WebSphere Application Server V7.0: Concepts ... - IBM Redbooks

Integration test environment
After a successful build and regression test, the application is deployed to the
integration test environment. This is the environment where the developers
perform integration tests among all system components on a hardware and
software platform that mirrors the production environment, although in a small
size.
Because the production environment is often not the same platform as the
development environment, a guideline is to start testing on the target platform as
early as possible in the test phase. This testing will help discover problems with
incompatibilities between platforms (for example, hard coded folder paths such
as C:\ versus /usr). The integration test environment is usually the first
environment suitable for that.
For small projects, the integration test environment can often be shared between
different projects. But if the number of projects or developers is too large, it
becomes difficult to manage. Usually no more that five to 10 developers should
share a single integration test environment. If a developer needs to perform tests
that might damage the environment, a dedicated environment should be used. If
the machine has enough resources in terms of CPU and memory, using multiple
WebSphere profiles can also be a good method to isolate different teams from
each other. Using VMWare virtualization is another option. The development
team manages and controls the integration test environment.
System test environment
The purpose of the system test is to verify that the system meets both functional
and non-functional requirements. After the development team has tested the
application in their own controlled environment, it is delivered to the system test
team. When the application is delivered, the system test team deploys it using
the instructions given.
If the tests in the previous test stages have been less formal, a key aspect of the
system test is formality. The system test team is responsible for verifying all
aspects of the system and ensuring that it conforms to the specifications.
Functional requirements include specifications such as determining whether the
system execute the business rules defined, whether the user interface shows the
right information, and so on. Non-functional requirements include capacity,
performance, installation, backup, and failover requirements.
The system test team completely controls the system test environment. The
environment is usually a cut-down version of the real production environment, but
with all the important components in place. If the production environment is a
highly available environment with WebSphere clusters, the system test should
also be set up with clusters to verify both application functionality and
deployment routines.
Chapter 8. Application development and deployment 299