Ulf Dittmer wrote:Invariably process problems, not technical problems. Smart people can usually solve technical problems or work around them, but process involves people doing the right things at the right times, and even smart people supported by smart technology are no guarantee for that to happen.
I work on a team that lets literally hundreds of applications without our organization talk to each other. The number of these applications that have NO
testing environment is shocking.
What usually happens is that some new app needs to be installed. They have enough money to buy their servers/licenses, etc. The system is installed and all the configuration done with test data. Once it is all up and working right, the database is cleared, the IP's are changed, and it starts getting prod data. Everyone seems to think "we did all the testing, so now it can become our prod server and life is good"
Until...six months later (or whatever) either a) an app that sends data TO this one is upgraded/replaced, b) a new app needs to send to or receive from this one, c) this app needs an upgrade/patch/something changed.
and there is no way to legitimately test it before it affects the prod environment.