Pierde el miedo a desplegar a producción en viernes - Miguel Ángel Durán

What does it mean to deploy on a Friday?

Facing the fear of deploying new features into production on a Friday is a challenge for technology teams. This fear stems from the risk of something going wrong and causing laborious fixes over the weekend. However, there are companies and developers who successfully defy this unwritten rule.

Why do we avoid Friday deployments?

The fear of Friday deployments stems from a desire to avoid problems that require extra work over the weekend. The reasons are manifold:

• Product errors: We fear making a mistake that will collapse production.
• Human material: We want to prevent the team from working unplanned overtime.

Fear allies with hatred of unresolved problems and leads to resistance to change. But is it possible to face this fear and plan so that Friday deployments are as safe as any other day?

How can we minimize risks with testing?

Testing is presented as the salvation in the face of production fires. Designing and executing automated tests helps reduce errors and ensures system stability in the face of new deployments.

How do we establish an effective testing strategy?

1. End to End (E2E) testing: Prioritize general tests that simulate the user experience, such as adding products to a cart and finalizing purchases.
2. Unit and integration testing: These can be developed using tools such as Jest and React Testing Library.
3. Linting and static analysis: Use linters or TypeScript to identify minor problems.

By consolidating a robust testing routine, the fear of deploying on specific days decreases thanks to quality control mechanisms.

How to improve the development experience?

Efficiency in deployment and use of time are critical factors. A long process is demoralizing and counterproductive:

How to optimize deployment times?

• Automation: Replace manual testing with automated scripts.
• Continuous Deployment: Update your CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) infrastructure so that every code change can be deployed automatically and securely.

Reducing deployment times involves a cultural and structure change that often requires careful planning and incremental adjustments.

Which version control strategy to deal with?

Choosing the right version control strategy is crucial for efficient code management.

Is Git Flow the right strategy?

Git Flow is not always the best choice, especially for web applications that do not handle fixed versions. Consider more modern and adaptable alternatives:

• GitHub Flow: Allows you to work on the main branch and make small adjustments constantly.
• Ship Show Ask: A methodology that promotes individual code accountability, eliminating the indiscriminate use of revisions and unnecessary delays.

Implementing a proper version control method reinforces the team's confidence and agility.

What other methods can ensure fearless deployment?

How can we use rollback and progressive deployments?

• Automated rollback: Like a CTRL+Z to automatically correct errors when anomalies are detected.
• Progressive Deployments: Allow gradual implementation of changes, mitigating negative impacts by controlling activations through Feature Toggles.

These techniques promote a culture of learning and adaptation, reducing the friction of implementing changes in production.

What role do organizations play in this process?

It is vital that organizations promote a culture that does not penalize error, but encourages learning through error. The fear of deployments and mistakes is mitigated by allowing testing, continuous process improvement and fostering an environment of constant improvement. Stop viewing failures as losses and start capitalizing on them as opportunities for continuous learning and growth for all involved.