A testing environment is a setup of software and hardware for the testing teams to execute test cases. In other words, it supports test execution with hardware, software and network configured.
Test bed or test environment is configured as per the need of the Application Under Test. On a few occasion, test bed could be the combination of the test environment and the test data it operates.
Setting up a right test environment ensures software testing success. Any flaws in this process may lead to extra cost and time to the client.
Test Environment Setup: Key Areas
For the test environment, a key area to set up includes
- System and applications
- Test data
- Database server
- Front-end running environment
- Client operating system
- Browser
- Hardware includes Server Operating system
- Network
- Documentation required like reference documents/configuration guides/installation guides/ user manuals
Test Environment Management
Test Environment Management deals with the maintenance and upkeep of the test bed.
List of activities by the Test environment management function include,
- Maintenance of a central repository with all the updated version of test environments.
- Test environment management as per the test team demands.
- As per the new requirements creating new environments
- Monitoring of the environments
- Updating/deleting outdated test-environments
- Investigation of issues on the environment
- Co-ordination till an issue resolution.