Several of our clients have deployed Test or Development Servers to assist with change control, testing new releases, building new data models, or even as part of a disaster recovery plan.  Since you too may be considering an additional server we wanted to provide insight and considerations prior to planning or purchase.

Benefits

The most common use for a Test or Development Server is validating new releases of the software.  Providing an area to validate your objects on a pre-upgrade and post-upgrade platform boosts confidence that any changes to the software will not impact reporting delivery.  Additionally, a test server allows for validation of system-level upgrades – Windows Updates and Service Packs – both at the Operating System and SQL Server level.  SQL Server 2005 SP3 was released in December and a Test or Development Server is a perfect vehicle for testing this Service Pack.  Testing the latest releases of system software is also possible in this platform, such as upgrading to Windows Server 2008 or migrating to a 64-bit platform.

As mentioned, testing model changes is another benefit.  Consider adding a new module, like TES, to your existing system.  While a module like TES contains its own relationships, there are links to your existing core data model.  A Test or Development  Server provides the opportunity to validate existing objects as well as testing the new module without impacting productive use.

Purchase Considerations

If you are considering the purchase of a Test or Development server, review your current configuration against current hardware guidelines and factor in potential growth.  For example, if your current production system is low on disk space or nearing end of life it may be wise to invest in a new production server.  Once deployed, the old production server could be relegated to the role of Test or Development server.

Caveats

While deploying a Test or Development server has benefits there are several logistical considerations to note.

• Database updates – will the transfer of data between production and live be automatic?  If so, coordination of existing processes and projects must be considered.  For example, a Test Server reviewing the latest release of the software should have automatic database updates suspended.  Otherwise, support call(s) will be placed to perform database updates (if any) repeatedly.

• Development Efforts – Adding modules or data fields (i.e., model development) to a Test or Development Server will require a migration to production when approval is given.  The extra steps in migrating data will be included in estimates.  During model development, database upgrades will be suspended.

• Support – Test or Development Servers may be added to your maintenance agreement or be designated as “Time and Materials”.  If the latter is chosen, any work on a Test or Development Server is billable at the currently established hourly rates.  This includes software upgrades.

Conclusion

Investing in a Test or Development server provides many benefits to an ever changing, growing, and complex data warehouse.  If you are interested in pursuing a Test or Development Server, please open a support case via an email to customer.care @precisionbi.com to discuss and plan for deployment.