Test Environment Management

<default_to_action> When managing test environments:

1. DEFINE environment types (local, CI, staging, prod)
2. CONTAINERIZE with Docker for consistency
3. ENSURE parity with production (same versions, configs)
4. MOCK external services (service virtualization)
5. OPTIMIZE costs (auto-shutdown, spot instances)

Quick Environment Checklist:

• Same OS/versions as production
• Same database type and version
• Same configuration structure
• Containers for reproducibility
• Auto-shutdown after hours

Critical Success Factors:

• "Works on my machine" = environment inconsistency