Lab Testing And Validation - Novell ZENWORKS 10 CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT SP3 - SYSTEM PLANNING-DEPLOYMENT-BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 10.3 30-03-2010 System Planning Manual

4.3 Lab Testing and Validation

One of the key parts of the design phase is the testing and validation that is done in the
organization's lab environment prior to any deployment being completed. This is your opportunity
to do the following:
Prove that the design and design decisions you made are accurate and correct, and meet the
very specific requirements of the organization.
Verify that software components are functioning properly, and that users are receiving the
results that they should expect.
Prove that the deployment will be successful.
The organization should use the lab to develop acceptance tests that are run by the project team and
tracked for completion and success. The best way to do this is to document individual acceptance
tests (a simple spreadsheet can be used if you want), and complete the tests according to the steps
you need to take. After the individual tests have been run successfully and validated (proven
successful), you can document this and move on until all tests have been completed.
If individual tests are unsuccessful, you need to make changes (this could also include your design),
and run the test until it is successfully completed.
The idea is not to create more work for you, but to prove the overall design quality and increase the
probability of a successful ZENworks Configuration Management deployment.
Your lab environment must reflect your existing infrastructure as closely as possible, and the
ZENworks Configuration Management infrastructure in the lab must accurately reflect the design
you are creating.
The lab should contain real-world layout (design) to ensure that the ZENworks Configuration
Management design fits well within the existing environment. Things to include are:
The design of directory services infrastructures, including Novell eDirectory and Microsoft
Active Directory. If you can, replicate the directory services in the lab to ensure that the lab
environment is isolated from the actual production systems. You want to avoid causing issues
with the endpoints on the production network because of testing in the lab.
Major network infrastructure components that need to be tested. This includes a replica of the
main data center layouts, and the major classifications of remote sites that need to be tested for
Satellite distributions and collections.
An exact replica of the ZENworks Configuration Management infrastructure design that you
are creating. This needs to be kept up-to-date. If any changes are made to the design, you need
to immediately reflect these changes in the lab environment.
You should test actual packages, content, collection, and so forth, and this needs to reflect the
decisions made in the design phase. For example, you should test inventory collection based on
the decisions you have made for inventory collection schedules. This is also true for all major
components of ZENworks Configuration Management that are being deployed.
You should perform all endpoint testing with actual base images that are being used in
production. This includes a sample set of actual line-of-business applications and custom OS
configurations.
It is beneficial to have a sample set of departmental devices to use here. For example, use a
typical workstation you would find in Accounting, Human Resources, Engineering, IT, and so
forth.
Performing Design Activities 79