Application Environments
In modern software development, applications typically progress through multiple environments before reaching production. Each environment serves a specific purpose in the development lifecycle, allowing teams to develop, test, and deploy applications in a controlled and efficient manner. The following environments are commonly provisioned, each with varying levels of access to the company’s internal network and cloud services. Access to specific endpoints is not automatic and usually requires separate firewall configuration requests.
Local Development Environment
The local development environment is intended for use by individual developers on their own hardware. This environment is used for coding and initial testing of applications. Developers may access common company environments or internet services to fetch data, documentation, and source code. However, the local development environment should not utilize shared company resources for operation, ensuring that development activities do not interfere with other environments.
Sandbox Environments
Following the local development environment, sandbox environments provide developers with a flexible space to experiment or test ideas before formal development begins. A sandbox is a temporary, often short-lived environment where development teams can explore new technologies, configurations, or prototypes without impacting other environments. It serves as an intermediary step between local development and collaborative development, offering a safe space for innovation and exploration. Sandboxes are not intended for ongoing development or comprehensive testing of services, which should be conducted in the development and testing environments, respectively.
Development Environment
The development environment is a shared space where developers integrate and test their code collaboratively. This environment may have access to testing servers and services within the company’s internal network if necessary. It allows for collaborative development and initial integration testing in a setting that more closely resembles the production environment than local setups.
Testing Environment
The testing environment is dedicated to quality assurance and validation of the application. QA testers and other stakeholders use this environment to perform thorough testing, including functional, integration, and performance tests. It can access testing servers and services within the company’s internal network as required. The testing environment is isolated to prevent testing activities from impacting development or production operations.
Staging Environment
The staging environment is a pre-production environment that closely mirrors the production setup. Its purpose is to provide a final testing ground where the application can be evaluated under conditions that replicate the live environment. The staging environment can connect to other staging or test environments within the company’s internal network if necessary. Final testing, including user acceptance testing and performance validation, is conducted here before the application is deployed to production.
Production Environment
The production environment is the live environment where the application is available to real end-users. This environment is optimized for performance, scalability, and reliability. It may have access to production servers and services within the company’s internal network as needed. Changes to the production environment are typically managed through strict change control processes to minimize risk and ensure continuity of service.
By clearly defining and utilizing these environments, organizations can ensure a smooth and efficient development process, from initial coding to final production deployment. Each environment plays a critical role in maintaining application integrity, security, and performance throughout the software development lifecycle.