8.4 Summary

• While it is impossible to completely simulate the demands of a production system in a test environment, testing remains the best way to achieve confidence in a solution before its deployment.

• Setting up a test environment should be done with careful consideration. Simulating the Internet in a lab environment poses many challenges.

• Efficient configuration of servers that are used for load testing is likely to be very different than the configuration of production email servers.

• It is almost certain that a combination of publicly available and homegrown solutions will need to be amalgamated into a comprehensive package of testing tools.

• Examine all testing results with a critical eye. Many pitfalls may be encountered in attempting to accurately test the capabilities of an email server.