Introduction

Sandbox environments are essential for developers to experiment, test and innovate without impacting production systems. However, without proper governance, sandbox environments can quickly become a management nightmare, leading to security risks, cost overruns and operational inefficiencies. In this blog post, we will explore best practices for setting up a sandbox environment in OCI that balances developer freedom with administrative control.

Key Objectives

  1. Isolation: Ensure that each developer has their own isolated environment to test and experiment.
  2. Governance: Enforce guardrails to prevent misuse, control costs and maintain security.
  3. Network Control: Centralize network management to restrict north-south traffic and maintain a secure network architecture.
  4. Security: Use OCI Security Zones to enforce guardrails and protect workloads.
  5. Monitoring: Leverage OCI Cloud Guard to detect and respond to security anomalies in the sandbox environment.
  6. Automation: Use tagging, lifecycle policies and event-driven automation to streamline operations and reduce manual overhead.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Sandbox Environment in OCI

1. Create a Separate Compartment for Sandbox – Start by creating a dedicated compartment for the sandbox environment. This compartment will act as the parent compartment for all developer-specific compartments.

  • Why? Compartments provide logical isolation, making it easier to manage resources, apply policies, and track costs.
  • How?
    • Navigate to Identity & Security > Compartments in the OCI Console.
    • Create a new compartment named Sandbox.

2. Create Individual Compartments for Each Developer – Within the Sandbox compartment, create individual compartments for each developer. Each developer will have admin access to their own compartment but will be restricted from accessing other compartments.

  • Why? This ensures that developers have the freedom to experiment within their own space without affecting others.
  • How?
    • Create sub-compartments under Sandbox named after each developer (e.g., Sandbox/Dev1, Sandbox/Dev2).
    • Assign the Administrator role to each developer for their respective compartment using Identity & Security > Policies. However, restrict permissions related to VCN and network changes to minimize the risk of developers exfiltrating data or elevating network permissions. Use a custom policy like this
    • Allow group sandbox-dev1 to manage all-resources in compartment dev1-sandbox where all {   request.permission != 'VCN_CREATE',   request.permission != 'VCN_UPDATE',    request.permission != 'VCN_DELETE',  request.permission != 'VCN_MOVE',  request.permission != 'SUBNET_CREATE', request.permission != 'NETWORK_SECURITY_GROUP_CREATE',   request.permission != 'INTERNET_GATEWAY_CREATE' }


3. Enforce Quota Policies – To prevent resource sprawl and control costs, enforce quota policies at the compartment level.

  • Why? Quotas help in managing resource consumption and preventing unexpected costs.
  • How?
    • Define quotas for compute instances, storage and other resources in the Sandbox compartment.
    • Navigate to Governance & Administration > Quotas to set limits on the number of resources that can be created in each developer’s compartment.

4. Set Up a Centralized VCN Compartment – Create a separate compartment for VCN resources. This compartment will be managed by the sandbox administrators and developers will only have access to use the VCN, not create or modify it.

  • Why? Centralizing network management ensures that the network architecture remains secure and consistent.
  • How?
    • Create a new compartment named Sandbox-Network.
    • Set up a VCN within this compartment, including subnets, route tables, and security lists.
    • Grant developers the Network User role on the VCN compartment, allowing them to use the network resources but not modify them.

5. Use OCI Dynamic Routing Gateway (DRG) for Transit Functionality – To enable secure and scalable connectivity between VCNs or between on-premises networks and OCI, use the DRG. DRG acts as a transit gateway, allowing you to centralize network traffic routing and simplify connectivity.

  • Why? DRG provides a scalable and secure way to connect multiple VCNs or on-premises networks, making it ideal for sandbox environments with complex networking needs.
  • How?
    • Create a DRG in the Sandbox-Network compartment.
    • Attach the DRG to the VCNs in the sandbox environment.
    • Configure route tables to control traffic flow between VCNs or to on-premises networks.
    • Use DRG to enforce consistent network policies and simplify connectivity management.

6. Use OCI Security Zones to Enforce Guardrails – OCI Security Zones provide a powerful way to enforce guardrails and protect workloads. Security Zones ensure that resources created in a compartment comply with security best practices by automatically applying policies and restrictions.

  • Why? Security Zones help prevent misconfigurations and enforce compliance with security policies, such as preventing public access to resources or ensuring encryption is enabled.
  • How?
    • Enable Security Zones in the Sandbox compartment or individual developer compartments.
    • Define security policies, such as:
      • Blocking public access to buckets or databases.
      • Enforcing encryption for storage and compute resources.
      • Restricting the use of certain services or features that could introduce security risks.
    • Use Security Zones to automatically block non-compliant resource creation, ensuring workloads remain secure.

7. Restrict North-South Traffic – To enhance security, restrict north-south traffic (traffic between the sandbox environment and the internet) by controlling egress and ingress rules.

  • Why? Limiting north-south traffic reduces the attack surface and prevents unauthorized access.
  • How?
    • Configure security lists and network security groups (NSGs) to allow only necessary traffic.
    • Use OCI’s Networking > Virtual Cloud Networks to set up strict ingress and egress rules.
    • Consider using a NAT gateway to allow outbound internet access for resources in private subnets without exposing them directly to the internet.

8. Monitor and Audit with OCI Cloud Guard – OCI Cloud Guard provides continuous monitoring and anomaly detection to identify potential security risks, misconfigurations or suspicious activities in your sandbox environment.

  • Why? Cloud Guard helps you proactively detect and respond to threats, ensuring the sandbox environment remains secure and compliant.
  • How?
    • Enable Cloud Guard in the Sandbox compartment.
    • Configure detectors to monitor for anomalies, such as:
      • Unusual API activity.
      • Publicly accessible resources.
      • Non-compliant resource configurations.
    • Set up responder recipes to automatically remediate issues, such as quarantining compromised resources or notifying administrators.
    • Regularly review Cloud Guard findings and take corrective actions as needed.

9. Automate Resource Tagging and Lifecycle Management – To streamline operations and improve cost management, use auto-tagging and resource lifecycle policies in OCI.

  • Why? Auto-tagging ensures consistent metadata across resources, while lifecycle policies help automate resource cleanup and reduce costs.
  • How?
    • Auto-Tagging: Use OCI Tagging feature to automatically apply tags to resources based on predefined rules. For example:
      • Tag resources with Environment: Sandbox and Owner: Dev1 to track usage and ownership.
      • Use tags for cost allocation and reporting.
    • Resource Lifecycle Policies: Use tools like ociextirpater(community developed) to delete or archive resources that are no longer needed. For example:
      • Set a lifecycle policy to delete compute instances after 30 days of inactivity.
    • OCI Event Service: Use the OCI Event Service to trigger alerts or actions based on specific events

10. Educate Developers – Finally, educate developers on the best practices for using the sandbox environment, including cost management, security and resource optimization.

  • Why? Awareness and training help in minimizing misuse and ensuring that developers make the most out of the sandbox environment.
  • How?
    • Conduct regular training sessions and provide documentation on how to use the sandbox environment effectively.
    • Share tips on cost optimization, such as shutting down unused resources and using pre-configured templates.
    • Emphasize the importance of adhering to security policies and using Security Zones and Cloud Guard to maintain a secure environment.

Conclusion

Setting up a sandbox environment in OCI with the right balance of freedom and control is crucial for fostering innovation while maintaining security and cost efficiency. By following the best practices outlined in this blog post, you can create a sandbox environment that empowers developers to experiment and innovate without compromising on governance or security.

Key takeaways:

  • Use separate compartments for sandbox environments and individual developers.
  • Enforce quotas to control resource usage and costs.
  • Centralize network management in a dedicated compartment using Dynamic Routing Gateway (DRG).
  • Use OCI Security Zones to enforce guardrails and protect workloads.
  • Leverage OCI Cloud Guard to monitor for anomalies and ensure continuous security.
  • Restrict north-south traffic to enhance security.
  • Automate resource tagging and lifecycle management using OCI Tagging, ociextirpater(community developed), and Event Service.
  • Regularly monitor, audit and educate developers to maintain governance.

Remember, the key to a successful sandbox environment is continuous monitoring, regular audits, and ongoing education. With these practices in place, your sandbox environment will be a valuable asset for your development team.