A computer-implemented method for automated parallel testing of a software application using value replication in a production environment, the method comprising: receiving software code including at least one map class, at least one reduce class, and at least one workflow class, the at least one workflow class including a first marker to be used by the production environment for live execution, the first marker identifying a first set of configuration data values for a given set of respective configuration parameters and a first label ; value replicating by defining a second marker which includes a second set of configuration data values for said set of respective configuration parameters and a second label , the second marker to be used by the production environment for testing using the second set of configuration data values and the second label; determining whether value replica instantiation should be enabled; responsive to determining that value replica instantiation should be enabled, instantiating the first and second markers in the production environment and performing parallel executions of the software application using the first and second instances of the markers such that the software application is executed with both the first and second sets of configuration data values ; recording results from executing the software application using the first instance separately from the results from executing the software application using the second instance; comparing the results from executing the software application using the first and second instances; and responsive to the second instance results being determined to improve the software application's execution, promoting the second set of configuration data values to the production environment. receiving software code including at least one map class, at least one reduce class, and at least one workflow class, the at least one workflow class including a first marker to be used by the production environment for live execution, the first marker identifying a first set of configuration data values for a given set of respective configuration parameters and a first label ; value replicating by defining a second marker which includes a second set of configuration data values for said set of respective configuration parameters and a second label , the second marker to be used by the production environment for testing using the second set of configuration data values and the second label; determining whether value replica instantiation should be enabled; responsive to determining that value replica instantiation should be enabled, instantiating the first and second markers in the production environment and performing parallel executions of the software application using the first and second instances of the markers such that the software application is executed with both the first and second sets of configuration data values ; recording results from executing the software application using the first instance separately from the results from executing the software application using the second instance; comparing the results from executing the software application using the first and second instances; and responsive to the second instance results being determined to improve the software application's execution, promoting the second set of configuration data values to the production environment. <EOS>