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Sandbox vs Production Services - Feature Differences

This document outlines the key differences between sandbox and production environments for the commerce microservice API.

Overview​

The commerce microservice provides two distinct environments:

  • Sandbox: Testing environment with mock data and simulated responses
  • Production: Live environment with real integrations and actual business data

The environment is automatically selected based on your API configuration and endpoint usage.

Environment Selection​

Services are automatically configured based on your environment settings. No code changes are required to switch between environments.

1. Transaction Processing​

Production Environment​

  • Real Gateway Integration: Processes actual transactions through external payment systems
  • Live Validation: Performs real-time validation of stores, clients, and business rules
  • Actual Transaction IDs: Generates unique transaction identifiers from live systems
  • Real Status Updates: Transaction statuses reflect actual payment processing states
  • External Dependencies: Requires connectivity to external payment gateways

Sandbox Environment​

  • Mock Transactions: Simulates transaction processing without real money movement
  • Predictable Results: Same inputs always produce the same outputs for testing
  • Sequential Transaction Numbers: Generates predictable, incrementing transaction IDs
  • Controlled Error Testing: Use specific patterns in your requests to trigger different error scenarios
  • No External Dependencies: Works independently without external service connectivity

Error Testing in Sandbox:

  • Include "REJECTED" in external reference fields to simulate transaction failures
  • Use specific folio patterns to test different transaction statuses

2. Client Management​

Production Environment​

  • Live Customer Data: Fetches real customer information from your business systems
  • Dynamic Credit Lines: Returns current, real-time credit availability
  • Real-time Validation: Validates customer status and purchasing capability
  • Live Search Results: Customer searches return actual business data
  • Network Dependencies: Requires connectivity to customer management systems

Sandbox Environment​

  • Predefined Test Customers: Provides three consistent test customer profiles
  • Fixed Credit Lines: Predictable credit amounts for testing scenarios
  • Deterministic Search: Same search terms always return the same customers
  • Instant Responses: No network delays or external system dependencies

Test Customer Profiles:

  • Standard Customer: Normal purchasing capability with good credit
  • New Customer: First-time buyer with limited credit history
  • Restricted Customer: Customer with purchasing limitations for testing denial scenarios

Production Environment​

  • Real JWT Tokens: Generates secure tokens for actual payment processing
  • Live Store Validation: Validates stores and salespeople exist in your business systems
  • Actual Expiration: Links expire based on real business rules and timing
  • Database Integration: Stores and retrieves actual sale request data

Sandbox Environment​

  • Test Tokens: Generates valid tokens for testing purposes
  • Mock Validation: Simulates store and salesperson validation
  • Predictable Expiration: Uses the same expiration rules but with test data
  • Isolated Data: Uses separate test data that doesn't affect production

Key Difference:

  • Production validates against both "FINISHED" and "APPROVED" statuses
  • Sandbox only checks "FINISHED" status for simplified testing

4. Sale Request Processing​

Production Environment​

  • Live Client Integration: Searches and validates customers in real business systems
  • Actual Transaction Creation: Creates real transactions that affect business operations
  • Real Status Tracking: Transaction statuses reflect actual payment processing
  • Live Callback URLs: Triggers real webhook notifications to your systems

Sandbox Environment​

  • Mock Client Search: Uses predefined test customers for consistent testing
  • Simulated Transactions: Creates test transactions without business impact
  • Fixed Status Updates: Uses predictable status changes for testing
  • Test Callbacks: Simulates webhook notifications without triggering live systems

5. Store and Salesperson Data​

Production Environment​

  • Live Business Data: Returns actual stores and salespeople from your business systems
  • Dynamic Lists: Store and salesperson lists reflect current business operations
  • Real Relationships: Validates actual store-salesperson relationships
  • Current Status: Returns only active stores and salespeople

Sandbox Environment​

  • Empty Test Results: Currently returns empty lists for consistent testing
  • Predictable Responses: Same requests always return the same results
  • Testing Focus: Designed for testing API structure rather than data content
  • No Business Impact: Test queries don't affect live business data

6. Webhook Processing​

Production Environment​

  • Live Webhook Delivery: Sends actual HTTP requests to your configured endpoints
  • Real Integration: Triggers real business processes and system integrations
  • Actual Customer Data: Webhook payloads contain real customer and transaction information
  • Live Error Handling: Real network issues and endpoint failures

Sandbox Environment​

  • Simulated Webhooks: Mimics webhook sending without actual HTTP requests
  • Test Data Payloads: Uses predefined test data in webhook simulations
  • Safe Testing: Prevents accidental triggering of live business processes
  • Controlled Testing: Predictable webhook behavior for testing scenarios

Testing Strategy​

When to Use Sandbox​

  • Development and Testing: Build and test your integration safely
  • Automated Testing: Run consistent tests with predictable results
  • Demo Environments: Showcase functionality without affecting live data
  • Error Scenario Testing: Test how your system handles various error conditions
  • Integration Validation: Verify API integration before going live

When to Use Production​

  • Live Operations: Process real customer transactions
  • End-to-End Testing: Validate complete workflows with real data
  • Performance Testing: Test with actual data volumes and network conditions
  • Business Operations: Handle actual customer requests and transactions

Data Consistency​

Sandbox Benefits​

  • Predictable Results: Same API calls always return the same data
  • Controlled Testing: Test specific scenarios with known data sets
  • Fast Development: No network delays or external dependencies
  • Safe Experimentation: Experiment without affecting live systems
  • Error Simulation: Test error handling with controlled error scenarios

Production Benefits​

  • Real Data Validation: Ensure your integration works with actual business data
  • Live Performance: Test under real-world conditions and data volumes
  • Actual Integration: Validate complete end-to-end business processes
  • Business Validation: Ensure functionality meets actual business requirements

Environment Configuration​

Automatic Selection​

  • Environments are automatically selected based on your API configuration
  • No manual switching required between sandbox and production
  • Consistent API endpoints and request/response formats
  • Same authentication and authorization mechanisms

Key Differences in Behavior​

  • Response Times: Sandbox responses are faster (no external calls)
  • Data Freshness: Production has real-time data, sandbox has static test data
  • Error Scenarios: Sandbox allows controlled error testing
  • Business Impact: Only production affects actual business operations

Best Practices​

Development Workflow​

  1. Start with Sandbox: Develop and test your integration in sandbox first
  2. Test Error Scenarios: Use sandbox to test how your system handles errors
  3. Validate Data Handling: Ensure your system properly processes API responses
  4. Performance Testing: Test with production for real-world performance validation
  5. Go Live Gradually: Start with limited production testing before full deployment

Testing Recommendations​

  • Use sandbox for all automated testing and CI/CD pipelines
  • Test error scenarios thoroughly in sandbox before production
  • Validate production integration with small test transactions
  • Monitor production carefully during initial deployment
  • Keep sandbox tests updated as your integration evolves

This dual-environment approach ensures you can develop and test safely while maintaining reliable production operations.