Today’s Show: Testing 123

Developing good testing practices is important
Computer hardware/software testing
Backup restore testing
Documentation & process testing
Patch testing

OS
Application


The basics

Pre-test, validate current state

What works, what doesn’t
Partner with business community if needed


Build test environment

Useful for more complicated or critical systems
Virtualization has made this easy
Pre-test the development environment, does it match production?
Take notes on the steps you take, so you know what to expect during the production upgrade


Verify backups
Have a fail back plan

Outline situations when it would be needed


Post-testing

Does system functionality match the pre-test?
Use acceptance test required?




Testing process

Be as thorough as time allows based on upgrade scope and system importance

How much time & money will an outage cost you?


Don’t assume anything

Even the smallest detail can have a significant effect on the outcome


How many people are required?
What equipment is required?

Phones
Printers
Computers/Servers


Time required?



Final Thoughts

Good testing habits will save you time, money and embarrassment
Resist the urge to just get it done

It’s better to do it right then to get home 10 minutes earlier.  Otherwise you might be driving back into work to fix it.
 Testing decreases this temptation because you can use your notes as a checklist

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