From developers writing the code to end-users getting the product, a software development lifecycle consists of many environments. In this post, we’re going to discuss the staging environment. We’re also going to talk about the importance, best practices, limitations, and alternatives to this environment.

Staging is the replica of the production environment. It means we run the code on the server rather than the local machine with the same architecture. Since the product is live, we can look out for any bugs and issues. Adjustments and polishing to the product are made in this phase before it goes to production. This environment is also useful for showing the client a live demo.

Why Use a Staging Environment?

Skipping staging is easy; we have seen many startups, and big companies do that. But are we really ready to face the losses of skipping this step? There are arguments that a functional testing framework can help in removing bugs or issues. But, can 2-3 people manually scripting these tests account for every possibility and iteration?

End-users have almost zero patience when it comes to poor performing apps, so we need to provide them with the best possible product. Staging is essential for having confidence in the code we write, the product we supply, and the infrastructure we provide. With a staging environment, we already have interactions, making it easier to test the countless iterations and possibilities.

A staging environment is essential to create sophisticated and valued software and give clients value for both their time and money.

Tests Performed On a Staging Environment

Staging consists of two main tests performed to eliminate bugs and issues to the maximum extent:

• Smoke Test: New builds developed to the already existing software undergo smoke testing. The main aim is to check if the major functionalities are working correctly. After we do the smoke testing, we decide whether to send the software for further testing or revert to developers for more debugging.
• **User Acceptance Testing (UAT): **Developers code the software based on their understanding of the requirements, but does the software have everything that the client wants? User Acceptance testing in a staging environment can help us to understand and answer the above question. End-user or the client will perform this test to see if their requirements are met without compromises or drawbacks.

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