The production workspace in SAP LeanIX is the primary environment for managing real enterprise architecture data with a standard, configurable meta model. While a sandbox workspace, available via subscription, offers a safe space for large-scale testing. A sandbox workspace is geared towards the core team, and the number of users who can access it is limited.

The added safety of testing configurations in a sandbox workspace comes at the expense of delay, added complexity, and duplicate effort. Hence, the recommended approach is primarily to rely on the production workspace. This post highlights best practices for using both environments effectively.

Recommended Scenarios for Production Workspace

The production workspace in SAP LeanIX offers built-in safeguards to prevent errors and maintain data integrity, making it suitable for most activities. With features like change tracking, draft status, and detailed audit trails, you can confidently perform tasks without fear of impacting live data.

• Onboarding and training: SAP LeanIX's user interface ensures that users are fully aware of any changes they make to fact sheet data. Also, all changes are logged for review and reversal. Use live data for effective onboarding and leverage draft status to validate fact sheets before approval.

• Hiding data: Logically segregating sensitive data into different workspaces for security reasons is unnecessary. To control data visibility, you can use virtual workspaces instead.

• Meta model configuration: The visibility of fact sheets and their attributes can be limited to admin users before making them visible and editable for members. This allows you to test configurations in the production workspace before rollout.

• Dashboards, diagrams, and reports: Dashboards, diagrams, and reports can be easily kept private until ready for broader access, as the access can be set individually

• Data import through Excel spreadsheet: Before the users confirm the import, a summary of the changes is shown with details on fact sheet data, ensuring accuracy and data integrity.

• Surveys: Surveys have a dedicated test run for creators to help survey creators check whether the content meets their intent.

• OData Integration: Since this integration only reads data from a saved search in the workspace, configuring it directly in a live workspace poses no risk.

• Automations: Automations are triggered by activities or changes to fact sheets and not by existing data on the fact sheets. This means that even if an automation is set up incorrectly, it won’t make irreversible changes.

Recommended Scenarios for Sandbox Workspace

• Initial Setup of Out-of-the-Box Integrations: These integrations may create dozens or even hundreds of fact sheets during the first sync, which can have a significant impact. It's recommended to set up and review the first sync in a sandbox before applying it to the live workspace.

• Building Custom Integrations: Custom integrations using SAP LeanIX's public APIs can also create and alter large volumes of data. Hence, implement and test these integrations iteratively in a sandbox workspace before applying them to the live workspace.

• Initial Setup of Large-Scope Automations: Automations that trigger changes to a large number of fact sheets (e.g., when many fact sheets are created simultaneously by integrations, and you have set fact sheet creation as a trigger for the automation) should be tested in a sandbox first.

For a detailed guide and more best practices and tips, see Production and Sandbox Workspaces.