Complete guide to Canary Release Deployment

Introduction to Software Development LifeCycle(SDLC)

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process used by software development teams to plan, design, build, test, and deploy software. It includes a series of phases that ensure that the software developed is of high quality and meets the needs of the customer. The phases include

1. Requirements Gathering and Analysis
2. Design
3. Implementation or Construction
4. Testing
5. Deployment
6. Maintenance

In this article we will focus on the Deployment part of the Software Development Lifecycle(SDLC). There can be various ways in which we can deploy our applications, we will dive deeper into one of those techniques. We will also touch upon another deployment technique called blue-green deployment and then compare those two.

Introduction to Canary Deployments

Canary release deployment is a technique used in software testing and deployment that involves releasing a small, limited version of a software application or update to a subset of users before releasing it to the entire user base. The goal of this technique is to identify and address any potential issues or bugs in the software before they affect the entire user base, allowing for a smoother and more seamless release process.

Stages of Canary Deployment

Some organizations might have only 2 stages and some might have more than 5 stages, it depends on the organization’s internal processes and the type of application being deployed.The stages of a canary deployment typically include:

Build: The new version of the software is built and tested in a staging environment.

Release: The new version is released to a small subset of users, typically a percentage of traffic. This is known as the “canary” group.

Monitor: The performance of the new version is monitored closely to ensure that there are no issues with the new version. This includes monitoring metrics such as response time, error rate, and resource usage.

Expand: If the new version performs well and there are no issues, the deployment is expanded to more users. This process is repeated until the new version is fully deployed to all users.

Rollback: In the event of any issues being found, the deployment can be rolled back to the previous version quickly to minimize the impact on users.

Advantages of Canary Deployment

• One of the key benefits of canary release deployment is that it allows for faster and more efficient testing and deployment of software updates. By releasing a small, limited version of the update to a subset of users, developers can quickly gather feedback and identify any issues or bugs that need to be addressed before the update is released to the entire user base. This can help to reduce the number of bugs or issues that are present in the final release of the software, which can improve the overall user experience and reduce the number of support requests that are received.
• Another benefit of canary release deployment is that it allows for more targeted testing and deployment. Instead of releasing an update to the entire user base and hoping that it works as expected, developers can instead release the update to a small, targeted group of users and gather feedback from them. This can help to identify any issues or bugs that are specific to certain types of users or use cases, which can then be addressed before the update is released to the entire user base.

Disadvantages of Canary Deployment

• One of the key challenges of canary release deployment is that it can be difficult to identify the right subset of users to release the update to. This requires a good understanding of the user base and what types of users are most likely to encounter issues or bugs with the update.
• Additionally, it can be difficult to ensure that the update is only released to the intended subset of users, as there is always the possibility that the update may be released to more users than intended.
• Another challenge of canary release deployment is that it can be difficult to manage the rollback of an update if it is found to be problematic. This requires a good understanding of the update process and the ability to quickly and easily rollback the update to a previous version if necessary. Additionally, it can be difficult to ensure that the rollback process is seamless and does not disrupt the user experience.

What is Blue/Green Deployments?

Blue-green deployment is a technique used to minimize downtime and rollback issues during a deployment. It involves maintaining two identical production environments, one called “blue” and the other called “green.” The live production traffic is directed to the “blue” environment, while the new version of the application is deployed to the “green” environment. Once the new version of the application has been fully tested and is deemed stable, the traffic is switched to the “green” environment, and the “blue” environment becomes the new staging environment for the next deployment. This allows for a quick rollback to the previous version if any issues are encountered in the “green” environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, canary release deployment is a powerful technique that can help to improve the testing and deployment of software updates. It allows for faster and more efficient testing and deployment, as well as more targeted testing and deployment. However, it can be challenging to identify the right subset of users to release the update to and to manage the rollback of an update if it is found to be problematic. Despite these challenges, canary release deployment can help to improve the overall user experience and reduce the number of support requests that are received.