Mitigating Configuration Differences Between Development and Production Environments: A Catalog of Strategies

TL;DR

This paper presents a catalog of eight strategies derived from interviews with industry professionals to mitigate configuration differences between development and production environments, aiming to reduce errors and improve operational efficiency.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive, structured catalog of practical strategies for managing environment configuration differences, based on qualitative analysis of industry practices.

Findings

Eight distinct strategies identified for configuration management.

Use of automation tools and virtualization to test changes.

Improved response time and compliance through strategy implementation.

Abstract

Context: The Configuration Management of the development and production environments is an important aspect of IT operations. However, managing the configuration differences between these two environments can be challenging, leading to inconsistent behavior, unexpected errors, and increased downtime. Objective: In this study, we sought to investigate the strategies software companies employ to mitigate the configuration differences between the development and production environments. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of these strategies used to contribute to reducing the risk of configuration-related issues. Method: To achieve this goal, we interviewed 17 participants and leveraged the Thematic Analysis methodology to analyze the interview data. These participants shed some light on the current practices, processes, challenges, or issues they have encountered. Results: Based on the interviews, we systematically formulated and structured a catalog of eight strategies that explain how software producing companies mitigate these configuration differences. These strategies vary from 1) creating detailed configuration management plans, 2) using automation tools, and 3) developing processes to test and validate changes through containers and virtualization technologies. Conclusion: By implementing these strategies, companies can improve their ability to respond quickly and effectively to changes in the production environment. In addition, they can also ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.