In managed automation development, staging environments precede production for various critical reasons. Staging serves as a replica of the production environment where tests can be conducted without causing disruptions to the live application used by end-users.

Ensuring Code Quality

Code deployed to staging undergoes rigorous testing processes. Developers verify that new code integrates seamlessly with existing features and resolves identified issues. This reduces the risk of deploying unstable or buggy features to production.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Staging environments allow for User Acceptance Testing (UAT). During UAT, end-users or stakeholders test the application to ensure it meets business requirements and user needs. Any issues discovered during this phase can be addressed before the final release to production.

Performance Testing

Staging environments facilitate performance testing without compromising the experience for actual users. Performance tests in staging help ensure that the application handles expected loads, performs well under stress, and scales appropriately.

Environment Parity

Maintaining environment parity between staging and production minimizes discrepancies in application behavior. Configuration settings, database connections, and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) should mirror the production setup as closely as possible to ensure that tests in staging are relevant and reliable.

Minimizing Risk

Deployments to production that skip a staging phase increase the risk of introducing errors. Staging acts as a safety net, capturing potential issues that could impact end-user experience or system stability.

Compliance and Security Testing

Security assessments and compliance checks conducted in staging can identify vulnerabilities or compliance-related issues that need addressing before production deployment. This step is critical in environments where data security is a priority.

Following this rigorous process ensures that the deployment to production is a controlled and informed decision, significantly reducing the chances of an unplanned outage or user dissatisfaction due to unresolved issues in the code.