Introduction:
This article is concerning Vault Production and Sandbox environment management and deployment paths.
Vault Production and Sandbox Environments
A Development Sandbox Vault, a test/validation Sandbox Vault, and a dry run Sandbox Vault should be created for each production Vault. Sandbox Vaults are critical to an effective change control process.
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Development Sandbox:
Configuration changes such as implementing project requirements and proof of concept development should be made on the Development Sandbox Vault. It is recommended to isolate project updates from any other active configuration project streams.
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Test/Validation Sandbox:
When configuration changes are complete and ready for UAT and validation, migrate the changes from the Development Sandbox to your Test/Validation Sandbox for verification.
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Dry Run Sandbox:
The dry run sandbox Vault should be used to test the deployment process and your outbound packages to reduce the risk of issues and delays when deploying to your production Vault
Reference: Administering Sandbox Vaults
Refreshing Sandbox Vaults
It is important to refresh Sandboxes often to ensure that they are staying in sync with the latest configuration of the Production Vault. It also reduces the risk of issues and delays when deploying to production. Refresh Sandboxes after every production deployment and before any configuration changes or deployments are made to test/validation and dry run Sandboxes.
Reference: Refreshing Sandbox Vaults
Create test data in a refreshed Sandbox Vault using Test Data Outbound Packages
Spending the time to import test data into Sandbox Vaults ensures that testing a configuration on a Sandbox with real-world test data for consistent test results is done. Test Data Outbound Packages helps migrate data from a Production Vault to Sandbox Vaults that are refreshed. Use the dataset configuration in the Test Data outbound package to migrate a subset of the production data.
Reference: About Datasets
Related Documentation:
- Planning and Preparing for a Vault Configuration Migration Deployment
- Importing & Deploying Vault Configuration Migration Packages
- Troubleshooting and Resolving Vault Deployment Errors