Creating a test company allows you to safely test processes, configurations, or data changes without affecting your live production environment. The test company is created by taking a snapshot (backup) of your existing production company and restoring it as a separate database.

Step 1: Create a Snapshot (Backup)

  1. Log in to Spire Server Admin and open the Companies tab.

  2. Check the box next to your production company (live database).

  3. Click the Snapshot icon (camera).

  4. A progress bar at the bottom of the window will indicate that the backup is in progress.

  5. Once complete, the system will display Snapshot Created.

  6. From the menu on the left, go to Snapshots.

  7. In the list of snapshots, check the box next to the one you just created.

  8. Click the link under the Filename column to download the snapshot file.

    • The file will be saved to your system’s default Downloads folder.

Step 2: Restore the Snapshot as a Test Company

  1. In Spire Server Admin, open the Companies tab.

  2. Click the Restore Snapshot icon (up arrow).

  3. In the Restore Snapshot prompt:
    a. Select the downloaded snapshot file from your local system.
    b. Edit the Database Name so that it differs from your live production database (for example, add “_TEST” at the end).
    c. Change the Snapshot Schedule to None.

  4. Click Restore to begin the restore process.

    • The restored company will now appear in the Companies list.

Step 3: Rename the Test Company

To prevent confusion between the test and live environments:

  1. Select the newly restored test database.

  2. Click the Settings (gear) icon.

  3. In the Database Settings window, update the Company Name to something clearly identifiable, such as:

    TEST (Do Not Use)

  4. Click Save to apply the change.

Step 4: Access the Test Company

  1. Open Spire Desktop.

  2. Log in using the test company name you created.

  3. You can now safely perform testing, training, or configuration changes without impacting your live company data.

Summary

By creating and restoring a snapshot as a test company, you can test configurations, workflows, and processes without risk to your production data.
This approach ensures that any changes are validated before applying them to your live environment.

Related Articles