Discuss the importance of "sanity testing" in the context of software releases.

Sanity testing, also known as smoke testing, plays a crucial role in the software release process. Here are the reasons why it is important:

1. Identify Major Issues Early: Sanity testing is performed after receiving a software build with minor changes in code or functionality. It helps in identifying major issues or bugs at an early stage before the software goes into in-depth testing. This can save a lot of time and effort.

2. Quick Feedback: It provides quick feedback on the functionality of the software. If the software fails the sanity test, it is rejected and sent back to the development team for fixes. This quick feedback loop helps in speeding up the software development process.

3. Cost-Effective: Since sanity testing is a narrow and deep approach of testing, it is cost-effective. It focuses on certain components rather than the entire application, thus reducing the cost of testing.

4. Ensures Basic Functionality: Sanity testing ensures that the basic functionalities of the software are working as expected. This is important as it ensures that the end-user can at least use the basic features of the software.

5. Reduces Risk: By performing sanity testing, the risk of having a faulty software is reduced. It ensures that the software is stable and ready for further testing.

In conclusion, sanity testing is a vital step in the software release process. It helps in identifying major issues early, provides quick feedback, is cost-effective, ensures basic functionality, and reduces risk.