How-To Guides
Clone an Environment

Clone an Environment

Create an exact copy of your environment for testing or staging.


Why Clone?

  • ✅ Test changes without risking production
  • ✅ Create staging from production data
  • ✅ Reproduce bugs in isolation
  • ✅ Train users on real data
  • ✅ Demo to clients with realistic data

Step 1: Open Clone Dialog

  1. Open the environment you want to clone
  2. Click the menu (three dots)
  3. Select Clone

Step 2: Configure the Clone

Basic Settings

  • Name: Auto-generated, or customize it
  • Type: Development, Staging, or Production
  • Server: Same server or different one

Data Sanitization

Choose what to clean from the cloned data:

PresetWhat It DoesBest For
RecommendedClears emails, passwords, API keys, cron jobsMost use cases
MinimalClears only email queueQuick testing
FullClears everything sensitive + resets sequencesDemos, training
NoneExact copy, nothing sanitizedInternal staging

Important: For GDPR compliance, use "Recommended" or higher when cloning production.


Step 3: Start the Clone

  1. Review your settings
  2. Click Clone Environment
  3. Wait for the clone to complete

Status shows 🔵 Cloning during the process.


Step 4: Access Your Clone

Once complete:

  1. Clone appears in your environment list
  2. Status shows 🟢 Running
  3. Click the URL to access

Clone has a new subdomain: project-dev-5678.apps.oec.sh


What Gets Cloned?

IncludedNot Included
DatabaseScheduled cron runs
FilestoreActive user sessions
Environment configEmail queue (if sanitized)
AddonsExternal integrations

Sanitization Details

Recommended Preset

Clears:

  • User passwords (reset to default)
  • Email queue
  • OAuth tokens
  • API keys
  • Outbound mail server settings
  • Scheduled action last runs

Full Preset

Everything in Recommended, plus:

  • Partner emails (anonymized)
  • Sequences reset to 1
  • Audit logs cleared

Clone to Different Server

Want the clone on a different server?

  1. In clone settings, select Server
  2. Choose your target server
  3. Clone will be created on that server

Useful for:

  • Geographic distribution
  • Load balancing
  • Different security zones

Clone Duration

Time depends on database size:

Database SizeApproximate Time
< 1 GB2-5 minutes
1-5 GB5-15 minutes
5-20 GB15-45 minutes
> 20 GB45+ minutes

Best Practices

For Testing

  1. Clone production to staging weekly
  2. Use "Recommended" sanitization
  3. Run your tests
  4. Delete when done

For Demos

  1. Clone with "Full" sanitization
  2. Add sample data if needed
  3. Share URL with client
  4. Delete after demo

For Development

  1. Clone production monthly (or as needed)
  2. Use "Minimal" for quick feedback
  3. Keep development environments small

Troubleshooting

Clone stuck on "Cloning"

If stuck for more than expected time:

  1. Check server disk space
  2. Check network connectivity
  3. Contact support if over 2x expected time

Clone has permission errors

After cloning, some users may need password resets:

  1. Use Odoo admin to reset passwords
  2. Or use "Full" sanitization to reset all

Addons not working in clone

  1. Check addon dependencies
  2. Verify Git branch is accessible
  3. Reinstall addons if needed

What's Next?