If the new modifications are not tied to previous modifications and specific customer data, then we may be able to use the Cronus database as a test platform. This works well when our target is a database that is not heavily modified in the area on which we are currently working. As the Cronus database is small, we will not get lost in large data volumes. Most of the master tables in Cronus are populated, so we don't have to create and populate this information. Setups are done and generally contain reasonably generic information.
If we are operating with an unmodified version of Cronus, we have the advantage that our test is not affected by other preexisting modifications. The disadvantage, of course, is that we are not testing in a wholly realistic situation. Because the data volume in Cronus is so small, we are not likely to detect a potential performance problem.
Even when our modification is targeted at a highly modified system, where those other...