What is Test Environment?

July 02, 2019

Each and every process needs a controlled environment with desired requirements and specifications to successfully carry out the executions of the intended tasks, processes and activities.

What is Test Environment?

It is a platform, specifically build for implementing and executing the test cases on the software product. The environment for testing is created by integrating the required hardware and software along with proper network configuration and necessary settings.

It is one of the most important tools of the tester, which plays a key role in achieving a success in the testing. It provides all the pre-requisites that are required to perform the task of testing on a particular software product. These pre-requisites may contain operating system (on which software product intends to work), servers, users PCs, memory, space, any specific software or application, test drivers, stubs, etc.

test environment image

Need and Importance of Test Environment

You have prepared a test strategy along with the test cases. You are one of the skilled testers of the organization, having detailed knowledge of testing methodology. And you are ready to test the product. But, you lacks a test environment, then your all efforts goes into astray because you will not be able to proceed further as testing requires a specific habitat enriched with necessary software and hardware which assists in executing your plans and test cases on the software product. With the documentation part, you can once go for the static testing, but the dynamic or actual testing demands a controlled environment.

test environment need

It is separated and isolated from the development environment and is being fully controlled & regulated by the testing team, thereby reduces the intervention of the developers in the testing process in order to produce clear and precise results.

Moreover, test environment simulates a production environment or a real environment that enables the testers to influence their testing activities with the conditions and factors of the real environment, so as to evaluate the working of the software product in the real world.

simulated production environment

What is Test Bed in Software Testing?

Test Environment is also known by the name of Test Bed with a minute difference. Test bed is a test environment that comes along with the test data to verify and validate the functionalities of the software application.

What Requires in Setting up the Test Environment?

The list of things that contributes towards the environment set up for the purpose of testing may consists following stuffs or factors:

Software product, on which testing needs to be performed.
Operating system, Testing Server and Database.
Test Data and Data configuration.
Network connectivity and configuration.
Hardware devices such as machines or PCs.
Test Framework and tools like automation tools and debugging tools.
Licensing.
Third party software or other software for user purpose.
Interfaces between the system and applications.
Specific devices such as simulators.
Documentation such as user manual, etc.
Knowledge of customer's and business requirements.

Challenges faced in Test Environment Set up & Management:

Inappropriate and inefficient management and utilization of test resources may lead to deviation in the outcomes of the testing process.
Remotely set up test environment(s) across different geographical region(s) is complex and difficult to use, control and manage.

test environment challenges

Time required in setting up the test environment each time as desired for the testing processes to be carried out against the stipulated deadlines.
Sharing of test environment by the developers and the testers simultaneously may pose serious impact to test results.
Configuring complex and advanced settings for some of the testing activities (as required) is also one of the major challenges faced by the QA team.

Test Environment Management:

Test Environment Management is a strategic and management approach to aid software testing life cycle in overcoming above stated test environment challenges and managing the test environment for the reliable and successful executions of test scenarios and test scripts.

"Test Environment is a mandatory requirement of software testing phase without which it is not feasible to execute the actual and productive testing of the software products using developed test scripts. Thus, a properly set up test environment provides a strong foundation or base for the efficient and effective executions of tests."

You may also like our related article test environment check-list to go through each notable points to be considered for correctly setting up the desired test environment.