Physical Database Design

12.5 Design Exploration between Test and Production Systems 247

12.5 Design Exploration between Test

and Production Systems

It’s quite common for database designers and application developers to develop on a test

system, and use a distinct system for production. Usually the test system differs signifi-

cantly from the production system in many ways, including the following:

1. The production system usually stores a full complement of real data while the test

system usually has a sample.

2. The production system has real data, while the test system usually has either a

sample of old data or entirely synthetic data.

3. The production system is intended to support higher volumes of data and con-

currency and there is often a larger physical system than ...