MQSeries.net :: View topic

smdavies99 · Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 5:37 am Post subject:

Subtitle:
Testing Production NOT Production Testing

I would like to canvas the readers of this forum for their pet testing tips and how they (if they do that is), test the flows that they put into production.

In many shops the PRODUCTION Envorinment is sacrosanct. You can't go near it unless there are problems. I sort of have this idea of being able to test the operation of the Production Environment in a non destructive manner and importantly in an non interfering manner (with respect to the actual production flows) especially if your application message flows are build up using lots of sub flows. A form of self diagnosis really.

I had a problem where a production flow was occassionally abending. However I could not replicate the problem in any of the other supposedly identical environments. I persuaded the business to let me add some test flows to the production environment so that could non destructively test parts of their application. I eventually found the problem with the real flow and was able to test a corrrection in the production environment without interrupting real message processing.

For example,
When using a custom plugin, create a message flow and deploy it into production alongside the real flows. This has the advantage of being able to test the operation of the plugin at any time even in a production environment as well as verifying the operation of the plugin after deployment or CSD Application.

For example,
If your error handling philsiphy is to do it all in a subflow attached to the fail terminal of an input node then create a flow that just tests the subflow.

There are more examples I am sure so, any replies here are most welcome. I would welcome any ideas like the above that could help make a more stable and testable production environment.

Stephen D
_________________
WMQ User since 1999
MQSI/WBI/WMB/'Thingy' User since 2002
Linux user since 1995

Every time you reinvent the wheel the more square it gets (anon). If in doubt think and investigate before you ask silly questions.