Test Platform
Alongside your Live, production platform is a Test platform. This is used by the accessplanit team to test all new features, developments, and bug fixes.
We can provide you with access to your Test environment as it can be very handy for practicing and testing out new processes, however you must bear in mind that this system may be unstable and may become unavailable as we apply new releases and complete our own testing.
Sandbox Platform
During your implementation phase with accessplanit you will be provided with a Sandbox environment free of charge to complete your process mappings and to get familiar with the platform before you begin to work on your Live, production platform.
Sandbox environments receive the same updates as the Live platforms. This means that when you are process mapping you can be sure that all processes that work on your Sandbox will also work on your Live platform.
Once your implementation phase is complete, your Sandbox will be turned off. If you would like to keep your Sandbox for an extra month or longer, this is possible however there is a charge for the ongoing maintenance and server space. Speak to your Customer Success Manager at accessplanit for more information.
You can also purchase a Sandbox environment if you would like to keep this as a permanent testing space for yourselves, you can speak to your Customer Success Manager for more information on this.
Sending emails from Test and Sandbox Platforms
The Test and Sandbox platforms block nearly all emails from sending out. This allows you to make test bookings, cancellations, and other processes without worrying about real emails sending out to your customer base. You are still able to view all of the emails which would have sent by accessing the Communications log.
There are a couple of exceptions to the block:
The ‘Send Sample’ option available in Workflows. For each Workflow set up in accessplanit you are now able to preview the email that would be sent and send a sample email for it to fully test the content. To do this you would access the Workflow Action and select the Preview option at the top right.
It is also possible to bypass this block for specific email addresses in order to test your emails send when they should and to see how they look in an inbox. Speak to your Implementation Manager or Customer Success Manager to allow specific email addresses to receive emails from your Test or Sandbox environment.
System Security
Sandbox site | Test site |
Sandbox sites have the same security infrastructure and measures as live sites (/wiki/spaces/BKF/pages/288686088). The Data Controller is the customer. When the sandbox is no longer needed, we follow the same process to shut it down as we would a live site. Data will be returned to the customer upon request. All backups are deleted after 30 days. | Test sites have the same security infrastructure as live sites. The data processed in Test sites is anonymised, accessplanit is the Data Controller. Test sites are not monitored for downtime in the same way as live sites and the data is not backed up by accessplanit. |
Platform Copy Requests
A copy of your live platform can be requested through your Implementation Manager or the Support team.
These requests will be subject to scheduling and may be chargeable.
Though platform copies can copy all of your data and settings from the live platform, there are some changes to be aware of:
Ref | Platform Area | Note |
1 | Workflows / Email Templates | Files and links referenced in automated communications will not be updated to reference files and links to your sandbox platform. These will need to be updated manually. |
2 | Account Finance Options | During a live to Sandbox copy, finance details such as Stripe Keys for example will be removed for security. If any testing needs to be performed these will need to be re-added. |
3 | Workflows / Email Templates | As the sandbox platform prevents emails from sending by default, if you’d like the sandbox platform to send emails to certain email addresses for testing purposes, you must request this through the support team or your implementation manager. |
4 | Account Finance Options | Ensure relevant payment methods are enabled |
5 | Dashboards | When a live to sandbox copy is performed, if any existing Web or Report Writer gadget links are in use on the dashboard these will still reference the live platform and will subsequently not work. These would need to be replaced with the sandbox references. |
6 | Report Writer | Report Writer reports are not copied by default. If these require copying across at the time of the live to sandbox copy, this must be specified in the copy request. Please note however that copies of reports from live to sandbox will mean Sandbox reports are permanently lost. |
8 | Learner Portal and Portal Branding | Portal branding will not be copied during the live to Sandbox copy. Any links pointing to the live platform or images stored in the live platform will be broken. Links will need to be updated and images re-uploaded if needed for any testing. |
9 | Checkout | Checkout branding will be copied during the live to Sandbox copy, however any links pointing to the live platform or images stored in the live platform will be broken. Links will need to be updated and images re-uploaded if needed for any testing. |
10 | Document Templates and File Store | Following a live to Sandbox copy if access is required to Document Templates and/or files in the File Store these will need to be re-uploaded as the links will be broken. Customers can go into the existing document template and files and re-upload. |
11 | Email Templates | During the live to Sandbox copy links and images stored in the file store on the live platform and used in email templates will be lost. If the image needs to be visible for any testing of email templates, the image will need to be re-uploaded to the sandbox and manually added in the email. |
12 | eLearning | If eLearning packages are in use in the live platform the packages will not be copied across. These will need to be manually re-uploaded to the sandbox. |
13 | Knowledge documents | If Knowledge Documents are in use in the live platform the packages will not be copied across. These will need to be manually re-uploaded to the sandbox. |
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