title: Benefits of Maven FailSafe Plugin
body: <p>I read <a href="https://maven.apache.org/surefire/maven-failsafe-plugin/" rel="noreferrer">Maven Failsafe plugin</a> is designed specifically to run integration tests. Currently I'm working on a multi-module project and integration tests are in its own separate module, written in TestNg and run using <a href="https://maven.apache.org/surefire/maven-surefire-plugin/" rel="noreferrer">Surefire plugin</a>. We don't have conflicts with unit tests since only integration tests are run in the test phase in that module. And to set up the environment before the tests, and clean it after tests are run, <code>@BeforeSuite @AfterSuite</code> TestNg annotations are used. So there's no need to make use of <code>pre-integration-test</code> phase, <code>integration-test</code> phase, <code>post-integration-test</code> phase utilized by Failsafe plugin.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Are there any more benefits I'm missing out on, by not using the Failsafe plugin?</li>
  <li>Are there better ways to do my current requirement using Failsafe plugin?</li>
  <li>Can I do my server startup, shut down, file unzipping etc. in the <code>pre-integration-test</code>, <code>post-integration-test</code> phases without writing a maven plugin?</li>
  </ul>