Note: This article is on the new revamped Sandbox which will be available for Enterprise plan customers from April 29, 2024. For Freshservice's legacy Sandbox click here. Click here to learn more about its phase-out plan.
What data is copied during Sandbox creation?
During Sandbox creation, all data such as workflows, departments, fields, agents, etc., is copied whereas all data like tickets, changes, problems, releases, etc., is ignored.
For data like ‘requesters’ and ‘assets’, only those that are referenced in some of the data copied by default (e.g: an asset referenced in a workflow or a requester who is the head of a department) is copied.
The table below lists all modules with a bifurcation of whether it is copied or not, during Sandbox creation.
What actions are supported for live sync between Production to Sandbox?
In addition to addons and features, the new Sandbox supports live sync of actions like ‘deactivating users’ and ‘forgetting users’ from Production to Sandbox during Sandbox creation.
Note: Users will be restricted from performing these actions in the Sandbox.
Which roles can be copied to a Sandbox and how?
All admins have their roles copied to the Sandbox by default. An admin has the same privileges in Sandbox, that they have in the Production instance i.e., A Play god admin in the Production will retain the Play god permissions in the Sandbox, while a workspace admin will only retain admin permissions specific to those workspaces.
Can new agents be added to Sandbox?
New agents can be added to Sandbox and synced back to Production, as long as there are enough licenses available.
How are requesters copied?
Only requesters with references within other configurations are copied, while the rest are ignored. To import the remaining requesters, one can export them from Production and import them into Sandbox.
For example, a requester designated as the 'head of the department' is copied when creating a Sandbox, ensuring the correlation between the field 'department' and the field 'head of the department' remains intact in the Sandbox.
FAQs:
1. Who can create/edit/delete a Sandbox?
Only users with Play God with Super Admin permissions can create, edit, and delete a Sandbox.
2. Can non-admin agents access Sandbox?
No, non-admin agents do not have access to Sandbox by default. Upgrading their roles to ‘admin’ (play god or workplace admin) gives them access to Sandbox.
3. How are clone creation and permissions in the new Sandbox different from that in the legacy Sandbox?
4. How long does it take to create a Sandbox?
It typically takes a few seconds to several minutes depending on the volume of data in the Production instance. Users are notified via email once the Sandbox is ready.
5. What if Sandbox creation fails?
We ensure that Sandbox creation is as seamless as possible. However, if the Sandbox creation fails due to some unpredictable causes, users are notified via email. You can give it a few minutes and retry.
Note: Make sure you delete the failed entry from the ‘Sandbox’ tab if you want to use the same Sandbox name again.
6. What is the validity period of any Sandbox created?
Sandboxes are valid perpetually; they persist until deleted.
7. Can you create a Sandbox (copy) of a Sandbox?
No.
8. What can be edited in a Sandbox?
Only the name and description can be edited in a Sandbox.
9. Can apps be purchased from Sandbox?
We currently do not allow users to purchase any apps from Sandbox.
10. What are the methods for accessing Sandbox?
Sandbox can be accessed through the Admin > ‘Sandbox’ tab or via a unique URL (generated based on your Sandbox’s name).
11. How do users know if they are present in a specific Sandbox?
A banner at the top of the UI indicates whether the current instance is a Sandbox and displays the name of the Sandbox. For example, the banner reads, ‘You are in the Dev sandbox’.
12. What happens when you delete a Sandbox?
Deleting a Sandbox is an irreversible action; all data and configurations are permanently lost.
13. What if a user is deleted after Sandbox is created?
Data linked to a deleted user must be manually deleted or cleared when the user is deleted.
14. Are there any limitations on data that is manually added to Sandbox (i.e. data not added by default?
Yes. See the table below for details on such data limits:
15. Why are limits set on data that is not copied by default?
Freshservice sets limits on data that is not copied by default in Sandbox for two key reasons:
1) The primary purpose of Sandbox is to serve as a test environment, and the established limits are adequate for such use cases.
2) Freshservice aims to optimize resource usage for customers, and regulating data limits helps safeguard our systems from potential abuse.
16. What happens when data limit of data that is not copied by default is breached?
Users can manually delete surplus data to resume using Sandbox.
17. What happens to the Sandbox in case a customer’s subscription is downgraded from the Enterprise plan to any other plan?
If the subscription is downgraded, Sandbox is deleted and all data and progress is lost.
18. How can users navigate to the Sandbox account from the Production account after creating a Sandbox in the Production?
In the Production, navigate to Admin settings -> Sandbox -> Sandbox tab -> Go to Sandbox.
