Multi-environment management in BC — partner-side notes

Most Business Central online customers run more than one environment: production for real work, and at least one sandbox for testing. Managed well, that pair lets you test every change and update before it touches live data. These notes set out the tools Microsoft provides and how to use them.

Key PointEvery change and every update can be tested in a sandbox copy of production first. The tools are built in; the habit is what matters.

Production and sandbox environments

Microsoft's guide to sandbox environments explains how they differ from production. You manage both from the Business Central administration centre, described in Microsoft's administration overview.

A sandbox is where you try a new extension, a configuration change or a new version, so that a mistake costs nothing.

Copying production to a sandbox

Microsoft lets you copy an environment, for example to create a sandbox from production for troubleshooting. The copy is created on the same application version, with the same extensions installed.

Some things are deliberately switched off in the copy so it cannot act on the real world:

• tasks in the job queue are stopped;
• outbound calls from extensions are blocked until you allow them;
• several service connections and integration settings are disabled or cleared.

Pro TipBefore you rely on a sandbox copy for a test, check which jobs and integrations need turning back on there.

Testing updates before they reach production

Microsoft's update cycles page explains the rhythm. There are two major updates a year, in April and October, and minor updates in the other months. Administrators set a maintenance window for each environment, and can reschedule an update within the update period.

Microsoft's own advice is to test before production is updated. When a major update is available, copy production to a sandbox, update the sandbox first and check your critical processes. That is the routine we recommend to every customer.

Watch OutDo not wait for production to update before testing. Microsoft's own advice is to update a sandbox copy first.

Partner access you can see and control

Partners usually administer environments through delegated admin access. When a delegated administrator signs in, they are created as a user in the environment, so their actions are logged against that user.

Internal administrators can turn partner access off for an environment, or allow only specific partners. The NCSC's supply chain security guidance is a useful frame for deciding who should have that access.

Questions to ask your partner

• Do you test each major update in a sandbox copy of our production data before it reaches us?
• Who on your side has delegated admin access to our environments, and how is it reviewed?
• What is our maintenance window, and who is told when an update is scheduled?
• How are our extensions checked against each new version?

Our guides to a Business Central upgrade and an upgrade for UK teams go further. For independent guidance on finance technology, see the ICAEW technology resources.

If you are unsure how your environments are managed today, start with our free Business Central review or contact us.