1 sandbox vs 2 sandbox for CJA

[gautham_madala]

Hello,
I would like to know how is everyone configuring their Sandboxes ? 
Do you usually use one for dev and another for prod. 
Or have 1 for both prod and dev? 

Below are for 1 sandbox ( Dev+ prod)
Pros - having 1 sandbox for AEP<>CJA data collection is that - We just need 1 AEP variable data element and reference the schema once in tags. 
Cons - hard for access management since everything is just one sandbox now

Below are for 2 sandboxes ( Dev & prod)

Pros - having 2 sandboxes for AEP <> CJA data collection is better for validating and testing, easier for access manage and change management. 
Cons - having 2 sandboxes will create a problem when we have to reference the schema in a AEP variable data element, each time we want to publish the libs between dev to prod. We will have to change it and higher maintenance.

[MohitVashist]

Hi @gautham_madala ,

Using 1 sandbox is easier because you set up schema/dataset once and don’t have to change IDs when publishing.

But the downside is test data can mix with prod and access control is harder.

Using 2 sandboxes is safer and makes access management easier, but you have to maintain both and update schema/dataset IDs when moving from dev to prod.

We are using 2 sandboxes and set Launch to auto-switch IDs based on environment to avoid manual changes.

[Imbalakumar]

Hi @gautham_madala We are following 2 sandbox approach or one for dev and one for prod would be a better approach.

Couple of best practices I would recommend that is instructed by Adobe,

• Make sure the datasets that you need reside in the same Adobe Experience Platform sandbox, as a connection can only pull from one sandbox at a time.
• List out all the data sources you might integrate, like web analytics, mobile app data, CRM records, call center logs, etc. Then prioritize them. It’s often better to start with a few key datasets than to pull in everything at once.

Refer few best practices suggested by Adobe - https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/perspectives/best-practices-for-setting-up-connections-in-cja 

Thanks,

Bala