To maintain different stages of the deployment process, the concept of ________ environments is used.

To maintain different stages of the deployment process, the concept of "Staging" environments is used. Staging environments mimic the production environment and serve as a pre-production testing ground. They allow developers to validate their code and configurations before deploying to the production environment, reducing the risk of introducing bugs or issues to end-users. Understanding the purpose and use of staging environments is crucial for a successful deployment strategy.