From within the testing, there may be specific requirements as regards the infrastructure. If this is the case, it is dealt with within the phase of “Setting up and maintaining infrastructure”. If there are no specific requirements, then this phase is passed over.

The specific requirements may concern the following parts of the infrastructure:

• The environment in which the testing is taking place
• The tools being used for the test
• The developer’s workplace.

Requirements may be set for the organisation, use and management of these resources. Requirements may also be set in connection with the later preservation of (parts of) the infrastructure for reuse.

Environment data as a specific requirement

Something that is often forgotten is the data in respect of the environment in which the testing takes place. The environment data is the set of data that the environment needs to be able to operate (user profiles, network addresses, master tables, etc.). In order to simulate a sufficiently representative situation during the development tests, it is advisable to pay some attention to this. This is not to say that production data should be used, but data that meet as near as possible the requirements and guidelines set from within production. For example, a code for a user should have the same structure as in production. The required flexibility of the development (test) environment should be weighed against the required representativity.