The STAGING (formerly known as DEVELOPMENT) server is used primarily as a TEST or a STAGING environment both for yourself and Schoolbox to test changes to the Schoolbox platform.
This includes Schoolbox:
- testing code changes for issues you've reported
- troubleshooting issues with your setup and integrated systems (External DB/SIS, LDAP, SAML SSO etc.)
- testing major upgrades (E.g. v15.0 -> v15.5, v15.5->v16.0)
- testing new minor releases (all staging servers receive the latest minor release (e.g. 15.0.x) automatically and before the production servers)
- testing custom development unique to your school
We would not recommend performing any major content work (data might wish to keep) on the STAGING server as the server is wiped whenever a production-to-staging sync is performed, and is not backed up. We do recommend using it for gaining familiarity with the notifications and email systems, testing major imports (calendar etc.) and changes to your integrated systems.
Schoolbox performs the production-to-staging sync either on your request, when we need to troubleshoot an issue only on the production server and always before testing a major upgrade (E.g. 15.0 -> 15.5).
During a sync, everything on the staging server is wiped and replaced with the current production setup. There are a few exceptions to this:
- Title - The staging server adds "[Dev]" to the title E.g. "[Dev] Schoolbox" to help differentiate which system you are using
- External Database - Many schools have their staging server linking to their test External Database/SIS (Synergetic, TASS, Maze etc.), so we keep this value from the staging server
- Email - All email on a staging server is instead sent to MailCatcher (which you can view at https://your.dev.server:1081/) so as not to send email from the staging server to the internet.