Setting up a test system

An administration task is to define the procedures for applying changes to the online IMS system. Part of this task is to have an acceptance procedure that is followed by all responsible participants.

The major considerations for establishing a separate test system are:

• The installation's policy for protecting the integrity of the database
• The presence of criteria for accepting an application as properly tested
• The need for a stable production environment
• The degree of support available to solve day-to-day problems
• The complexity of the applications
• The degree to which the current programs can perform correctly, or function with interim problem bypasses.

Some of the factors involved in the decision to use a test system as an ongoing function are:

• Will there be staged implementation of new application programs or add-on function?
• Can online service interruptions caused by the need to fix application problems encountered during testing be tolerated and, if so, to what degree?
• What procedures should be followed for accepting system changes or corrections?
• How is maintenance to the IMS system itself to be handled—will the test system be used?
• Will corrections to the application programs and IMS problem fixes be incorporated on demand or batched at agreed-upon intervals?