The salesforce.com Summer ‘13 release is quickly approaching and soon you'll be able to take advantage of exciting new features and functionality! If you are a Force.com Sandbox customer, you have the opportunity to get early access to Summer ‘13 in your Sandbox and test new customizations and features before your production organization is upgraded.

The Sandbox Preview window for Summer ‘13 is scheduled to begin May 10, 2013. If you would like your Sandbox organization to take part in the Summer ’13 Preview, your Sandbox must be active on a preview instance by May 10th or 11th, 2013 to take part in an overall instance upgrade.

Please read carefully and follow the instructions in the next section for specific information on how to handle each of your Sandboxes.  In a lot of cases, you will not need to do anything, but you may need to take action by May 3, 2013 in order for your Sandbox to take part in the Summer ’13 Preview

What Do I Need to Do?

General Information about Sandbox Refresh: From now until May 3, 2013, all Sandbox refresh requests will be routed to an instance that will be upgraded for the preview.  Starting May 4, 2013, all refresh requests will be routed to non-preview instances.  We will continue to route refresh requests to non-preview instances until all production instances are upgraded.

Plan for the Sandbox Preview Window: You have from now until May 3, 2013 to decide if you would like your Sandbox to take part in the Summer ‘13 Preview. Follow the steps below for each Sandbox org that you have.

Note: If you have a full Sandbox, be mindful of the 29-day refresh policy and plan accordingly.

1) Determine your Sandbox instance: To determine which server your Sandbox is on, log into your production org and navigate to your Sandbox List page (Setup > Data Management > Sandbox).

Determine your Sandbox instance by using the location column above.

2) Refresh?…or…Don’t Refresh?...or… Do Nothing – You have options!  Once you have located your instance, use the chart below to determine if, when, and what action you should take on your Sandbox.

Important: 

• The May 3, 2013 deadline is to ensure that all requested refreshes are complete by May 11, 2013. If you have a large Sandbox, please keep in mind how much time it takes to complete your Sandbox refresh to ensure your copy is completed by May 10, 2013. This may mean that you need to request your refresh in advance of the May 3, 2013 deadline to ensure it completes by May 10, 2013.
• If you are refreshing onto a preview instance, do not refresh after you activate the Sandbox on your preview instance.  If you do, you will be refreshed to a non-preview instance.

• If you decide to stay on the current Spring ‘13 release, your Sandbox will not be upgraded to Summer ‘13 until June 15, 2013.

AppExchange Preview Instructions: 

If you plan to upload and/or install one or more AppExchange packages using your Sandboxes during the Sandbox Preview Window, you should use the chart below to determine your course of action.

If you have additional questions about your Sandbox options in conjunction with the Summer ‘13 release, please contact salesforce.com Customer Support.

Additional Resources:

• Sandbox Preview FAQ

Understanding the Preview Window Refresh Schedule:

In addition to the steps above, use the following graphic to understand what will happen to your Sandbox.  For example, if your Sandbox is on CS12 and you refresh it after 12 AM PDT on May 4th, it will be moved to a non-preview Instance.