Which of the following would be the best reason for separating the test and development environments?
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A. B. C. D.B.
The test environment must be controlled and stable in order to ensure that development projects are tested in a realistic environment which, as far as possible, mirrors the live environment.
Reference(s) used for this question: Information Systems Audit and Control Association, Certified Information Systems Auditor 2002 review manual, chapter 6: Business Application System Development, Acquisition, Implementation and Maintenance (page 309).
Separating the test and development environments is a common practice in the software development lifecycle. The primary reason for doing so is to maintain the quality of the software product and minimize risks associated with software development. Out of the options given, the best reason for separating the test and development environments is B: to control the stability of the test environment.
Here's a more detailed explanation of why this is the best answer:
To restrict access to systems under test: This option is not the best reason because it is possible to restrict access to systems under test without separating the test and development environments. Access controls can be implemented on a per-system basis, regardless of whether the system is used for testing or development.
To control the stability of the test environment: Separating the test and development environments can help ensure that the testing process is not negatively impacted by changes made in the development environment. In a shared environment, changes made during development can impact the stability of the test environment, making it difficult to isolate and identify issues. By separating the two environments, changes made during development are less likely to impact the stability of the test environment, allowing issues to be more easily identified and resolved.
To segregate user and development staff: This option is not the best reason because separating the test and development environments does not necessarily involve segregating user and development staff. User and development staff can work in the same environment as long as proper access controls and permissions are in place.
To secure access to systems under development: This option is not the best reason because securing access to systems under development can be accomplished through access controls and permissions regardless of whether the test and development environments are separate.
In summary, separating the test and development environments is primarily done to control the stability of the test environment, which makes it easier to isolate and identify issues during the testing process. While other options can also be achieved through separation, they are not the primary reason for doing so.