When implementing setup changes to your Org or installing the latest version of Propertybase, you have two different approaches to consider. The first option is to perform the changes or installation in a Sandbox environment initially and then in Production, while the second option involves making the changes directly in Production all at once. Below, we provide descriptions of both methods, allowing you to determine which one best suits your organization's requirements.

• Test using a Sandbox Environment
• Important Notes when using Sandbox
• Implement directly in Production

Sandbox

Sandbox environments are excellent for testing out new features and processes before rolling them out to your Production Org. If you want to know how to create or refresh a Sandbox, you can find the instructions by clicking HERE.

Below are a few reasons why opting to implement changes in a Sandbox first may be a good choice for your organization.

• Your organization has custom code or specific configurations. We highly recommend conducting the setup changes in Sandbox if your organization has made customizations. This approach allows you to test the configurations extensively and safely in a controlled environment.
• You can perform testing at your own pace. This is due to the fact that when modifications are made to a Sandbox instance, your live Production environment remains unaffected. Users can continue utilizing your Production Org while changes are being implemented in the Sandbox.
• You will be able to implement the changes to Production much easier and faster. This is because by performing all the necessary tests in Sandbox beforehand, you can work much more efficiently during the deployment in Production, resulting in minimal downtime for the rest of your organization.

Important Notes:

There are some important things to pay attention to especially when creating and testing with Full or Partial Sandboxes as they contain a copied set of records from your Production database - even with the exact same record IDs.

• Be sure to enable Sandbox Authentication to test features that rely on Propertybase authentication to function.
• Should you have Listings published to portals from your Production environment, in case of partial and Full Copy Sandboxes, please follow these steps to disconnect the Sandbox from interfering with that feed right after creating/refreshing such a Sandbox:
  
  • In the Sandbox go to Setup > Remote Site Settings
  • Deactivate "Propertybase_Manda"

• Should you feel the need to test portal publishing (e.g. for a new portal) from a Sandbox:

1. 1. Please follow the steps above to deactivate "Propertybase_Manda" after Sandbox creation.
   2. Then take all listings in the Sandbox offline either one by one or deactivate the portals.
   3. Activate Remote Site Setting "Propertybase_Manda" again.
   4. Create New Portal Records (this explains a generic feed, but works also for other hard-coded feed types like Property Finder) in the Sandbox to publish the listings to.
   5. Then, only use newly created listings within the Sandbox to test the new portal. DO NOT touch the listings that are copied from Production as it will take them offline.

• • • Contacts copied from Production are real. DO NOT test with real contacts as you might trigger messages that will go out to that contact unless it is your own contact/email address.
    • Users' email addresses will have been automatically changed to avoid Sandbox notifications to users after creation. Only the admin setting up the Sandbox will have his email normally set up. So, if you want other users to enter the Sandbox environment for testing, update their email addresses. Explain that they will need to log in via test.salesforce.com with the Sandbox-related username.

Production

Even after considering all of the points above, implementing new changes directly in Production is still a viable choice. Below are a few reasons why doing it directly in Production may be a good choice for your organization.

Your organization uses Propertybase "as is" out of the box, with no customizations. If your organization uses the standard Propertybase experience with no extra addons, integrations or custom code you won't need to do much testing. 

You consider yourself a power user. If you consider yourself an advanced Propertybase user and tech savvy, then you might not need the practice that a sandbox environment offers.