devops bootcamp material that I have taught at previous companies
Deployment is the process of releasing a version of your software to a production environment where it can be used by end-users. It involves moving your application from a development or testing environment to a live environment, ensuring all necessary components are in place and functioning correctly.
Continuous Delivery is a software development practice where code changes are automatically built, tested, and prepared for release to production. In CD, the release to production is still a manual process.
Key aspects:
Continuous Deployment takes CD one step further. In this practice, every change that passes all stages of your production pipeline is released to your customers immediately, without human intervention.
Key aspects:
Before the advent of continuous deployment, software releases were often:
Infrequent: Releases might happen monthly, quarterly, or even less frequently.
High-Risk: Each release was a major event with significant potential for failure.
Time-Consuming: Deployments could take hours or even days, often requiring downtime.
Manual: Many steps in the deployment process were performed manually, increasing the risk of human error.
Stressful: The high stakes and manual nature of deployments made them stressful events for development and operations teams.
Feedback Loops Were Slow: It could take weeks or months to get user feedback on new features.
Rollbacks Were Difficult: If issues were found post-deployment, rolling back to a previous version was often a complex and risky process.
Faster Time-to-Market: Features and fixes reach users as soon as they’re ready.
Reduced Risk: Smaller, more frequent deployments are less risky than large, infrequent ones.
Continuous Feedback: Get immediate feedback from users on new features and fixes.
Improved Quality: Encourages practices like automated testing and small, focused changes.
Reduced Stress: Deployments become routine, reducing the stress associated with releases.
Increased Productivity: Developers can focus on building features rather than managing releases.
Better Collaboration: Encourages closer collaboration between development and operations teams.
Easier Troubleshooting: With smaller changes, it’s easier to identify and fix issues.
Flexibility: Easier to respond quickly to market changes or customer needs.
Happier Customers: Users get access to the latest features and fixes immediately.
By implementing continuous deployment, organizations can significantly improve their ability to deliver value to customers rapidly and reliably. However, it requires a mature DevOps culture, robust automation, and a strong focus on quality throughout the development process.