Web development processes and technical environments.

The web application development process is critical to the success of web-based projects. The proper processes cannot be imposed unless the technical environments are correctly configured. Technical environments are required for development, testing, and production.

The architecture of web applications is typically in 3 levels. The applications are developed on NT platforms and are implemented in production on UNIX platforms. Without simplified procedures and appropriate environment settings, the implementation and testing is not only a frustrating experience but also a major detriment to application failure and over budget.

The development and test environment can work with less powerful computers, but the configurations must be the same for all three environments. Development and testing environments must be completed periodically with production data.

Development environment

Function: a development environment is a place where the development team develops and tests the applications. If applications are developed in NT, implementation in the UNIX environment helps developers move NT applications to the UNIX environment and test specific UNIX tasks, such as shell scripts and cron jobs.

Security issues: the development team must have full control and access to the environment, although the installation of the new software must be consulted with the UNIX administrator and the DBA.

Test environment

Function: a test environment is a place where the quality control team practices the implementation. The deployment of large and complex applications can take many tests.

Security issues: the quality control team is fully responsible for the test environment. The development team should not be aware of the existence of the test environment. In reality, members of the development team are often involved in the implementation of the testing environment largely because organizations tend to place staff with less technical expertise in the quality control team.

Production environment

Function: a production environment is a place where it serves its customers. The implementation from testing to production should be automated using implementation scripts to avoid possible human errors and reduce the cost of implementation.

Security issues: both the development team and the quality control team should not be aware of the existence of the production environment. It is the exclusive responsibility of the operation team to maintain the production environment.

The procedures and configuration of the technical environment described above have proven to be valuable in eliminating many problems in the implementation of web-based systems. However, the successful implementation of the procedures depends on the commitment of the management and the technical competence of all the teams involved.

As a note, if you are looking for custom programming company, get in touch with us.

The author is associate editor at Bravens Inc., Web Design and Development Company USA