Test domain for Google Apps?

[Roger Wistar]

Hello! I was wondering if anyone has a good solution for using a test domain to pilot proposed changes before putting them out into production. We were hoping to make some changes to our Google Apps domain over the summer but would like somewhere to test them first before unleashing them on the users. Does anyone have a workable (and hopefully inexpensive) solution to this problem?

Thanks!

Roger Wistar

Educational Technology Facilitator

The Hotchkiss School

[Bjorn Behrendt]

Google doesn't limit the amour of GAFE domains you have.   Just set up a new Google apps using a sub domain like test.school.com.

Bjorn Behrendt
http://www.EdListen.com/
http://www.AskBj.net/
http://www.VTed.org/

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[Roger Wistar]

Wouldn't both domains be touching the same set of data, though? I'm concerned about making changes to the test subdomain and having them create negative consequences on the production domain. Is that something that we don't need to worry about?

Thanks!

Roger

[Alan Crosswell]

We provisioned a totally separate GAE domain, test.columbia.edu. It is not a subdomain of columbia.edu (from the GAE perspective).

/a

[Jennifer Smith]

We did this at The New School as well -- created a separate domain (gtest.newschool.edu).

We have it set to rapid release (our production domain is not) so we have the opportunity to evaluate new features before they are rolled out to our production domain.

Jennifer Smith
The New School

[Rodolfo Nunez]

Like others we created a separate test domain metis.barnard.edu. The test mailboxes get provisioned and deprovisioned following an identical process like the one used in the production domain but using a test directory services. This allows to test changes in the directory services, GADS config changes and upgrades, new tools that we want to use (e.g. GAPS) and Google features. We also test all our scripts here.

Rodolfo

Rodolfo Nunez
Director, IT Infrastructure
Barnard College, Columbia University

212-854-1319
rnu...@barnard.edu
www.barnard.edu/bcit

[Eliz Crowley]

As others have already said, you can setup a test domain. Ours has only 20 users, but its free and we use it to try things out. 

For example, we knew we had to block a project planning app after the test showed that it put annoying widgits at the bottom of every single email message, even for users that weren't using the app. Other apps have done no harm and some good, so we can proceed with looking at pricing.

We also used it to test Google's compliance filter regex's. In this case they worked perfectly on the test domain using our unimaginative test messages, but when presented with thousands of real emails the filters had so many false positives as to be useless. So the test domain will only be as uesflu as your test plan.

[Roger Wistar]

Thanks to everyone for all your prompt replies. It sounds like setting up a test domain is the way to go. Just to make sure that my understanding is correct, even if we were to set up a test domain (like test.hotchkiss.org), Google would treat it as being completely separate and distinct, right? My big concern is that any changes we make in our test domain might somehow affect our production domain. Can someone please confirm that this will NOT happen?

Thanks!

Roger

[Bjorn Behrendt]

You are correct test.hotchkiss.org would be treated differently than just hotchkiss.org.   You need to go through the GAFE sign-up process for the new domain. 

Bjorn Behrendt M.Ed ~ Never Stop Learning

   b...@askbj.net | (802) 772-0003

   Google Apps For Education Certified Trainer

My Sites

 ~ Edlisten.com ~ Educational Podcast

 ~ AskBj.net ~ Online Training and Ed Tech Resources

 ~ VTed.org ~ Vermont's Personal Learning Network

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Roger

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