From time to time the Epicor CPQ platform itself is updated with new features. You can preview new features before they are released by using the Preview Site.
Overview
As a company administrator you create and manage updates in your Dev environment. You then deploy updates to Test, and finally deploy to Production. These three environments you manage are all part of the production site we manage at the domain kbmax.com.
To ensure what you've built works well with new features that we will release, there is another preview site we manage. While that site works in the same way as the production site, it is completely independent of the production site's code base. In the preview site, you can see how your current design will work with our new features before they are released to production.
When we announce that our new features are ready for you to test, you can clone your dev environment from the production site into the preview site. There you can perform transactions or update code, without any changes to your production environment.
Types of Releases
Epicor CPQ releases two types of public updates:
| Update | Reason | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Hotfix | An urgent fix, never any new features. |
Usually released immediately, without a defined period of time on the preview site. |
| Standard | Bug fixes, improvements, and new features. |
Usually released once a month, preceded by a testing period on the preview site. |
Epicor CPQ Platform Release Process
Here is what to expect when there is an upcoming release:
- Platform changes are placed in a in the preview site.
- A new entry describing the changes appears in our release notes, clearly marked as "PREVIEW" with the version number and planned production release date.
- There will be testing period that varies based on the type of release (Hotfix or Standard). That testing period will be extended if any found issues are unresolved.
When the testing period is done, we move the new features into the production site for everyone to use. The cloned copy of your "dev" environment is no longer needed in kbmaxtest.com, and can be refreshed.
Connecting to your Preview Site
To find the preview site for your development environment, change your URL from "kbmax.com" to "kbmaxtest.com"
| Site | URL |
|---|---|
| Production Site | https://[yourSubdomain]-dev.kbmax.com |
| Test Site | https://[yourSubdomain]-dev.kbmaxtest.com |
Copying your Design into the Preview Site
To test your code against our proposed updates to the platform, you can copy your entire dev environment from kbmax.com to kbmaxtest.com at any time.
Follow these steps:
Pre-release sites are outside the European Union and the European Economic Area.
Best practice guidance for any IT system suggests that your "dev" environment should not contain any personally identifiable information: your real contacts, quotes, and
other sensitive information should be in your "test" or "prod" environments. Your "dev" environment should be populated with sample data.
However, administrators in the EU/EEA should consider reviewing their dev
environment to ensure that any contacts, tables, or other objects do not contain personally identifiable information of real people before clicking the "copy from production".
Clicking this button copies your DEV data, which may include personally identifiable information, into a location outside the European Economic Area. By clicking this button you acknowledge and authorize this movement of data.
Pre-release sites are not appropriate for production applications.
Any changes you make to the preview site is transitory. It will be overwritten the next time production data is copied over into either of those sites. The preview site is only for testing your
current application's behaviors against a preview of new platform features, not for creating new behaviors. Any new behaviors created on the preview site or next site will be eventually overwritten. Be aware that
production behaviors might also be copied over to these sites from time to time automatically as part of a platform update.
Connecting to your Preview Database
If your company has activated our optional database feature, then those database tables, views, and firewall rules are also copied into your preview site or next site when you click "copy from production". After they're copied, here's how to connect to them.
First, look up your database hostname and database names. You have 2 options:
- Find it yourself in preview.
As an administrator, log into your preview DEV environment. Browse to Admin Gear > Infrastructure > Database Firewall and click the button "Send DB xuser Credentials". If database tables have already been activated for your org, then an email will be sent to you that includes the names of your dev, test, and prod databases on the preview site, as well as the hostname. Use those parameters to connect to your database. - Ask us for help.
If the email does not arrive, you can also contact the EpicCare support desk. Create a ticket, asking for "my company's preview site database connection information, as shown in Admin Gear > Infrastructure > Database Firewall > Send DB xuser Credentials. This information should be for my PREVIEW site, not the production site.")
Connecting to your Preview Output Builder
If your company creates CAD outputs, you have an Output Builder installed on your own computer that generates CAD files. The preview site comes with its own preview version of the Output Builder software you install on your CAD workstation. This version is distinct from the normal production version of Output Builder, and can be installed alongside it on the same machine. The preview version of Output Builder will also update itself as new versions are posted to the Preview Site.
To install the preview version of Output Builder, simply visit the Tools page on your Preview Site and click on the 'Download Output Builder' button. The preview Output Builder has a slightly different appearance than the production Output Builder, so you can easily see which is which when they are both installed on the same machine.
Questions and Answers
How can I tell there is a new release available on the Preview Site?
Visit the release notes in this documentation. Any version available for your testing will appear with "PREVIEW" by its version number. When that version is released into production, the "PREVIEW" note will disappear
from the version number in the release notes.
Do these sites have the same level of security for my data as the production site?
Yes, these sites have identical, parallel security protections.
Do these sites have the same uptime guarantee as production?
No, there is no explicit uptime guarantee for the Preview Site. There could be intermittent periods of downtime as platform upgrades are being tested.
What should I do when a release is available on the Test Site?
No action is required. The version available on those sites will progress to being available in production after its review period is successfully completed. However, your company has the option of participating in this
review period to perform any testing you deem necessary.
To participate, follow the steps in the section "copying your design for preview" above.
What should I do if I find an issue on either of these sites?
Please report the issue promptly through our EpicCare Service Desk. Any changes resulting in reported issues in the preview
will be either fixed or deferred to a future release, and the testing site will be updated for more testing before the release to production. If necessary, the review period may be extended accordingly.