Before the information system can be used, it must be tested. It is much less costly to catch problems before the system is signed over to users. Some of the testing is completed by programmersalone, some of it by systems analysts in conjunction with programmers. A series of tests to pinpoint problems is run first with sample data and eventually with actual data from the current system. Often test plans are created early in the SDLC and are refined as the project progresses.Maintenance of the system and its documentation begins in this phase and is carried out routinely throughout the life of the information system. Much of the programmer’s routine work consists of maintenance, and businesses spend a great deal of money on maintenance. Somemaintenance, such as program updates, can be done automatically via a vendor site on the Web.Many of the systematic procedures the analyst employs throughout the SDLC can help ensurethat maintenance is kept to a minimum