Interview Questions

Need a template for preparing the Test Environment.

Software QA/Testing Technical FAQs


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Need a template for preparing the Test Environment.


Answer1:
A test environment can be as simple or as complex as can be, but it *must* be seperate from a development environment. In an ideal world, you'd have a DEVelopment environment, a TEST environment, an ACCeptance environment and a partitioned PRODuction environment.
The DEV environment no one in QA touches, the TEST environment no one in development touches, the ACCeptance environment is for acceptance testing by end-users and adminstrators, performance/stress/load testing and so on and should mirror the PRODuction environment. The PRODuction environment should be a live/'hot swap' configuration; the release is deployed to 'hot swap', tested by the administrators and final acceptance testing before being 'hot swapped' to live.

Answer2:
TEST ENVIRONMENT:
Setup of a test environment will require:
- Hardware
- Operating systems
- Software that needs to be tested
- Other required software like tools (And people who can use them)
- Data configurations
- Interfaces to other systems, communications
- Documentation like user manuals/reference documents/configuration guides/installation guides

Setting up a dedicated Test Environment is expensive and the following needs to be considered:
- To create an internal Test Environment or to outsource
- To follow any External (IEEE, ISO etc.) or Internal company standards
- The initial set-up & running costs
- How long will the Test Environment be required?
- How production like does it need to be? If the environment does not mirrors production then differences between the test and production systems and their impact on test validity must be determined.
- Can you support the environment either technically or within the building infrastructure?
- Could any exisiting setup for other projects in the company can be re-used
- Could the setup be used for other projects within the company? - Day to day management
- Procedures for controlling change (Configuration management) - Data loading and security requirements

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