[sagichmal]

Same network rules and configuration? Same CDN settings? Same DNS? Same data in the databases? Same volume of traffic on the queues?

(Rhetorical questions. Of course the answer is no.)

All of these things have huge impact on the actual similarity of the systems, and consequently how they behave.

[hampfi]

Obviously but this is not a black and white thing.

If it wouldn't make sense for us to have test and prod, we wouldn't do it but i can't imagine a scenario where this is NOT beneficial.