lightning Components, Lightning Bundles, Value Sets (Global and Standard), and Workflows.
By default, all Page Layouts, Apex Classes, and Apex Pages are selected. In the Other Assets list, Apex Components, Apex Triggers, Global Value Sets, Standard Value Sets, and Workflows are selected by default.
Folder Assets tab
You can select Reports, Dashboards, Email Templates, and Documents in the Folder Assets tab. You can see that these four metadata types are unique in that these are grouped under folders before they are secured.
By default, no Reports, Dashboard, Email Templates, and Documents are selected. If you select Selected <metadata_type> in this tab and select an entry in the list, you are selecting a folder and thus all metadata assets in the selected folder.
Take Snapshot
You can use the Take Snapshot tab to start the metadata capture process.
The Snapshot Comments text area on the left shows all the metadata types that are going to be captured. You can customize the comments by simply clicking on it and typing.
The Problems and Solutions text area on the right provides warnings if any.
You can click the Take Snapshot on the top right (orange button) to start the metadata capture process. The status of the capture process can be seen to the left of the button. The longest stage will be Waiting on Salesforce. You are waiting on Salesforce to complete its processing before Snapshot receives the metadata. This metadata capture process might take anywhere between two (2) minutes to a few (up to 5) hours to complete depending on the size of your Org.
You can cancel the metadata capture once you are in the Waiting on Salesforce stage by holding down the Esc (escape) key on your keyboard.
The Snapshot Limits File button on the bottom right exports the list of metadata selected and the Asset Groups (metadata chunks to conform to the API limits) that are automatically created. You can use this file as a template if you want to capture the exact same set of metadata across multiple Orgs.
You can click OK in this tab to persist all the selections in the previous tabs.
Schedule Snapshot tab
The Schedule Snapshot tab designed to set up schedules for capturing your metadata on a timer.
Note: Snapshot is a client and hence you need to place Snapshot in Runtime Mode and leave the computer "up and running" for the schedules to execute. You can always lock the screen but if the machine is hibernated or put to sleep, your schedules will not execute.
There are three types of events that can be defined:
- One Time Event - Used when you want your schedule to execute exactly once and then turn itself off. For example, you would use this if you want to capture your Org metadata after a major deployment.
- Recurring Event - Used when you want to capture your Org metadata on a regular schedule. For example, you would use this if you want a daily/ weekly/ monthly metadata backup.
- And After That - Used after a One Time or Recurring Event, typically to move the metadata backup to another location.
Note: To save the snapshot to a particular location, please define your location in Snapshot menu > Snapshot Preferences > Folders or Content.