Dry run (testing)

A dry run (or practice run) is a software testing process used to make sure that a system works correctly and will not result in severe failure. For example, rsync, a utility for transferring and synchronizing data between networked computers or storage drives, has a "dry-run" option users can use to check that their command-line arguments are valid and to simulate what would happen when actually copying the data.

In acceptance procedures (such as factory acceptance testing, for example), a "dry run" is when the factory, a subcontractor, performs a complete test of the system it has to deliver before it is actually accepted by the customer.