Dev-Test-Prod Lifecycle
The Dev-Test-Prod Lifecycle: Environment Isolation & Governance
A disciplined Dev-Test-Prod (Development, Testing, Production) lifecycle is the bedrock of corporate IT governance. This chapter details the formal procedural rules, parameter management, and user permissions required to execute a seamless promotion cycle.
1. Environment Role Segregation
Enterprise compliance standards (such as SOX, HIPAA, and ISO 27001) require strict separation of duties:
| Lifecycle Stage | Workspace Name Example | Authorized Personas | Access Permissions | Connected Data Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development | Commercial BI - Dev | BI Developers & Data Engineers | Admin, Member, Contributor | dev-dw.company.com (Dev Database / Test Data) |
| Test (UAT) | Commercial BI - Test | Business Analysts, QA, SME Key Users | Contributor (QA team), Viewer (Business Testers) | uat-dw.company.com (Staging Mirror of Prod) |
| Production | Commercial BI - Prod | BI Lead / Release Manager (Admin); End-Users (Viewers via App) | Admin (Release Manager Only); Viewer (End Users) | prod-dw.company.com (Live Production Data Warehouse) |
2. Parameterizing Environments in Power Query
Hardcoding server and database names in Power Query is an enterprise anti-pattern. Instead, define Environment Parameters:
When promoting through the Deployment Pipeline, configure a Parameter Rule to automatically map:
- In Dev:
ServerName = "dev-sql.company.com" - In Test:
ServerName = "uat-sql.company.com" - In Prod:
ServerName = "prod-sql.company.com"
Multiple Choice Questions
Best Practices for Version Control
Continue learning with hands-on practice, examples, and exercises in the upcoming topic.
Related Lessons
| Previous Lesson | Next Lesson |
|---|---|
| What are Deployment Pipelines? | Best Practices for Version Control |
Practice Quiz
Test your understanding of this lesson with 5 questions. Each question has one correct answer.