Marketo Instance Refresh

[DaveSilva]

Hi all,

We are considering doing a full instance refresh -- has anyone completed one recently that could outline their experience?

For example, is everything refreshed/changed, including your munchkin ID?

I couldn't find good information on the process and implications.

Thank you!

[Michael_Florin]

What do you mean by "Instance Refresh"? I suppose you mean setting up a new Marketo instance and beginning from scratch?

That is usually done when you're forced to do it by outside circumstances such as switching integrated CRMs or merging two Marketos after an acquisition. Yes, in that case the Munchkin ID changes and you have to redo your website integrations. But apart from that it's "just" setting up a new instance. Depending on what exactly you want to migrate from old to new and how much you have learned since setting up the old one, it's both a long and painful process as it is liberating and fun.

[DaveSilva]

Thanks Michael.

We were chatting with our Account Director about doing a deep clean of our instance and he recommended a "refresh".

He said that customers typically did it every several years.

If setting up a brand new separate instance is the only option, then it's certainly more of an undertaking.

We're awaiting more information, but I was hoping it was really more of a "refresh" than a "start from scratch".

[Michael_Florin]

Interesting recommendation. Who is supposed to conduct this refresh? You or Adobe Professional Services?

It's certainly good practice to keep your Marketo instance tidy. Archive programs, hide/delete unused fields, turn off unnecessary processes and delete unengaged people from your database. But I would consider this to be an ongoing process, and I've never heard Adobe recommend a "refresh" or a "deep clean". But I'd love to hear what it's supposed to entail.

[DaveSilva · Accepted solution]

This is the response I received so far. I was hoping it would have more technical details, which I'll update here if/when I receive them.

Manual Cleanup in Current Instance

• Effort: High, as each field needs to be reviewed and deleted individually.
• Tools: Marketo provides tools and APIs to manage fields, but bulk deletion still requires scripting or manual intervention.
• Risk: Moderate, as there is a risk of impacting live processes and data.

Replacement Instance Setup

• Effort: High, but more structured. Requires planning for data migration, integration setup, and user training.
• Tools: Marketo's migration tools and APIs can facilitate data transfer, but custom scripts or third-party tools might be needed for complex migrations.
• Risk: Moderate to High, depending on the complexity of the current setup and the thoroughness of the migration plan.

Recommendation:

If the Current Instance is Highly Customized and Critical:

• Recommend manual cleanup to avoid the risks associated with migration.
• Use Marketo's API to script the deletion of fields to reduce manual effort.
• Implement a phased approach to minimize disruption.

If the Current Instance is Relatively Simple or Rockwell Can Handle Migration Themselves:

• Consider spinning up a replacement instance to start fresh.
• Plan the migration carefully, ensuring all critical data and configurations are transferred.
• Use this opportunity to optimize and streamline processes.

[Michael_Florin]

I would certainly focus on the question: What are you suffering from and how can you end the pain?

Speaking from my experience: Nobody would start a Marketo cleaning process, just because it's spring. And nobody would even think about migrating the instance if there weren't outside forces that demand it.

And if you have issues with your Marketo instance you are not able to deal with yourselves, you would ask for help. There are Marketo-specialized consultancies out there that can help with all kinds of problems, and that would usually be your way to go.

[DaveSilva]

Of course!

Our instance has been made difficult to administer because of about 1,000 fields that have been added over time, plus hundreds of dead assets -- many using fields we want to purge. I've hidden hundreds of the fields, but it's still a mess for admins. Support has said they won't delete fields, which was our Plan A, so we were considering a refresh as a Plan B.

[Michael_Florin]

Support said they won't delete hidden fields? I understand that Support refuses to work on fields that have dependencies. But the fact that you were able to hide them means you were able to remove all dependencies. And in that case, Support has always deleted when I asked them to. I think that's their duty as they alone can do it.

This sounds like a misunderstanding to me. I'd try again.

[DaveSilva]

They claim they used to do it, but now they don't.

I was able to have a few deleted earlier this year, and then I started to get major pushback on it.

We're working with our account team on it, though.