The salesforce.com Spring ‘14 release is quickly approaching and soon you'll be able to take advantage of exciting new features and functionality! If you are a Sandbox customer, you have the opportunity to get early access to Spring ‘14 in your Sandbox and test new customizations and features before your production organization is upgraded.

The Sandbox Preview window for Spring ‘14 is scheduled to begin February 7, 2014. If you would like your Sandbox organization to take part in the Spring ‘14 Preview, your Sandbox must be active on a preview instance by February 7, 2014 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 most cases, you will not need to do anything because your Sandbox is already on a preview instance.  But you may need to take action by January 3, 2014 in order for your Sandbox to take part in the Spring ‘14 Preview

General Information about the Sandbox Service:

From now until January 3, 2014, all Sandbox creation and refresh requests will be routed to a Sandbox instance that will be upgraded for the preview.  Starting January 4, 2014, all creation and refresh requests will be routed to non-preview instances until your production instance is upgraded to Spring ‘14.

You have from now until January 3, 2014 to decide if you would like your Sandbox to take part in the Spring ‘14 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.

Sandbox Preview Window FAQ

I need to create a new Sandbox – What are my options?

I have an existing Sandbox – What are my options?

1. Determine your Sandbox instance

To determine which instance your Sandbox is on, log into your production org and navigate to your Sandbox List page (Search “Sandbox” in the Quick Find bar on the Setup Home Page).

Determine your Sandbox instance by using the Location column above.

2. Refresh? Or Don’t Refresh? Or Do Nothing?

Once you have located the instance that your Sandbox is on, use the chart below to determine if, when, and what action you should take on your Sandbox. 

Important: 

• The January 3, 2014 deadline is to ensure that all requested refreshes are complete by the time the Sandbox instance is upgraded on January 10, 2014. 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 February 7, 2014. This may mean that you need to request your refresh in advance of the January 3, 2014 deadline to ensure it completes by February 7, 2014.
• 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.  Between January 3, 2014 and the date in which your production org is upgraded to Spring ’14, all Sandbox refreshes will be directed to non-preview instances.  We cannot perform a refresh to a preview instance between those dates.
• If you decide to stay on the current Winter ‘14 release, your Sandbox will not be upgraded to Spring ‘14 until April 19, 2014.

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 Spring ‘14 release, please contact salesforce.com Customer Support.

Understanding the Preview Window Schedule

In addition to the steps above, use the following graphic to understand what will happen to your Sandbox if you request a new Sandbox or refresh an existing Sandbox.  For example, if your Sandbox is on CS12 and you refresh it after 12 AM PST on January 4, 2014, it will be moved to a non-preview Instance.

Learn more or get your questions answered at the Sandbox Preview FAQ. If you're ready to try Salesforce, check out the free sneak peek ebook at the button below.