Salesforce Automation System

The salesforce.com Winter '09 release is quickly approaching and soon you'll be able to take advantage of great new features! In preparation for the release, a Sandbox Upgrade Window is scheduled for 12:01 AM PST September 16th, 2008, through October 11th, 2008. You can continue to use your Sandbox throughout the Sandbox Upgrade Window to test new customizations or features before rolling them out to users.

As a Force.com Sandbox customer, we want to make you aware of the options available to you during this time.To determine whether there is any additional action you need to take to prepare for the Sandbox Upgrade Window please review the choices below and click on the associated link to understand the action you need to take for each:    

1. If you would you like to participate in the Winter '09 Preview on your Sandbox instance during the Sandbox Upgrade Window please click here.

2. If you would like your Sandbox instance to retain the existing Summer '08 functionality until October 11th, 2008 please click here.

3. If you have multiple Sandboxes please click here.

4. If you plan to upload and/or install any AppExchange packages to or from your Sandbox instance during the Sandbox Upgrade Window please click here.    

5. If you plan to take no action with your Sandbox instance during the upgrade window please click here.

Please click through the links to access the information you need depending on your answers to the above questions. If you have additional questions about your Sandbox options in conjunction with the Winter '09 release, please contact the salesforce.com Customer Support team.

YES - I want to participate in the Winter ‘09 Sandbox Preview and access all the great new features of Winter ‘09 beginning September 19th, prior to the upgrade of my production instance in October.

The specific server your Sandbox is stored on will determine your Sandbox experience during the Sandbox Upgrade Window, including whether your Sandbox instance will participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview. The Sandbox Upgrade Window is scheduled for 12:01 AM PST September 16^th, 2008 through October 11th, 2008.

There are two quick steps to ensure your participation in the Winter ‘09 Preview on your Sandbox instance:

1.  Determine which Sandbox server you are on.  Log into your Sandbox at test.salesforce.com; then examine the URL in your browser address bar.

• If you see: tapp0.salesforce.com OR cs2.salesforce.com you do not need to take any further      action.  Your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09  Preview on September 19th, 2008.
• If you see: cs1.salesforce.com, in order to receive the Winter ‘09 Preview version you will need to refresh your Sandbox one time prior to the start of the Sandbox Maintenance Window at 12:01AM PST September 16th, 2008.

2. Repeat Step 1 for any additional Sandbox instances you may have.

FAQs About Force.com Sandbox and the Winter ‘09 Release

Question: What happens to my Winter ‘09 Preview if I submit a sandbox refresh during the Sandbox Upgrade Window (after 12:01 AM PST, September 16th, 2008?)
Answer: Please note, if you submit a Sandbox refresh between 12:01 AM PST September 16th and the upgrade of your production instance, your Sandbox instance will retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008.

Question: I have multiple sandboxes and I don't want all of them to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview.  What should I do?
Answer: If you have multiple Sandboxes and don't want all of them to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview, then follow the instructions here.

Question: I've changed my mind, and do not want my Sandbox to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview after all.  What should I do?
Answer: If you decide you would like your Sandbox instance to retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008, go here.

 

 

NO - I do not want to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview. I want my Sandbox instance to retain Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008.

The specific server your Sandbox is stored on will determine your Sandbox experience during the Sandbox Upgrade Window, including whether your Sandbox instance will participate in Winter ‘09 Preview.

If you do not want to take advantage of the Winter ‘09 Preview in one or more of your Sandbox instances, there are two quick steps to ensure your Sandbox instance retains the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008.

1.  Determine which Sandbox server you are on.  Log into your Sandbox at test.salesforce.com, then examine the URL in your browser address bar.

• If you see: tapp0.salesforce.com OR cs2.salesforce.com To ensure your Sandbox remains at the existing Summer ‘08 release you will need to refresh your Sandbox one time after the start of the Sandbox Update Window at 12:01 AM PST September 16th, 2008.

• If you see: cs1.salesforce.com you do not need to take any further action.  Your Sandbox instance will retain existing Summer ‘08 functionality until the upgrade of your production instance in October.

2. Repeat Step 1 for any additional Sandbox instances you may have.

FAQs About Force.com Sandbox and the Winter ‘09 Release

Question: I’ve changed my mind, and do not want my Sandbox instance to retain Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008. What do I do?
Answer: If you decide you would like to participate in the Summer' 08 Preview in one or more of your Sandbox instances go here. 

Question: What happens to my Sandbox instance if I submit a refresh before the Sandbox Upgrade Window begins (12:01 AM PST, September 16th, 2008)?
Answer: Please note, if you submit a Sandbox refresh prior to 12:01 AM PST September 16th, your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Summer ‘08 Preview on September 19th.

Question: I have multiple sandboxes and I don't want all of them to retain existing Winter ‘09 functionality.  What should I do?
Answer: If you have multiple Sandboxes and don't want all of them to retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008 follow the instructions here.

 

 

If you have multiple Sandbox instances, you may take advantage of the Winter ‘09 Preview OR retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality on each instance.

If you would like one or more of your Sandbox instances to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview on September 19th, click here.

If you would like one or more of your Sandbox instances to retain existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008, click here.

FAQs About Force.com Sandbox and the Winter '09 Release

Question: I do not want one or more of my Sandbox instances to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview.  What should I do?
Answer: If you decide you would like one or more of your Sandbox instances to retain the existing Summer  '08 functionality until October 11th, 2008, go here.

Question: I want my one or more of my Sandbox instances to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview prior to the upgrade of my production instance. What should I do?
Answer: If you decide to take advantage of the Winter ‘09 Preview in one or more of your Sandbox instances go here.

Question: What happens to my Sandbox instance if I submit a refresh before the Sandbox Upgrade Window begins (12:01 AM PST September 16th , 2008)?
Answer: Please note, if you submit a Sandbox refresh prior to 12:01 AM PST September 16th, 2008, your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09 Preview on September 19th.

Question: What happens to my Sandbox instance if I submit a refresh during the Sandbox Upgrade Window (after 12:01 AM PST, September 16th, 2008)?
Answer: Please note, if you submit a Sandbox refresh between 12:01 AM PST September 16th and the upgrade of your production instance, your Sandbox instance will retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008.

 

 

YES - I plan to upload and/or install one or more AppExchange packages using one or more of my Sandbox instances during the Sandbox Upgrade Window.

Special attention must be paid to the upgrade schedule for both your Force.com Sandbox instance(s) and your Production instance if you use packaging.  In most cases, both the source instance and the destination instance must be at the same release level in order to complete a full upload and install.  See the table below for details.

AppExchange Packages and the Winter '09 Release: Upload and Installation Options 

AppExchange Packages FAQ

Question: I plan to upload an AppExchange package from my Sandbox instance in the next few days, and immediately install to my Production instance.  Are there any limitations I should be aware of?
Answer: As long as you will complete this install prior to the Sandbox Upgrade Window there are no limitations.  Just upgrade and install as usual; both instances will be on the Summer ‘08 release at that time.

Question: I need to upload a package from my Sandbox instance after the Sandbox Upgrade Window begins, and immediately install to my Production instance. Are there any limitations I should be aware of?
Answer: You will need to ensure that both your Sandbox instance and Production instance are the same release level in order to complete this action.

1. If your Sandbox instance and Production instance both reflect Summer '08 functionality you may upload and install your package as usual.
2. If your Sandbox instance and Production instance both reflect Winter ‘09 functionality you may upload and install your package as usual.
3. If your Production instance will reflect the current Summer ‘08 functionality at time of install, you will need to ensure your Sandbox instance also reflects Summer ‘08 functionality at time of upgrade.  To ensure your sandbox does not participate in the  Winter ‘09 Preview, follow the instructions here.
4. If your Production instance reflects the Winter ‘09 functionality at time of install, you need to      either: a) ensure your sandbox participates in the Winter ‘09 Preview by following the instruction here; or b) wait until your current Sandbox instance upgrades to Winter ‘09 before installing to your Winter ‘09 Production instance.

Question: My Sandbox already reflects the Winter ‘09 Preview, but I need to make changes and install to my Summer ‘08 Production instance using packaging. I don't have any current configuration or data changes in my Sandbox that I want to keep. What should I do?
Answer: You will need to refresh your Sandbox one time after 12:01AM PST September 19th, 2008 to ensure that your Sandbox instance reverts to Summer ‘08 functionality. Note: this refresh will delete the contents of your existing Sandbox copy. Once the refresh is complete and activated, make your changes, and upload and install your package as usual.

Question: I'm already developing in my Sandbox instance and plan to upload a package as soon as Winter ‘09 is available. When can I install to my Production instance?
Answer: You will need to ensure that both your Sandbox instance and Production instance are the same release level in order to complete this action. 

• If your Sandbox instance reflects the Winter ‘09 Preview at this time, you may install your      AppExchange package as soon as your Production instance has been upgraded to Winter ‘09.   Your production instance will be upgraded during the first two weeks in October and you will be receiving notification about the specific date and time.
• If your Sandbox instance is not participating in the Winter ‘09 Preview and reflects Summer ‘08  functionality, you'll need to wait until October 11th, 2008 to complete your install.  After this date, your Sandbox instance will also reflect Winter ‘09 functionality and you may upload and install your package as usual.

Question: How can I tell which server my Sandbox is on?
Answer: Log into your Sandbox at test.salesforce.com, then examine the URL in your browser address bar.

• If you see tapp0.salesforce.com your Sandbox is on tapp0, and your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09 Preview on September 19th, 2008.
• If you see cs2.salesforce.com your Sandbox is on CS2, and your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09 Preview on September 19th, 2008.
• If you see cs1.salesforce.com your Sandbox is on CS1 and your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09 Release on October 11th, 2008.

If you have additional questions about your options for using packages with your Sandbox in conjunction with the Winter ‘09 release, please contact the salesforce.com Customer Support team.

 

 

If you take no action with your Sandbox instance(s) you may continue to use your Sandbox throughout the Sandbox Upgrade Window to test new customizations or features before rolling them out to users.

Please note: Without verifying which Sandbox server you are on, you may be surprised to see a Winter ‘09 Preview version after September 19th, 2008.  To plan ahead you will want to verify your Sandbox server.

Determine which Sandbox server you are on. Log into your Sandbox at test.salesforce.com, then examine the URL in your browser address bar.

• If you see: tapp0.salesforce.com OR cs2.salesforce.com, your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09 Preview on September 19th, 2008.

• If you see: cs1.salesforce.com your Sandbox will remain at the Summer ‘08 release until October 11th, 2008.

FAQs About Force.com Sandbox and the Winter ‘09 Release

Question: I do not want my Sandbox to participate in the Summer  '08 Preview.  What should I do?
Answer: If you decide you would like one or more of your Sandbox instances to retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008, go here.

Question: I want my Sandbox instance to participate in the Winter ‘09 Preview prior to the upgrade of my production instance. What should I do?
Answer: If you decide to take advantage of the Winter ‘09 Preview in one or more of your Sandbox instances go here.

Question: What happens to my Sandbox instance if I submit a refresh before the Sandbox Upgrade Window begins (12:01 AM PST, September 16th, 2008)?
Answer: Please note, if you submit a Sandbox refresh prior to 12:01 AM PST September 16th, 2008, your Sandbox instance will be upgraded to the Winter ‘09 Preview on September 19th.

Question: What happens to my Sandbox instance if I submit a refresh during the Sandbox Upgrade Window (after 12:01 AM PST, September 16th, 2008)?
Answer: Please note, if you submit a Sandbox refresh between 12:01 AM PST September 16th, 2008 and the upgrade of your production account, your Sandbox will retain the existing Summer ‘08 functionality until October 11th, 2008.