diff --git a/DEV.md b/DEV.md
index 0936bcd..3478c7c 100644
--- a/DEV.md
+++ b/DEV.md
@@ -9,4 +9,11 @@
 
 ## Testing
 
+    # basic
     PYTHONPATH=. pytest
+
+    # debug messages enabled
+    DEBUG=true PYTHONPATH=. pytest
+
+    # output to stderr activated
+    DEBUG=true PYTHONPATH=. pytest -rP 
diff --git a/tests/BackendTests.py b/tests/BackendTests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb8f3c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/BackendTests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import sys
+import unittest
+from datetime import datetime as ddatetime
+from pprint import pprint
+
+from web.run import retrieve_amda_netcdf
+
+
+class BaseTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        # initialise app
+        # self.app = create_app(TestConfig)
+
+        # update flask context
+        # self.app_context = self.app.app_context()
+        # self.app_context.push()
+        pass
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        # if os.path.isfile(self.db_path):
+        #     os.remove(self.db_path)
+        # self.app_context.pop()
+        pass
+
+    def test_always_true(self):
+        self.assertTrue(True)
+
+
+class AmdaTestCase(BaseTestCase):
+
+    def test_amda_retrieve(self):
+        FILE_DATE_FMT = "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"
+        started_at = ddatetime.strptime("2021-12-17 00:00:00", FILE_DATE_FMT)
+        stopped_at = ddatetime.strptime("2021-12-18 00:00:00", FILE_DATE_FMT)
+        amda_list = retrieve_amda_netcdf("earth", "omni_hour_all", started_at, stopped_at)
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(amda_list))
+        self.assertIn('amda-irap-omp-eu-ddservice-base-data-omni-hour-omni202107010-nc', amda_list[0])
+
+    def test_projects(self):
+        self.assertTrue(False)
--
libgit2 0.21.2