SDLC & Sandboxes in the Data Cloud One Multi-Org Ecosystem
Summary
Data Cloud One offers a powerful solution for managing unified customer data across multiple Salesforce orgs by using a home org and connected companion orgs. This setup requires a thoughtful sandbox strategy to safely develop, test, and deploy changes in multi-org environments. Key considerations include managing metadata clean-up, license assignments, sandbox refreshes, and maintaining clear separation between production and sandbox companion connections. With proper planning and understanding of dependencies, Salesforce teams can effectively leverage sandboxes to build and validate Data Cloud One features across their multi-org ecosystem.
Takeaways
- Maintain strict separation between production and sandbox companion connections to ensure data integrity.
- Create sandbox orgs before connecting production orgs as companions to avoid metadata cleanup.
- Ensure each org in the cluster has appropriate licenses, with home and companion orgs requiring different license types.
- Plan the order and refresh timing of sandbox orgs carefully to manage dependencies and avoid connection issues.
- Populate sandboxes with representative data, not full production data, to efficiently test Data Cloud One features.
For organizations grappling with the complexities of managing data, metadata and insights across multiple Salesforce CRM orgs, Data Cloud One emerges as a beacon of balance between centralization and autonomy. By establishing a single Salesforce CRM org as a “home” Data 360 org and establishing “companion” connections with other Salesforce CRM instances, Data Cloud One provides a near-native Data 360 experience on multiple Salesforce orgs from a single Data 360 implementation. This opens exciting possibilities, but also introduces unique considerations for the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and, crucially, for the use of Salesforce sandbox environments. This blog post dives deep into how sandbox orgs – the bedrock of safe and iterative Salesforce development – function within a Data Cloud One ecosystem. We’ll explore typical sandbox workflows and highlight the nuances and recommendations specific to a multi-org setup leveraging Data Cloud One.