It’s one thing to roll out a system software update, and quite another to ensure that there’s no downtime. Disruptions during deployments can throw a wrench in your business operations, hitting revenue systems that depend on smooth-running software applications. So:
- What’s the secret to acquiring zero downtime?
- What deployment strategies should you keep in mind?
We understand that you’re eager to find out. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! In this blog, API Connects – trusted for machine learning solutions – will share a list of 12 best practices that will help you deploy updates with almost zero downtime.
If you’re serious about keeping your updates downtime short and business on track, keep reading!
How to Achieve Zero Downtime Deployments?
These strategies will help you attain zero downtime deployments:
Blue-green deployment
For those who don’t know, blue-green deployment is a process of transitioning smoothly between two identical production environments. First up, there’s blue environment (current live version) and then, there’s green environment (new version).
Once thorough testing is done on green, traffic is instantly moved from blue to green so there are no service disruptions for users. This strategy minimizes risks because problems with the green version result in being quickly rolled back to blue. Using this strategy, enterprises can tackle deployment disruptions and launch updates with confidence.
Canary releases
Our next strategy to ensure zero-downtime deployment is to opt for canary releases. Enroll application updates for a few users first. By using controlled deployment, your hired engineers can oversee the update live and collect information from users before rolling it out for everybody.
In case a problem arises on the surface, you can pause or cancel the rollout. This will not affect the ongoing operations for most users. Inspired by canaries in coal mines concept, this approach provides early warnings for problems in software. It’s an invaluable strategy for balancing innovation with reliability. Allowing businesses to steer away from security issues and consistently move ahead in their development plan.
Rolling deployments
Ever thought of updating small portions of your organization’s system at a time? If not, you should consider it now. This zero-downtime strategy is also called rolling deployment. While big-bang implementations replace the whole system at the same time, rolling updates change the code one group at a time so that everything runs normally.
By not turning off every instance, this process stops your business services from breaking during the update. It supports building cloud systems smoothly. Preventing big problems throughout the network.
Feature toggles
Also called feature flags, these will let you manage software features on the fly without having to redeploy any code. This flexible zero-downtime deployment feature enables developers to safely experiment and test in production environments. They can test problematic parts of their products early with particular users, obtain feedback, and update them before full launch.
Found issues? No problem. It’s easy to turn off the feature right away. The other parts of the system will still work normally. Long story short, using this strategy will let enterprises develop new features rapidly, reduce the likelihood of errors, and ensure the system is stable.
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Database migrations without downtime
It is often hard to achieve zero-downtime deployments when moving a database. But hey, have you ever thought of using backward-compatible changes? This creates room for a simple upgrade. Dual writes, for example, allow systems to adapt incrementally. Databases in this approach are updated from old to new schema using both versions at the same time.
You can use tools like Liquibase and Flyway to automate and streamline migrations. These will eliminate the chance of making mistakes manually. Businesses can maintain flawless interactions with their system by neatly organizing changes to their schemas.
Your software application users won’t see any disruptions when the database itself is being updated.
Load balancing and traffic shifting
One of the best zero-downtime deployment practices for enterprises in New Zealand to consider. With load balancing, users’ traffic will be divided evenly between the old and new versions of the application. Tools like Nginx, HAProxy, and service meshes help you control how traffic is directed through your systems accurately.
These applications let you use techniques like traffic shifting where you can route a percentage of traffic to the new version, monitoring performance before a full switchover. Load balancers also increase the ability of the system to work properly during failures by managing its resilience. Managing traffic well allows businesses to deploy updates with low risk and guarantee consistent experience across all user sessions!
Immutable infrastructure
We bet not many enterprises are aware of this zero-downtime deployment strategy. Immutable infrastructure promotes consistency by replacing existing server instances with fresh deployments. No need to modify them from what’s there already!
Because of this, configuration drift is avoided as gradual changes can result in differences over time. A new application version is used to develop new instances. It will be tested and then added smoothly to production using the best practices by your hired engineers.
By treating infrastructure as disposable, this method makes things more predictable and simplifies the rollback process. Immutable infrastructure is best for containerized or cloud-native environments. Here, creating and deploying standardized instances is fast and cost-effective. Your organization can release updates for the system application confidently without causing crashes.
Automated rollback mechanisms
If something fails during a zero-downtime deployment, automatic rollback will protect your system and allow you to recover easily. Think of it as a checkpoint in a video game. When your character discovers a failure, they go back to the previous stable point immediately.
Some readers still might be unaware of the reasons that trigger rollbacks. Actually, there are some predefined metrics like performance degradation, user errors, and infrastructure anomalies. Automation helps reduce stoppages by minimizing human intervention. Quickly preventing further disruptions.
Having automated rollbacks as part of your CI/CD process will allow your organization to make confident changes, guaranteed that any problems will be resolved promptly and with little effect. This, in turn, will increase user trust and help you keep your services consistent and reliable!
Running A/B tests in real life
Another amazing strategy to consider for zero-downtime deployment. A/B testing will let your team try out different versions of a feature or app at the same time. Sending real user traffic to each version will allow it to learn about performance, what users like, and how much they engage.
Controlled testing can show if new features are effective before things are rolled out to all users. A/B testing not only lowers the chance of sending out underperforming updates but also delivers valuable insights into user behavior. When integrated into deployment strategies, it ensures that changes are based on data. Aligning with user needs while maintaining uptime.
Thanks to this approach, enterprises in New Zealand can combine innovation with reliability. Delivering a secure experience with plenty of rewards.
CI/CD pipeline optimization
Our list of strategies for zero-downtime deployment will be considered incomplete without discussing this best practice. Using an efficient CI/CD pipeline makes it easier to combine code changes, run tests, and put updates directly into production. Automating these steps allows developers to reduce errors and increase how fast they deliver their work.
Continuous deployment will allow smooth, frequent updates. Continuous integration, on the other hand, will keep your codebases consistent and conflict-free. Monitoring tools integrated into CI/CD pipelines will also make it easy to detect deployment issues.
Hire Engineers for Zero-Downtime Deployment
There you go!
We shared some rock-solid strategies for achieving no downtime in deployments. By considering these, you can update and keep your business applications available for your users to continue without breaks. However, let’s be honest – implementing these strategies on your own can be complex. Especially if your team lacks experience in advanced deployment techniques.
*Enter API Connects*
Experts in high-availability systems and fault-tolerant deployments, we help enterprises in New Zealand, Australia, and beyond get rid of downtime risks while accelerating software delivery. Blue-green deployments? Canary releases? Automated rollback mechanisms? Done, done, and done! Our engineers will handle everything to guarantee flawless, risk-free transitions.
No need to struggle with trial and error when you can partner with experienced engineers by emailing on enquiry@apiconnects.co.nz. Let experts handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on innovation rather than infrastructure headaches!
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