Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.31
What are the typical environments for running a web application?
Web apps run across three environments — development for building, testing for verifying against a production-like setup, and production for real users.
* Code is promoted across three environments: development → a production-mirroring testing stage → live production. *
| Environment | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Production | Live system for real users. Includes failover systems, redundant databases, backup systems |
| Testing | Reproduces issues, tests updates. Should match production closely |
| Development | New features and bug fixes. May differ from production (e.g., different OS) |
Testing environment should be as close to production as possible to catch environment-specific issues.
Go deeper:
Deployment environment (Wikipedia) — the development → testing/staging → production tiers and why they are kept separate.