The document discusses the importance of testing in DevOps, emphasizing that server configuration should be treated as software to ensure it is tested thoroughly. It highlights the difference between unit and system tests, noting that while unit tests can isolate program modules, system tests reflect real-world scenarios and are critical for infrastructure integrity. Key areas for testing include basic server builds, backup and restore, message queues, and application interactions under degraded conditions.

1. TestOps:
The testing side of DevOps
The testing side of DevOps
Barry Jaspan
Senior Architect
Acquia

2. Server configuration is software
• The days of manual configuration by sysadmins are over
• Puppet, Chef, and similar tools turn server config into
software
• Software needs testing
• Automated
• Fast
• Clone of the production environment
• "If it isn't tested, it doesn't work."

3. Unit vs. System tests
• Unit tests isolate individual program modules
• Injection mocks out external systems
• Problem:You can't mock out the real world and get accurate results
• System tests are end-to-end
• Exercise real servers as the app(s) will
• Problem: Reality is very messy!
• Race conditions and retries
• EC2 launch failure
• Cosmic rays
• For infrastructure, system tests are essential

4. • Basic server builds
• Infrastructure moving parts
• Backup and restore
• Message queues & worker auto-scaling
• Monitoring & alerting
• Application interaction with the infrastructure
• Force app to operate under degraded infrastructure conditions
• Server reboot and relaunch
• Release process for upgrades
• Security compliance