diff --git a/docs/dev_services.md b/docs/dev_services.md
--- a/docs/dev_services.md
+++ b/docs/dev_services.md
@@ -85,17 +85,17 @@
 To start a certain service in the sandbox you can run the following command:
 
 ```
-yarn run-[service-name]-service-dev-mode
+yarn run-[service-name]-service-in-sandbox
 ```
 
 For example, for Tunnelbroker the command will look like this: 
 
 ```
-yarn run-tunnelbroker-service-dev-mode
+yarn run-tunnelbroker-service-in-sandbox
 ```
 
 You can also run all services at once in the sandbox using the command below: 
 
 ```
-yarn run-all-services-dev-mode
+yarn run-all-services-in-sandbox
 ```
diff --git a/services/backup/Dockerfile b/services/backup/Dockerfile
--- a/services/backup/Dockerfile
+++ b/services/backup/Dockerfile
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
   rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 ARG COMM_TEST_SERVICES
-ARG COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE
+ARG COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX
 
 ENV COMM_TEST_SERVICES=${COMM_TEST_SERVICES}
-ENV COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=${COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE}
+ENV COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=${COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX}
 
 WORKDIR /transferred
 
diff --git a/services/blob/Dockerfile b/services/blob/Dockerfile
--- a/services/blob/Dockerfile
+++ b/services/blob/Dockerfile
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
   rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 ARG COMM_TEST_SERVICES
-ARG COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE
+ARG COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX
 
 ENV COMM_TEST_SERVICES=${COMM_TEST_SERVICES}
-ENV COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=${COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE}
+ENV COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=${COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX}
 
 WORKDIR /transferred
 
diff --git a/services/blob/src/S3Tools.cpp b/services/blob/src/S3Tools.cpp
--- a/services/blob/src/S3Tools.cpp
+++ b/services/blob/src/S3Tools.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 std::unique_ptr<Aws::S3::S3Client> getS3Client() {
   Aws::Client::ClientConfiguration config;
   config.region = AWS_REGION;
-  if (tools::isDevMode()) {
+  if (tools::isSandbox()) {
     config.endpointOverride = Aws::String("localstack:4566");
     config.scheme = Aws::Http::Scheme::HTTP;
     return std::make_unique<Aws::S3::S3Client>(
diff --git a/services/docker-compose.yml b/services/docker-compose.yml
--- a/services/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/services/docker-compose.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       context: ../
       args:
         - COMM_TEST_SERVICES=${COMM_TEST_SERVICES}
-        - COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=${COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE}
+        - COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=${COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX}
     image: commapp/tunnelbroker-server:0.2
     ports:
       - "${COMM_SERVICES_PORT_TUNNELBROKER}:50051"
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       context: ../
       args:
         - COMM_TEST_SERVICES=${COMM_TEST_SERVICES}
-        - COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=${COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE}
+        - COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=${COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX}
     image: commapp/backup-server:0.1
     ports:
       - "${COMM_SERVICES_PORT_BACKUP}:50051"
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
       context: ../
       args:
         - COMM_TEST_SERVICES=${COMM_TEST_SERVICES}
-        - COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=${COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE}
+        - COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=${COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX}
     image: commapp/blob-server:0.1
     ports:
       - "${COMM_SERVICES_PORT_BLOB}:50051"
diff --git a/services/lib/src/DynamoDBTools.cpp b/services/lib/src/DynamoDBTools.cpp
--- a/services/lib/src/DynamoDBTools.cpp
+++ b/services/lib/src/DynamoDBTools.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 std::unique_ptr<Aws::DynamoDB::DynamoDBClient> getDynamoDBClient() {
   Aws::Client::ClientConfiguration config;
   config.region = AWS_REGION;
-  if (tools::isDevMode()) {
+  if (tools::isSandbox()) {
     config.endpointOverride = Aws::String("localstack:4566");
     config.scheme = Aws::Http::Scheme::HTTP;
   }
diff --git a/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.h b/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.h
--- a/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.h
+++ b/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 std::string decorateTableName(const std::string &baseName);
 
-bool isDevMode();
+bool isSandbox();
 
 std::string generateUUID();
 
diff --git a/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.cpp b/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.cpp
--- a/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.cpp
+++ b/services/lib/src/GlobalTools.cpp
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
   return baseName + suffix;
 }
 
-bool isDevMode() {
-  return hasEnvFlag("COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE");
+bool isSandbox() {
+  return hasEnvFlag("COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX");
 }
 
 std::string generateUUID() {
diff --git a/services/package.json b/services/package.json
--- a/services/package.json
+++ b/services/package.json
@@ -8,20 +8,22 @@
     "build-base-image": "./scripts/build_base_image.sh",
     "run-tunnelbroker-service": "./scripts/run_server_image.sh tunnelbroker",
     "test-tunnelbroker-service": "./scripts/test_service.sh tunnelbroker",
-    "run-tunnelbroker-service-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/run_server_image.sh tunnelbroker",
-    "test-tunnelbroker-service-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/test_service.sh tunnelbroker",
+    "run-tunnelbroker-service-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/run_server_image.sh tunnelbroker",
+    "test-tunnelbroker-service-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/test_service.sh tunnelbroker",
+    "build-backup-base": "./scripts/build_base_image.sh && docker-compose build backup-base",
     "run-backup-service": "./scripts/run_server_image.sh backup",
     "test-backup-service": "./scripts/test_service.sh backup",
-    "run-backup-service-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/run_server_image.sh backup",
-    "test-backup-service-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/test_service.sh backup",
+    "run-backup-service-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/run_server_image.sh backup",
+    "test-backup-service-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/test_service.sh backup",
+    "build-blob-base": "./scripts/build_base_image.sh && docker-compose build blob-base",
     "run-blob-service": "./scripts/run_server_image.sh blob",
     "test-blob-service": "./scripts/test_service.sh blob",
-    "run-blob-service-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/run_server_image.sh blob",
-    "test-blob-service-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/test_service.sh blob",
+    "run-blob-service-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/run_server_image.sh blob",
+    "test-blob-service-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/test_service.sh blob",
     "run-all-services": "./scripts/run_all_services.sh",
     "test-all-services": "./scripts/test_all_services.sh",
-    "test-all-services-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/test_all_services.sh",
-    "run-all-services-dev-mode": "COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=1 ./scripts/run_all_services.sh",
+    "test-all-services-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/test_all_services.sh",
+    "run-all-services-in-sandbox": "COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=1 ./scripts/run_all_services.sh",
     "init-local-cloud": "./scripts/init_local_cloud.sh"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile b/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile
--- a/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile
+++ b/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
 RUN ./install_libuv.sh
 
 ARG COMM_TEST_SERVICES
-ARG COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE
+ARG COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX
 
 ENV COMM_TEST_SERVICES=${COMM_TEST_SERVICES}
-ENV COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE=${COMM_SERVICES_DEV_MODE}
+ENV COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX=${COMM_SERVICES_SANDBOX}
 
 WORKDIR /transferred
 
diff --git a/services/tunnelbroker/src/server.cpp b/services/tunnelbroker/src/server.cpp
--- a/services/tunnelbroker/src/server.cpp
+++ b/services/tunnelbroker/src/server.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 void InitLogging(const char *programName) {
   FLAGS_logtostderr = true;
   FLAGS_colorlogtostderr = true;
-  if (comm::network::tools::isDevMode()) {
+  if (comm::network::tools::isSandbox()) {
     // Log levels INFO, WARNING, ERROR, FATAL are 0, 1, 2, 3, respectively
     FLAGS_minloglevel = 0;
   } else {
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   comm::network::InitLogging(argv[0]);
-  if (comm::network::tools::isDevMode()) {
+  if (comm::network::tools::isSandbox()) {
     comm::network::config::ConfigManager::getInstance().load(
         comm::network::DEV_CONFIG_FILE_PATH);
   } else {