Automated deployment of software to test environments is increasingly important for organizations to quickly test and fix bugs. Tools like Atlassian Bamboo allow for continuous integration and automated deployment but require updating configuration management databases (CMDBs) like HP OpenView to track changes. Test Environment Management (TEM) personnel currently spend significant time manually tracking environment configurations, costing organizations approximately $48,000 annually. Products like TEBS address this by automatically capturing updates from tools like Bamboo to provide a single source of truth for test environment configurations and builds.

1. Test Environment Management
Automated Software Deployments and Test
Environments Management. 23/12/2014

2. Automated/rapid software deployment to test, development, pre-
production and production software test environments is now more than
ever an increased requirement in most corporate organisations across
all sectors.
Due to the increased number of software projects active at any one
time across most corporate organisations, the requirement to test/fix
software bugs/defects that are discovered in live or production systems
is now more than ever in very high demand? The need to deploy from
software repositories accurate/correct versions of software code,
efficiently, rapidly and in an automated manner is not only cost effective
but ensures accuracy in the actual software deployment or code
version upgrade process. Tools such as atlassian bamboo, thought
work etc for continuous integration and software deployment certainly
provide for all the above.
Integrating or also automating the process of updating the relevant
CMDB (change management database such as HP Open View etc) or
similar tools to capture any software or version update changes
particularly across test, development, and pre-production environments
that undergo these changes very frequently is certainly desirable and
ensures, efficiency and capturing up to date historical/log information
on changes to these environments. Trouble shooting, tracking and
fixing software bugs becomes easier and less expensive. According to
Gartner the current cost of fixing software bugs/defect can be as much
as $17,000.00 per defect. Source: http://www.cognizant.com/InsightsWhitepapers/The-
Business-Case-for-Test-Environment-Management-Services.pdf

3. Some costs associated with test environment
management (tem).
On average, a tem support personnel could spend about 15 to 20
hours a week (depending on the actual number of active projects and
number of environments in use) on capturing, tracking and updating
build information on environments in a spreadsheet etc, which is 80
hours a month and 960 hours a year. On estimate 960 hours @
$50.00 (conservative cost of tem personnel per hour) = $48,000.00
spent only on tracking and updating build information on
environments.
Other Stats
Up to 28% of the overall IT budget of an organisation based on studies put together by
Capgemini and HP (2013) is spent on maintaining permanent Test or Development
Environments. Source: http://www.cioinsight.com/it-strategy/application-development/
slideshows /app-testing-now-consumes-a-quarter-of-it-budget.html
“In the recent World Quality Report by Capgemini, 55 per cent of senior execs viewed their
organisations as lacking the in-house skills to configure and manage test environments”
Source: http://www.blurgroup.com/blogs/technology/maintaining-test-
environments-in-a-cost-efficient-manner/
Subscribing to tebs or purchasing the life time license with free
yearly updates, negates this need to spend this amount of time
on tracking what test environment is at which build level,
tracking down problems/issues from historical/log information, a
serious source for concern in most corporate organisations.
tebs – test environment
booking/management
system (version 2.,1) is
now intergrated with
atlassian bamboo to
capture instantly all
updates to an
environment and historical
log information.

4. .
tebs serves a single source of truth on test, development and
all pre-production environments.
Accurate and instant information on build versions etc on all environments
is captured in real time from the automated deployment process, no more
confusion, no more guessing, instils confidence that you are testing your
application on the correct code level which is one of the main reasons
for so many software defects.
Other features such as calendar view of environment bookings,
data conversion, data encryption and desensitisation tool - converts
up to 10,000 data records (to be used for testing) in an excel spread sheet
in less than 90 seconds. Data to be used for development and testing,
as due to data privacy/protection acts, it is illegal to test sensitive data like
customers real details for certain applications especially across the
financial services sector.
tebs as a CMDB (Change Management Database), also serves as
repository of all information on a Test Environment/Virtual Host Server,
Desktop Computers, Laptops, Hand Held Devices etc to include
Host Server Names, Hardware Type, Operating System, and
IP Address and Interfaces, Application Details etc.

5. Other Features
Full history of all upgrades to all environments available in real time in
tebs, updated automatically by Atlassian Bamboo or other similar
tools that can also be integrated with tebs. New environments are
automatically created in tebs, as part of the instant update received
from Atlassian Bamboo.
Export information on environments to include booking Information to
an excel spreadsheet. Import into tebs from an excel spreadsheet of
information on all environments. tebs can also be integrated with
customised Continuous Integration and Software Deployment tools.
More information
Sign up now for our 7 Day free trial, monthly and annual sub-
scription also available with an option to cancel the subscription
Contact Us to install tebs on your own local server
(life time license with free updates).
Authors Profile:
Valentine Wats BSC, MSC
Acting CTO/Founder – www.testenvironmentsmanagement.com
Close to 20 years experience, specific to test environments, software project
management, application development and hands on design of software products/services.
Worked across the financial services on a consulting basis, corporate
organisations to include City Bank International, Lloyds Bank, Aviva Insurance,
National Lottery (Camelot UK), Centrica PLC and IAG insurance to mention a few.
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