Final answer:
To prevent untested software from being deployed, developers can employ CI/CD pipelines with automated testing, enforce code reviews, use feature flags, implement staging environments, and adhere to QA protocols.
Step-by-step explanation:
To ensure that untested software is not deployed in production by legitimate developers, several practices and tools can be implemented:
- Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines that include automated testing can prevent untested code from being deployed. These tools run a series of tests on every change to the codebase.
- Enforcement of code reviews by peers helps catch issues that automated tests might miss and is a mechanism to ensure code quality and reliability.
- Usage of feature flags or toggle management can help in separating deployment from release and allowing functionality to be tested in production without user exposure.
- Implementation of staging environments that mirror production environments can serve as a final checkpoint where software is deployed and tested before going live.
- Quality assurance (QA) protocols ensure there is a dedicated phase for testing by professional quality testers.
These steps are critical for managing risks and ensuring the stability of software systems in production environments.