Black Slate’s Software Deployment & Version Release Experts Help You Cover The Important Steps!

Software Deployment vs Software Release

A clear understanding of software deployment and software release keeps everyone on the same page.

Software Deployment: Software deployment refers to the process of taking the compiled and tested software code and making it operational in the target environment. It involves all the necessary steps to prepare the software for use by end-users. The most important steps that deployment include configuring the software, setting up servers, databases, and infrastructure, and ensuring that the software runs correctly in the production environment.

Software Release: Software release, on the other hand, is the act of formally making a version of the software available to users. It involves documenting its features and changes, and declaring it ready for distribution, as well packaging the software. A software release typically follows successful testing, quality assurance, and any required approvals. A release may include new features, improvements, bug fixes, or a combination of these. In addition, a software release is often accompanied by release notes that provide information about the changes in that version of software that has already been deployed.

In summary, while software deployment focuses on the technical process of setting up and making the software operational in the production environment, software release refers to the formal act of making a version of the software already available to users after, testing and approval. Confusion can arise since deployment is also a step within the release process, when the software is made available to users following a successful release.

The Important Steps of a Proper Software Deployment.

Software Deployment Stages

Each of these steps plays a crucial role in ensuring a successful deployment that minimizes disruption and maximizes user satisfaction. Effective planning, testing, and coordination among development, testing, and operations teams are essential for a smooth deployment process and we can help you in this area.

Production Environment Preparation – First, we ensure the production environment, whether hosted on a cloud platform, on-premises, or a hybrid version, is set up correctly, including servers, databases, and infrastructure components. The important thing to remember is that the production server environment is the main environment where the software is deployed and accessible to end-users. This environment requires careful configuration, monitoring, and security measures to ensure stability, especially since it will determine how your software performs and protect you from unauthorized access.

Configuration Management – Once your production environment is set, the configuration management stage takes care of configuring the software to work optimally in the production environment by adjusting settings such as database connections, API endpoints, and runtime parameters.

Deployment Package Creation – Just as it sounds, in this stage we’ll help you package the software’s code, libraries, dependencies, and configuration files into a deployable package or artifact so it is ready to deploy.

Automated Testing – Although you may have already covered this in earlier stages, it is critical to conduct automated tests in the production environment to validate that the software functions correctly and interacts properly with the production components.

Deployment Strategy Selection – In this stage we’ll help you select a suitable deployment strategy based on the software’s requirements and updates.

Automated Deployment – Using automated deployment tools and scripts can help ensure a consistent and error-free deployment process, though it is not required.

Deployment Execution – This is where we actually deploy the software to the production environment following the chosen deployment strategy, even though the user will not yet have access.

Validation and Testing – Once deployed, we’ll help you perform validation and testing in the production environment to verify that the software works as expected, prior to activation and going live.

Rollback Plan – No matter how well you have prepared, always have a rollback plan in the case of a critical issue.

Activation and Go-Live –Once validated and tested and approved in the production environment, we will help you activate the software to make it accessible to users.

User Communication – Using the documentation and guides, it is time to notify users about the deployment, any changes they can expect, and provide resources for support.

Monitoring and Health Checks – Once in the users hands, we help you monitor the software with the assistance of previously implemented monitoring tools that track the software’s performance, health, and identify any issues in real-time.

The Important Steps of a Proper Software Release.

Software Release Stages

Releasing a new version of software involves a series of well-defined steps to ensure that the update is delivered smoothly, maintains quality, and meets user expectations. It is a more complex process than most would imagine and requires careful planning, testing, communication, and ongoing monitoring to ensure a successful and smooth transition for both developers and users.

Review and Approval – Once the update has been determined to function as expected, it is time to obtain the necessary approvals from stakeholders, including management and quality assurance.

Versioning and Tagging – Next, you will want to assign a version number or tag to the software to distinguish it from other versions. This may have already been completed but this is the time to verify it is correct.

Documentation – Prepare release notes and documentation that describe the changes, improvements, and bug fixes in the new version, along with any additions to guide that explain new features and changes to the user.

Activation and Deployment –Once validated and tested and approved in the production environment, we will help you deploy the release package using the deployment stages outlined above..

Monitoring and Feedback – Once in the users hands, we help you monitor user feedback and performance metrics to ensure the release is successful and help you address any issues that arise.

— Additional Stages For Marketing —

Packaging – We don’t get involved in the packaging unless asked to confirm content accuracy.

Distribution – If being deployed to an environment we will work the the deployment stages as necessary. If a hard copy is being distributed, we don’t typically get involved in the distribution stage.

User Communication – Another areas outside our specialty is user notification and communication of the changes and new features to the market or internal users, but we can help you draft the message.

Forms of DEPLOYMENT that we support.

There are several forms of deployment used that go beyond software development, release, & distribution, each relating more to the various environments and their combinations than the software itself. The choice of deployment method depends on the nature of the software, the project’s requirements, and the desired level of control and flexibility. Listed below are various forms of deployment that may be needed for your project to thrive.

On-Premises Deployment: This form of deployment deals with software deployed on the user’s local hardware infrastructure and managed by the user’s IT team. The benefit of this form is that it offers control over the entire environment. The cons are that it does require maintenance and infrastructure setup.

Cloud Deployment: Many companies have moved their hosting service to a cloud infrastructure providers such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. As an Azure and AWS partner we are versed in cloud deployment, which offer scalability, flexibility, and reduced infrastructure management. However, before signing your contract make sure you have an understanding of cloud services. Once out of your control you want to make sure the entire experience is as expected.

Container Deployment: When working with microservices & other forms of modular design like a service-based suite, software is packaged into containers using technologies like Docker and deployed consistently across different environments. This form of architecture provides portability and isolation, making deployment more predictable.

Virtual Machine Deployment: Often software is deployed on virtual machines (VMs) that emulate physical hardware environments. This type of environment helps to isolate software and provide portability, enabling your software to run on different host systems.

Serverless Deployment: When software is deployed as individual functions or microservices and executed on-demand without managing an underlying infrastructure, you are dealing with a serverless environment. There are still servers in serverless, but they are cloud-native. They also require event driven code. This environment reduces administrative overhead and allows for automatic scaling. However, as mentioned with the code, you will also have to adapt to serverless architecture.

Hybrid Deployment: Basically, a hybrid system is a combination of on-premises, cloud, and other deployment methods to achieve specific requirements. It offers more control in the form of flexibility, cost, and scalability, and should be set up based on your application’s needs.

Blue-Green Deployment: An interesting way to allow for seamless rollback if issues arise during deployment, this environment setup involve maintaining two identical environments (blue and green) and alternately deploying new versions while keeping one environment live.

Canary Deployment: Similar to an agile process, a canary deployment gradually releases new versions of the software to a subset of users before a full rollout.
This format helps identify issues early and minimizes user impact in case of problems.

Rolling Deployment: In many wasy similar to canary deployment, rolling deployment also gradually deploys new versions in a controlled manner until the entire software is updated. The difference is that rolling deployments target servers, while a canary strategy targets users. In both cases, this gradual release format helps to balance the risk by gradually updating parts of the application rather than the whole at one time.

Continuous Deployment: a continuous deployment automates the deployment process so that changes are automatically deployed to production after passing certain tests. This type of deployment requires a strong emphasis on automated testing and quality assurance.

Manual Deployment: Like it says, this form of deployment involves manual steps to deploy the software. Typically, this process is more suitable for smaller projects or environments with less frequent changes.

Forms of RELEASE that we support.

There are several forms of software release strategies used to introduce new versions of software to users. These strategies vary in their approach to distributing and rolling out updates. The versions of Release that we support are list below and are not in any particular order.

Major Release: As it sounds, this is a significant version update that includes substantial changes, new features, and enhancements. Major releases often involve major architectural changes or shifts in functionality.

Minor Release: A minor release is a version update that includes smaller feature additions, improvements, and bug fixes. This type of release typically maintains backward compatibility with the previous version.

Patch Release: When you need to address critical bugs, security vulnerabilities, and issues found in the current version, a patch release is just the thing. This release focuses on fixing urgent problems without introducing new features.

Alpha Release: An Alpha release is an early release to a select group of internal testers or developers for testing and feedback. This type of release is used to identify major issues and gather insights before wider distribution.

Beta Release: Unlike an Alpha release that is directed at a smaller group of users, the Beta release is directed at a larger group of external testers, often involving a limited group of users, to gather more feedback and uncover issues..

Release Candidate (RC): This is more of a rating that relates to a version of the software that is considered near-final and stable, with all features completed and most critical bugs fixed. As the last stage of testing prior to release, users are encouraged to test the RC version to uncover any remaining issues before the official release.

Stable Release: Taking the release candidate one step further, the version of the software that has undergone rigorous testing and is deemed ready for general use and typically follows alpha, beta, and RC releases.

Continuous Release: A continuous release model includes frequent releases of small updates or new features in a continuous manner. This form of release is often associated with agile development and continuous integration practices.

Rolling Release: You may hear this in conjunction with continuous release or when talking about software like operating systems and package managers. It is also a continuously evolving release strategy where updates are pushed to users as soon as they are ready.

Long-Term Support (LTS) Release: Like it sounds, this release format is based on a version that requires extended support and maintenance, often for several years. You will use this format for applications that may have stability issues and requires a long-term commitment.

Hotfix Release: When the unexpected takes place, this is the release you will like use. it fits for when an unplanned release is required to address critical bugs or security vulnerabilities that require immediate attention.

Feature Flag Release: This form of release, releases new features in a dormant state, and they are activated or deactivated using feature flags or toggles. It is a way to provide control over feature deployment and user experience.

Parallel Release: When you want to introduce a new version of the software alongside the existing version, and allow users to choose which version to use.

Silent Release: A silent release is used when you want to roll out changes without the user being notified, often used for minor updates or maintenance.

Black Slate Is Different Than Other .NET Development Firms

Why Are We Different? Because we ask the unexpected questions and listen. In our 30 years of software consulting, often, what you think you need is different than what you really need. This is how we help you!

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