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Test Environments

The specified test objectives influence the test environment requirements. For example, service level test objectives (such as system availability, load, and responsiveness) often require an isolated environment to verify. In addition, controlled test environments can help:

• Provide integrity of the application under test. During a project, at any given time there are multiple versions of a module or system configuration. Maintaining controlled environments can make sure that tests are being executed on the appropriate versions. Significant time can be wasted executing tests on incorrect versions of a module or debugging environment configuration without these controls.
• Control and mange risk as a project nears rollout. There is always a risk associated with introducing configuration changes during the lifecycle of the project. For example, changing the configuration just before the rollout carries a significant amount of risk. Using controlled environments allows a team to isolate late-stage and risky changes.

It is typical to have established Development, Functional Testing, System Testing, User Acceptance Testing, Performance Testing, and Production environments to support testing. More complex projects often include more environments, or parallel environments to support parallel development. Many customers use standard code control systems to facilitate the management of code across environments.

The environment management approach includes the following components:

• Named environments and migration process. A set of named test environments, a specific purpose (for example, integration test environment), and a clear set of environment entry and exit criteria. Typically, the movement of components from one environment to the next requires that each component pass a predefined set of test cases, and is done with the appropriate level of controls (for example, code control and approvals).
• Environment audit. A checklist of system components and configuration for each environment. Audits are performed prior to any significant test activity. The Environment Verification Tool can be used to facilitate the audit of test environments. For more information about the Environment Verification Tool, see Siebel SupportWeb at http://supportweb.siebel.com/.
• Environment schedule. A schedule that outlines the dates when test cases will be executed in a given environment.