The 20-Minute Test Environment, Part I
Things have been quiet on the blogging front for the last couple of weeks; I've been playing with some cool technologies like the CodeIgniter framework for creating web applications and the jQuery library (with these awesome video tutorials) for doing fun web stuff without having to learn a ton of JavaScript.
In light of my recent attempts at developing cool features and tools, I'm throwing out some instructions to help you build your own test environment. Being a tech support guy, I am a big fan of having separate machines for production and testing. It can be really cumbersome to try to put both the test and production systems on the same machine. In some cases there is even potential to break the live system by putting a test system right beside it. With that in mind, here is the 20-minute, four-step version of creating a test box. Use it for everything from developing your own custom reports, to testing new coupon schemes, to performing a big batch of merges.
Find a machine
You need a machine first, but it doesn't have to be a real one. The cheapest solution (under $150) is to download the free and excellent VMWare Server. Install Windows XP Professional and SQL 2005 Developer Edition, both with the latest service packs. SQL Dev Edition is only $49 and you can find XP Pro online for under $100.
Install Patron Edge
Since everything is going on one machine, just run the Patron Edge installer on the test machine and hit Next, Next, Finish. Leave everything at the default setting.
Restore some data
Grab last night's backup of your Patron Edge database and restore it onto the test box. Knowledgebase is your friend on this one if you're not very familiar with making and restoring from backups.
Set up credit cards
- Take a copy of payment.ini from the live system and put it in C:\Program Files\The Patron Edge on the test box.
- While you're in there, find Tix_PSC and do Send to Desktop to make a shortcut.
- Install PCCharge (again, it's just a Next, Next, Finish deal).
- Edit your PCCharge shortcut and add the /DEMO switch in the Target field. This puts it in demo mode so that cards aren't really charged
- Edit your Tix_PSC shortcut and add the /a /online /force switches.
If you add in time to copy files onto the test system and restore the database, it may take a little while depending on your network speed and the size of your database. However, getting PE installed and credit cards working will only take about 20 minutes. Next week we'll do a Patron Edge Online test system in 20 minutes, followed by a Patron Edge/Raiser's Edge integrated system. By the end of the series, you will be able to create a full test environment in just an hour!
What does your test environment look like? Share your best practices in the comments.