News

Salesforce Adds Data Cloud Capabilities to Sandbox Environments

• By John K. Waters
• August 21, 2024

Salesforce announced Monday that developers can now build, test, and deploy Data Cloud-powered applications within their existing sandbox environments, a development aimed at streamlining the software development process and reducing operational risks.

The new feature integrates Data Cloud capabilities with Salesforce's sandbox environments, enabling developers to perform comprehensive testing in a secure, isolated setting. This update allows for the seamless combination of Data Cloud’s advanced features with the data, configurations, and workflows already established within Salesforce environments. Developers can refresh existing sandboxes or create new ones to utilize all Data Cloud functionalities without affecting live production systems.

Salesforce sandboxes have been essential for safe development and testing, providing a space that mirrors production environments without risking actual business operations. The incorporation of Data Cloud is intended to further enhance innovation while minimizing risks, ensuring that all components of a Salesforce ecosystem work cohesively before any changes are deployed to production.

The capabilities now available for sandbox testing include Data Streams, AI and analytics tools, and Data Cloud-triggered automations. Developers can integrate various data sources into Data Cloud, configure AI models, and prototype automations, all within an isolated environment. The addition of Data Cloud is also expected to strengthen security and compliance measures, allowing organizations to identify and address vulnerabilities without exposing live systems to potential threats.

Salesforce is urging organizations to participate in the Beta release of this feature, which is designed to simplify the release management process. Tools such as Changesets, Salesforce CLI, and DevOps Center will assist in promoting validated configurations from sandbox to production. The Beta version is set to become available in July.

The launch of Data Cloud capabilities in sandbox environments is seen as a significant advancement in Salesforce’s efforts to provide flexible, secure, and robust tools for developers and IT teams. Salesforce plans to continue expanding and enhancing these capabilities in the coming months.