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Have Servers, will travel |
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a typical project handled?
How
can Reality Test save my company money?
Why
can't I just do this testing myself?
What
events might trigger a need for this kind of testing?
What
does “production-equivalent” mean?
How is a typical project handled?
Reality Test takes a holistic approach, guiding the client through the
entire process on an as-needed basis. We rely on the client to provide the
business case definition, user scenarios, and staffing that is unique to their
project as we help them define those items in concise, well-defined, terms.
The
typical project steps are:
·
Help the client's staff write a business case for the need to test their
system, including estimating the cost of failure and typical user scenarios.
·
Defining the scope of the tests, the parameters to be measured and reported,
and the actual procedures and detailed schedule to be used.
·
Assisting in selecting testing software and preparing for the tests.
·
"Cloning" the client system in the lab - setting up the hardware and
software.
·
Executing the tests and monitoring the system throughout the test.
·
Documenting and presenting the results to the client.
·
Helping the client interpret the results and identify follow-on issues.
·
Scheduling additional testing, if indicated by the results.
·
Archiving the client's test tool scripts for future engagements.
Many
of these steps are optional depending upon the sophistication and preparedness
of the client that is going to be performing the tests in the lab.
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How
is each project priced?
The price is based on:
·
The total number of servers used for the test
·
The maximum number of virtual users
·
The amount of management consulting required prior to and during the test
itself (over and above the standard amount that is included in all client
engagements).
·
The duration of the time spent in the lab.
·
Third party software (operating systems, web servers, database software, etc.)
is included in the base fee. Script writing services and follow up consulting
are available.
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How can Reality Test save my company money?
Setting up multiple production-equivalent test lab
environments is generally too expensive for most companies to justify. Typical
required environments are:
1.
Development environment: typically several stand-alone systems bearing little
resemblance to the final production system.
2. Functional
test environment: low-end machines set up in a similar-to-production
environment, but lacking the RAM, processors, and/or network fidelity.
3. Usability
testing environment: same as functional test, often is shared with the
functional test team.
4. Stress
testing environment: must be identical to the production environment in order
to accurately predict the system response under load.
5.
Pre-production environment: identical to the production environment. Used by
the production support technicians to test modifications to the
production environment before going "live" with updates.
6. Production
environment: systems actually used by the end-users or customers of the
application.
While almost all companies have environments # 1, 2, 3, and
6, very few have the resources to fund numbers 4 and 5. Since Reality
Test
offers short-term rental of production-equivalent environments, this is usually
much cheaper then not only buying the equipment but also setting up the
infrastructure to support this kind of testing for short-term projects.
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Why can't I just do this testing myself?
You can! As long as you're willing to invest in a complete
duplicate of your production system, or take your production system off line,
in order to execute load and performance testing. Note that this would be
required whenever upgrades to the production system were made as well as for
the initial deployment. Both alternatives are usually cost ineffective.
Companies have struggled to find an independent outsourcing
solution in the marketplace that both fits their needs and isn't trying to sell
you hardware or software in the process.
Reality Test helps
companies ensure the reliability and performance of their critical systems by
providing the expertise and tools necessary for comprehensive testing in a
neutral and safe environment.
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What events might trigger a need for this kind of testing?
There
are three basic areas that trigger the need for production-environment testing:
1. Changes to
the hardware environment
·
Introduction of new hardware to the existing system
·
Determination of existing system's performance baseline and limits
·
Integration of previously separate systems
·
Enterprise-wide systems optimization
·
Upgrades to the existing hardware
2. Changes to the
software environment
·
Application software upgrades
·
Operating system or database software upgrades
·
Integration of previously separate systems
·
Enterprise-wide systems optimization
3. Changes to
the application's business model
·
Anticipated spikes in transactions due to a marketing campaign or upcoming
holiday season
·
Integration of legacy systems acquired through merger, acquisition, or business
partnerships
·
Integration with external systems, i.e., Business-to-Business exchange
·
Annual management review of Information Systems and future planning
·
Feasibility studies and 'What if" scenarios
·
Request by insurance companies to validate your process (this is especially
critical for companies hosting websites or third-party business data)
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Can
my staff participate?
Absolutely. Your staff understands your
system better than anyone. Reality Test provides
as little or as much expertise and support as you need.
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What does "production-equivalent" mean?
Production
equivalent means that Reality Test
will match your production environment with respect to:
·
Number of servers
·
Number of processors in each server (single, dual-proc, quad-proc, 8, or 16)
·
Total RAM in each server
·
Processor speed
·
Network configuration (bandwidth, latency, and protocol)
·
Total hard-drive capacity, including RAID arrays or Storage Area Network (SAN)
·
Production versions of the operating system, web server software, and database
engine software.
Additionally, Reality Test will provide high-speed
Internet connectivity to allow for easy transfer of client software to be
loaded onto the production-equivalent environment and for ease of updates from
the client site to the lab.
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Reality Test® |