What technology is suitable for this application?

Question

Right now at work, the an application we have is being tested by QA guys and the app sends requests to a server. The downside of this is that the client can only request and cannot modify the files on the server for testing different test cases without contacting one of the programmers.

I've been tasked with researching an implementation that would allow the client to run the app and have a server running off of their local machines, or something to that extent. It's preferable to have this implemented on window machines. I have no clue of what I should even be looking at so even a point in the general direction would be much appreciated.

Note: this is only for internal testing, the end product is to have users connect to one of our servers that would then retrieve whatever information they need.

EDIT: Sorry if I sound vague but it's because I have no clue where to go about. The info I've given is what I've been told so maybe I don't have a complete picture of what's really going on.

The way the app is set up currently, requests are sent to a server we have lying around and the server accesses information from test files. These files simulate data on actual servers of other companies. For example, the user provides their name, id, etc. and with that we connect to other companies (for example retail merchants) and request info such as dates, times, transactions, etc. The information we receive in response goes to filling out forms automatically.

I've been tasked to research and 'google' how I would set it up so that this mock server runs on localhost and that way the files could be easily accessed and modified by QA. I only really want to know what I should be looking at. Like some sort of Apache server or something but I have zero experience so I don't know where to start. This is a learning experience they've set up for me for my current internship.

Answer 1

please supply more info.

Is the 'server' you refer to running under IIS? Windows Services? A standalone executable?

If any of those, then it can be set up to run on a local PC.

Answer 2

If there's an installation and configuration script for the application, then the place to start would be running that, and configuring the dev host to address all issues until the installation succeeds.

Most server platforms, IIS or not, are capable of being installed on a Windows box (for exactly this reason, among others.) In fact, non-Microsoft server platforms are usually less demanding about Windows version and configuration, because they don't have any stake in having the host upgraded to a more expensive license.

Answer 3

Most development shops have a separate QA environment for testing. The QA environment is a "mirror" of a Staging or Production environment. Data can be changed in the QA environment without interrupting production, and the current state of Production can be restored to QA whenever necessary. The requirements for a QA environment will depend on the function of your application.

Answer 4

You need your server-connect variables (t least the address) to be end-user changeable, whether in preferences or as a .ini file of sorts. This would allow a tester to point the app to a local/test server for its backend.

Answer 5

Take a look at VMware Workstation. http://vmware.com/products/ws/ You would install the application server your company wrote onto a virtual machine then distribute that file to all the testers. They can run it in vmware and will have a virtual machine complete with operating system, and the application you need them to test. They can make any changes they want to on the virtual machine since it will be a local copy.

Answer 6

I'm not totally clear on what you are trying to accomplish, but from what I'm hearing it sounds like a good candidate for a web service.