Notes: Top 5 Deployment Strategies

2 min readJun 10, 2023

TLDR;

Big Bang deployment is a software release approach where the entire system is deployed in one go, replacing the existing system entirely.
It involves high risk and disruption since all users transition simultaneously.
It requires thorough testing and preparation to ensure a smooth transition and rollback to previous version in case of deployment failure.

Rolling deployment is a software release approach where updates are deployed gradually, with a subset of the system or users at a time.
It involves deploying the new version while keeping the existing version running.
It reduces the risk and impact of deployment by allowing for monitoring, testing, and addressing issues incrementally.
It enables a smoother transition, as updates are applied in stages, ensuring minimal disruption to the overall system.

Blue Green Deployment is a release strategy where two identical environments, “blue” and “green,” are maintained.
The blue environment represents the current production version, while the green environment is an exact replica of where the new version is deployed.
Traffic is initially directed to the blue environment.
Once the green environment is tested and validated, the switch is made, redirecting traffic from blue to green.
This approach allows for zero-downtime deployments, easy rollback, and quick recovery in case of issues, as the previous version is still available in the blue environment.

Canary Deployment is a release strategy where a new version of the software is deployed to a small subset of users or servers, known as the “canary group.”
This group receives the updated version while the rest of the users continue with the existing version.
It allows for testing and monitoring the new version in a real-world environment, ensuring its stability and performance.
If the canary group experiences no issues, the new version is gradually rolled out to the remaining
Canary + Rolling Deployment ensures the best results

Feature Deployment is a release strategy where specific features or functionalities are deployed to a subset of users or environments.
It involves enabling new features for a targeted audience while keeping the existing functionality intact for others.
This approach allows for incremental rollout and testing of new features, gathering feedback, and addressing issues before a broader release.
It offers flexibility, scalability, and the ability to iterate on features based on user feedback and requirements.
Feature Toggle can be used in combination with any other deployment strategies.