Password Manager
All resource credentials are kept in a secure, shared repository, such as LastPass.
There's an old saw: If you had everything, where would you put it?
The Salesforce answer is to put it all in your org.Â
A Salesforce org captures all of your configuration details, data, extension apps, and custom extensions, in one handy container. And the more you work with Salesforce, especially as a consultant or development partner, the more orgs you need to access. Some orgs may be your personal test-beds and playgrounds, others will be environments that you share with other people in your company, or your client's company. Â
While Salesforce has excellent single-sign on capabilities, most of us still need to track the usernames and passwords to a dizzying number of Salesforce orgs, and switch between them throughout the day.Â
Salesforce Native SolutionsÂ
For a small number of orgs, Salesforce has a built-in "Saved Username" feature. This ditty can give you a leg-up, but you still have to remember different passwords for each org (or so I hope).
The Environment Hub has a SSO feature designed for people who have their own accounts in various orgs attached to the hub. This is a nice capability for customers with the same users in multiple orgs, but it doesn't match how partners and consultants work.
For managed packages distributed on the AppExchange, partners can login through the Subscriber Console – if a user has authorized the connection. This option is great for one-off support incidents, but it's not an everyday development solution.Â
Salesforce Plugin SolutionsÂ
While there are a number of browser plugins that can save Salesforce credentials, the plugin approach is generally not secure as passwords can show up in your browser history.
Password ManagersÂ
Of course, credential management doesn't end with Salesforce orgs. All developers need to access different password-protected resources during the work day. When you have your own account with each resource, and there are only handful, keeping track of the different credentials is not so hard. When you are working on one or more managed packages, or for multiple Salesforce customers, tracking your credentials for each org is beyond the capabilities of mere mortals.Â
While not Salesforce-specific, general purpose password managers, like LastPass, are the better choice for developers with a lot of personal and shared credentials to juggle.Â
In practice, many Salesforce consultants use shared accounts to access a customer org. In this case, a password manager that supports "secure sharing" is indispensable.Â
There are several password managers available. Take a few for a test drive, and then choose the one that you like best.Â
See AlsoÂ
Best Password Managers of 2017 (pcmag.com)
- Best Password Manager: Dashlane vs LastPass vs 1Password vs RoboForm vs KeePass (asecurelife.com)
How do you manage passwords across SFDC orgs? (StackExchange)
- Grasping LastPass from the Clutches of Salesforce Remember Me and Me and Me (NimbleUser)
Resource ChecklistÂ
Pro Tip
- For development orgs, consider relaxing the password policies to "Never Expire".Â
- Some customers may also want to consider this policy, as changing passwords can create security risks.Â
RelatedÂ
- AppExchange
- Environment Hub
- Subscriber Console
Please submit feedback to the DreamOps Success Group http://dreamops.org/group.