dualtesting

Dualtesting refers to a software development practice where two distinct versions of a piece of code, a new version and a stable existing version, are run concurrently in a production environment. The primary goal of dualtesting is to minimize the risk associated with deploying new features or significant changes. By running both the old and new code side-by-side, developers can observe the behavior of the new version under real-world conditions without immediately exposing all users to potential issues.

During a dualtesting phase, incoming requests or operations are typically routed to both the current production version and the new candidate version. The results from both versions are then compared. This comparison can be automated, checking for discrepancies in output, performance metrics, or error rates. If the new version behaves as expected and performs comparably or better than the old version, it can be gradually rolled out to a larger audience or fully promoted to production.

This strategy allows for a safety net. If the new version encounters unexpected problems, it can be quickly disabled or rolled back, while the stable existing version continues to serve users without interruption. Dualtesting is particularly valuable for mission-critical systems or applications with a large user base where downtime or bugs can have significant consequences. It bridges the gap between traditional testing environments and full production deployment, providing a more robust and confidence-inspiring release process.