Salesforce Sandboxes: Choosing the Right Type for Your Needs

Introduction

You might already know what a sandbox is if you’re a Salesforce user.

A sandbox is a separate and isolated environment that allows you to test new features and changes before implementing them in your production org.

However, there are several sandboxes to choose from, and it can be challenging to determine which one to use for different scenarios.

Types of Sandboxes

There are four types of Sandboxes available for any Salesforce Production Org.

Developer
Developer Pro
Partial Copy
Full Copy

Developer Sandbox

Let’s start with the Developer Sandbox. This sandbox is perfect for individual developers or small teams who want to test their code changes without affecting the production org.

It provides a full copy of your production organization’s metadata but only a subset of your production organization’s data. Notably, this type of sandbox is free and straightforward to create.

Below are the characteristics of a Developer Sandbox

Refresh Interval: The developer Sandbox can be refreshed after every 1 Day.
Storage: 200 MB
Includes:
- Configuration
- Apex & Metadata
- All Users

Developer Pro Sandox

Developer Pro Sandboxes are a type of Salesforce sandbox environment designed for development and testing in an isolated environment.

They include a copy of your production org’s configuration (metadata) and can host more extensive data sets than a standard Developer sandbox.

This makes them ideal for integrated testing, user acceptance testing, and other tasks that require a more robust testing environment.

Developer Pro Sandboxes are available to users of Salesforce Enterprise, Unlimited, and Performance editions. They can also be purchased separately for other editions.

Here are some of the critical features of Developer Pro Sandboxes:

More significant storage limits: Developer Pro Sandboxes have 1GB of data and 1GB of file storage, more than standard Developer sandboxes’ storage limits.
Faster refresh time: Developer Pro Sandboxes can be refreshed in one day, faster than standard Developer sandboxes’ refresh time.
Ability to copy production data: Developer Pro Sandboxes can be configured to copy a sample of your production org’s data, which can be helpful for testing and training.
Access to Salesforce add-ons: Developer Pro Sandboxes can be used to test and develop Salesforce add-ons.

When to Use Developer Pro Sandbox

Here are some examples of when you might use a Developer Pro Sandbox:

To test a new Salesforce feature or customization before deploying it to your production org.
To perform integration testing with another system.
To conduct user acceptance testing with your users.
To train your users on a new Salesforce feature or customization.
To develop and test Salesforce add-ons.

Overall, Developer Pro Sandboxes are a powerful tool for developers and testers who need a robust testing environment for their Salesforce projects.

Below are the characteristics of a Developer Pro Sandbox

Refresh Interval: The developer Sandbox can be refreshed after every 29 Day.
Storage: 1 GB
Includes:
- Configuration
- Apex & Metadata
- All Users

Full Copy Sandbox

Full Copy Sandbox replicates your production org, including all data and metadata. It’s ideal for larger teams or companies that require a more comprehensive testing environment. However, creating and refreshing this sandbox type can be costly and time-consuming.

Below are the characteristics of a Full Copy Sandbox

Refresh Interval: The developer Sandbox can be refreshed after every 29 Days.
Storage: Same as Production
Includes:
- Configuration
- Apex & Metadata
- All Users
- Records (all or selected objects)
- Sandbox Template Support
- History & Chatter Data (optional)

When to use Full Copy Sandbox

You should use a full copy sandbox when you need a replica of your production org, including all data and metadata.

This is useful for the following tasks:

Performance testing: Full copy sandboxes are the only type of sandbox that can be used to perform realistic performance testing.
Load testing: Full copy sandboxes can be used to test how your org will perform under heavy load.
Staging: Full copy sandboxes can be used as a staging environment to preview changes before deploying them to production.
Training: Full-copy sandboxes can train users on new features or customizations without affecting the production environment.
Troubleshooting: Full-copy sandboxes can be used to troubleshoot problems in the production environment without affecting your users.

Here are some specific examples of when you might use a full copy sandbox:

You are developing a new feature that will impact your organization’s performance. You need to use a full copy sandbox to test the performance of the new feature before deploying it to production.
You are integrating your Salesforce org with another system. You must use a full copy sandbox to test the integration before deploying it to production.
You are making a significant customization to your Salesforce org. Before deploying it to production, you must use a full copy sandbox to test the customization.
You are rolling out a new Salesforce feature to your users. Before rolling it out to production, you must use a full copy sandbox to train your users on the new feature.
You are experiencing a problem in your production org. You must use a full copy sandbox to troubleshoot the problem without affecting your users.

Full copy sandboxes are a powerful tool but can be expensive and time-consuming to create and maintain. Therefore, it is essential to use them judiciously.

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Partial Copy Sandbox

The Partial Copy Sandbox is another option that provides a subset of your production org’s data and metadata, which can be customized to suit your testing needs. This sandbox type is less expensive than the Full Sandbox and suitable for mid-sized teams or businesses.

When to use Partial Copy Sandbox

Partial Copy Sandbox is useful for the following tasks:

Quality assurance (QA): Partial copy sandboxes are ideal for QA tasks such as user acceptance testing, integration testing, and training.
Development: Partial copy sandboxes can be used for tasks like testing new code or customizations.
Troubleshooting: Partial copy sandboxes can troubleshoot problems in specific areas of your org without affecting the production environment.

Partial copy sandboxes are an excellent option for organizations that need a more robust testing environment than a developer sandbox but don’t need the full functionality of a complete copy sandbox.

They are also a good option for organizations on a budget, as they are less expensive to create and maintain than full-copy sandboxes.

Below are the characteristics of a Full Copy Sandbox

Refresh Interval: The developer Sandbox can be refreshed after every 5 Days.
Storage: 5 GB
Includes:
- Configuration
- Apex & Metadata
- All Users
- Records (sample of selected objects) up to 10K Records
- Sandbox Template Support

Avoid Using Partial Copy Sandbox

You need to test the performance of your Salesforce org under heavy load.
You need to test how a change to your Salesforce org will impact other systems that it is integrated with.
You must train your users on a new Salesforce org or a significant customization to your existing org.
You are troubleshooting a complex problem with your Salesforce org.

Sandbox Template

Lastly, the Sandbox Template is a unique concept that allows you to create a customized template of your organization’s data and metadata, and using this template, we can create our own Sandbox that will have the selected data and metadata from the Template.

This option is ideal for companies with a complex organizational structure requiring a specific testing environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choosing the right type of Salesforce sandbox depends on the size of your team, the complexity of your org, and your budget.

By understanding the different types of sandboxes available, you can ensure you use the correct sandbox for your testing needs without affecting your production org.

Remember that every kind of sandbox has advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the one that best suits your specific requirements is essential.