So we have a separate Octopus test server that is a copy of the production server (separate database and all). What would the process be to keep the test server ‘refreshed’? Just copy the Prod database over and the folders covered in creating a test instance then re-run the installer for the version on test so it’ll update the database?
Just trying to figure out the best process to make sure the test instance is kept updated so we can do proper testing with Octopus releases before we upgrade the production environment.
Thanks for posting your question to the community forum!
It sounds like you mostly have the right process, and you’re likely following our documentation here: Creating a test instance - Octopus Deploy, however I have one small proposed change.
In the scenario where your test instance is on a different version than your production instance, or you wish to target a different version for testing your processes post-upgrade, we recommend that you start with the same version of Octopus on your test instance as on your production instance. Once you have the test instance running, you can then upgrade the instance using the target version of Octopus server.
Unfortunately that might mean a little work as you’ll need to uninstall the later version of Octopus on your test server and then install the same version as the production instance, but it ensures compatibility and also has the benefit of allowing you to verify the upgrade doesn’t encounter any issues with the newer instance data.
I hope that answers your question, but let me know if there’s anything further I can help with.