Choosing the test environment for system integration testing
Key Takeaway
Run SIT in a Partial Copy sandbox that calls the external systems' test endpoints, not production ones. Performance and load testing need a Full sandbox.
System integration testing (SIT) checks that the parts of a solution, and the external systems it connects to, work together correctly before release. On Salesforce, you run SIT in a sandbox, which is an isolated copy of your production org. The main decision is which sandbox type gives the test enough realistic configuration and data. The sandbox also has to call test versions of the external systems, so test transactions stay out of production.
Where SIT fits
Because a sandbox is isolated from your production org, operations you perform in a sandbox don't affect production. A sandbox is therefore the right place for integration tests that create, change or delete records.
Changes move to production through a defined promotion path, with validation at each stage:
- Dev
- Integration, where SIT happens
- User acceptance testing (UAT), where business users validate the changes
- Production