AWS re:Invent 2025 - Innovation Sandbox on AWS: Automating Temporary Cloud Environments (COP351)

AWS re:Invent 2025 - Innovation Sandbox on AWS: Automating Temporary Cloud Environments

Why Sandboxes?

• Heavily regulated companies often have service allow lists, creating bottlenecks for developers to upskill and innovate
• Developers may get services approved but never end up using them due to lack of testing opportunities
• The primary goal of Innovation Sandbox is to democratize innovation and enable developers to build on AWS

Traditional Sandbox Challenges

• Typically managed by an admin or platform engineering team, who provision accounts and provide access to users
• Multiple users sharing the same sandbox leads to resource sprawl and cost concerns
• Significant management overhead to clean up unused resources

Innovation Sandbox on AWS

• Developed based on feedback from hundreds of customers across industries, including universities, startups, and regulated companies
• Deployed using CloudFormation templates, with an implementation guide and open-source code on GitHub
• Supports three user personas: Admins, Managers, and Users

Key Features

• Admins pre-create a pool of AWS accounts that Managers can provision to Users
• Managers can set cost and time-based controls, including alerts, account freezing, and automatic cleanup
• Managers can also manually initiate actions on leases, such as extending duration or terminating accounts
• Users authenticate through AWS IAM Identity Center (or third-party providers) to access their sandbox environments
• Leases can be set as public (for users to request) or private (for Managers to assign)
• Cost reporting feature allows tracking usage by cost center or team

Business Impact and Use Cases

• Enables upskilling and innovation for developers in highly regulated industries
• Provides a secure, isolated environment for testing, including use cases like:
  • Hackathons and innovation challenges
  • Experimentation with emerging technologies like generative AI
• Streamlines sandbox management, reducing overhead and cost concerns

Example Workflow

1. Admins pre-create a pool of AWS accounts
2. Managers define lease templates with cost and time-based controls
3. Users request access to sandbox environments through the self-service portal
4. Managers can approve requests, assign leases, and manage the lifecycle of sandbox accounts
5. Accounts are automatically cleaned up or can be moved to a development environment as needed

Key Takeaways

• Innovation Sandbox democratizes access to AWS services and enables upskilling and innovation
• Automated lifecycle management and cost controls address common sandbox challenges
• Flexible configuration and API support allow integration into existing processes
• Widely adopted across industries, including universities, startups, and regulated companies
• Enables secure experimentation with emerging technologies like generative AI