Guidance

Rule 15: ICT shall have suitable representative test environments (RTE) available to enable through life testing to be conducted

Updated 16 October 2023

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The rules are under review and subject to change.

1. Rule requirement

  1. Representative Test Environment 1.1 Suitable Representative Test Environments shall be available and endure for the life of the ICT it supports. Use of existing Defence Test Facilities shall be exploited where available.

2. Rule rationale

Without suitable representative test environments new or changed ICT cannot be tested to understand its impact on existing ICT or its performance alongside it.

3. Rule process

3.1 Representative Test Environment

Initial gate

  • The project shall acknowledge the need for a suitable representative test environment.

  • This RTE shall be utilised to demonstrate performance and impact. This shall make maximum use of existing Defence test facilities and cover the provision of any additional resources for these facilities to meet this requirement.

  • This capability shall be enduring to enable through life testing of changes.

  • This capability shall be identified in the ITEAP and draft SRD.

Main gate

  • The project shall acknowledge the need for a suitable representative test environment. This RTE shall be utilised to demonstrate performance and impact. This shall make maximum use of existing Defence test facilities and cover the provision of any additional resources for these facilities to meet this requirement.

  • This capability shall be enduring to enable through life testing of changes.

  • This capability shall be identified in the ITEAP and draft SRD.

PDR

  • The project shall produce a maturing design for the test environment, including any capability upgrade. This shall be documented in the ITEAP.

CDR

  • The project shall have developed a mature ITEAP document that includes the proposed Test Architecture; Test capabilities should be available and suitably augmented to deliver the testing.

TRRA

  • The project shall ensure that a representative test environment is available as a through life capability to support the change management process.
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