Progressive deployment explained

Progressive deployment is a method where new software features roll out gradually rather than all at once. This approach lets you control the introduction of new functionality, minimizing disruptions and ensuring stability.

A key benefit of progressive deployment is real-time user feedback integration. By releasing features to a small user segment initially, you gather immediate insights on performance and usability. This feedback loop helps you make necessary adjustments before a full-scale launch.

This method also mitigates risk in production environments. By exposing only a subset of users to new features, any potential issues affect a limited audience. This containment helps in identifying and fixing bugs without widespread impact.

Key components of progressive deployment

What is feature flagging?

Feature flagging controls who sees new features. You can enable targeted rollouts easily. It also facilitates A/B testing by toggling features on or off. For example, using feature gates allows you to manage the lifecycle of features and control their exposure to different user groups.

What are canary releases?

Canary releases deploy features to a small user subset. You monitor performance and stability closely. Gradually, you expand to more users if everything looks good. This process aligns with continuous delivery pipelines, releasing new software versions to limited users for performance comparison. Using feature flags for canary testing aids gradual rollouts and boosts confidence in a feature's success.

Examples of progressive deployment in action

How Microsoft uses deployment rings

Microsoft segments users into groups called deployment rings. They roll out features gradually across these rings. This strategy reduces the blast radius of potential issues. Effective release management includes practices such as staged release rollouts and continuous monitoring to catch issues early. Additionally, implementing automated testing can help ensure that any bugs or issues are caught early in the deployment pipeline.

How GitHub uses staff ships

GitHub leverages feature flags for internal testing. Employees act as initial testers. This ensures stability before public release. This practice, often known as dogfooding, allows organizations to validate functionality with trusted users. Using a phased canary release strategy can also help progressively expose new functionality to a small percentage of users, ensuring system health before a broad launch.