From a testing point of view, the most realistic testing environment is a current copy of an actual production database. There are sometimes apparently good excuses as to why it is just too difficult to test using a copy of the actual production database.
Don't give in to excuses—use a testing copy of the production database!
Remember, when we implement our modifications, they will receive the test by fire in the environment of production. We need to do everything within reason to assure success. Let's review some of the potential problems involved in testing with a copy of the production database and how to cope with them:
- It's too big: This is not a good argument relative to disk space. Disk space is so inexpensive that we can almost always afford plenty of disk space for testing. We should also make every possible useful intermediate stage backup. Staying organized and making lots of backups may be time-consuming, but when done well and...
