Prior to the instance refresh tool, refreshing a test instance from production to provide an updated testing platform was a cumbersome process, filling out a paper form, scanning and uploading it to a SAP ticket, only to discover that the refresh date is scheduled for a random Tuesday in three weeks.
The instance refresh tool has made this task considerably easier, allowing the SFadmin to reduce the amount of time spent requesting a refresh while better controlling the refresh timing.
After pairing both the Production (Source) and Test instance (Target) for the refresh by creating a one time key to validate the authenticity of the request. Once the instances are paired, you can then select a date via the calendar to refresh the instance. The refresh tool is such an improvement over the old process, SAP is considering putting some soft limits in place on refreshes.
An important note to consider is post refresh access – the test instance will now have the identical login methods assigned to users as in production, and SSO will not likely work – so at least a single user with password access is best for immediate access.
