Snapshot can run snapshots, reports, deployments, package installs, and data migrations on a schedule, and send the results wherever your team works. A typical setup takes a snapshot every night, runs reports on the new snapshot, and delivers the reports by email or Slack, or saves them to a folder, so every report is based on the latest metadata. This article explains how to set up delivery, schedule events, and run the schedule in Runtime mode.
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Step 1: Set up delivery destinations
Open Snapshot Preferences from the Snapshot menu and define the places results can go. Give each destination a nickname so it is easy to choose later.
- Content: A new or existing Salesforce Content folder in your org.
- Folder: A folder on your computer, or a shared network folder for the team.
- Chatter: A new or existing Chatter group, with the message you choose.
- Email: An email list, with the subject line and body you choose.
- Slack: A Slack channel.
Step 2: Schedule events
Snapshot, report, and deployment dialogs end with a schedule tab. Set up the dialog as usual, and instead of running the action now, schedule the action:
- Snapshots: One-time or recurring, for example every night. Then add a step to save the new snapshot to a destination.
- Reports: At a set time, or after every new snapshot so the report always uses the latest data. Many reports can also send only when a condition is met, for example only when a high risk or a low limit is found.
- Deployments, packages, and datasets: Schedule a deployment, a Quick Deploy, a ZIP file deployment, a package creation or install, or a dataset build and migration for a maintenance window, and email the results.
Step 3: Switch to Runtime mode
Scheduled events run only in Runtime mode. Click Runtime in the Editing and Runtime toggle at the very top left of Snapshot. Two palettes appear: the Event Schedule at the bottom left and the Event Log at the bottom right.
Event Schedule
The Event Schedule lists the past and upcoming events for the workspace, in the order they will run.
- Start: Run all of the events on schedule.
- Test: Run the next event right away, without waiting for the scheduled time. This is the best way to try a new schedule.
- Export: Save the current Event Schedule to a file.
- Clear: Delete the Event Schedule and return to Editing mode.
Event Log
The Event Log records each event as the event runs: when the event started and finished, and whether the event succeeded, finished with a note, or halted. For example, a failed deployment halts the sequence so later steps do not run on bad results. Completed events appear in green. Click Export to save the log for auditing or troubleshooting, or Clear to start a new log; the previous log is archived in the workspace folder.
Running unattended
Leave Snapshot in Runtime mode on a machine that stays on, such as a desktop computer or a cloud virtual machine, so the schedule runs overnight and on weekends.
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Snapshot Use Cases: Salesforce Org Monitoring