Orphaned entities during Configuration as Code tenant migration

How Dynatrace CaC handles unique identifiers during tenant migration

Configuration as Code (CaC) exports monitoring settings, dashboards, and alert profiles as YAML. When importing this YAML into a target tenant with a different ID scope, the tool does not automatically transfer the source entity identifiers. Instead, CaC generates new tenant-scoped IDs at import time.

If the target tenant already contains entities with names or attributes that match the YAML definition, the import may create duplicates or leave stale references as orphaned objects, especially when the YAML definition is later removed while the entity persists.

Confirmed behavior

• An explicit idMapping section in the CaC YAML configuration enables source-to-target entity ID translation, preventing duplication and keeping references consistent across tenants.
• The synchronization mode, upsert versus update, determines whether existing entities are patched or left unchanged. In upsert mode, removing a definition from YAML does not automatically delete the existing entity, which can result in an orphaned object.

Version-dependent uncertainty

Import logic and ID mapping defaults vary across CaC releases. Behavior described here may differ in newer or older versions of the tool.

Verification steps

1. Run dynatrace cac dry-run to export a preview of intended entity changes, including ID collision warnings, before applying to the target tenant.
2. Query the Dynatrace API for entity counts and ID mappings pre- and post-import to detect unexpected creations or orphans.
3. Review the CaC import report JSON for entries marked conflict, mapped, or skipped to validate mapping effectiveness.

To refine the recommendation, I need to know which version of Dynatrace Configuration as Code you are using, and whether the YAML includes an idMapping configuration.