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Release Stage

Purpose​

The Release Stage automates the deployment process to target environments, eliminating manual interventions and ensuring reliable, repeatable releases. This stage:

  • Replaces error-prone manual deployments
  • Enables rapid and reliable releases
  • Supports continuous delivery practices
  • Provides consistent environment configuration
  • Ensures system stability through automated verification

Architecture Overview​

Release Stage Overview

The release stage orchestrates:

  • Docker image retrieval from registry
  • Environment-specific configuration
  • Automated deployment process
  • Post-deployment verification

Stage Components​

1. Pre-deployment Verification​

  • Contract compatibility checks via Pact Broker
  • Version state verification
  • Environment readiness checks
  • Infrastructure validation

2. Deployment Process​

  • Container orchestration with Docker Compose
  • Environment-specific configurations
  • Health check mechanisms

3. Environment Management​

  • Infrastructure as Code principles
  • Secret management
  • Database migrations
  • Configuration management
  • Volume management for persistence

4. Post-deployment Verification​

  • Container health checks
  • Service connectivity verification
  • Database migration validation
  • Basic smoke testing

Contract Verification Strategy​

Can I Deploy Check​

The release stage implements a crucial "Can I Deploy" check before any deployment:

  • Verifies if the frontend (consumer) version is compatible with the backend (provider)
  • Provides early feedback about contract compatibility
  • Prevents deployments that would break service interactions
  • Maintains system stability across microservices

Example implementation:

- name: Can I deploy frontend?
  run: |
    pact-broker can-i-deploy \
      --pacticipant digital-kudos-wall-frontend \
      --version ${{ github.event.inputs.frontend_image_tag }} \
      --to-environment uat

Automated Contract Verification​

Our implementation includes automated webhook-triggered verification:

  1. Consumer Contract Changes

    • Frontend pushes new contract to Pact Broker
    • Webhook automatically triggers backend verification workflow
    • Quick feedback on provider contract satisfaction
    • Early detection of breaking changes

  2. Provider Changes

    • Backend changes trigger verification against all consumer contracts
    • Ensures changes don't break existing consumers
    • Particularly valuable in multi-consumer scenarios
    • Provides confidence in backward compatibility

  3. Benefits in Microservices Architecture

    • Manages complex service dependencies
    • Prevents integration issues before deployment
    • Supports independent service evolution
    • Enables safe contract changes

Version Management and Recording​

After successful deployment:

  • Records deployment in Pact Broker
  • Updates environment state
  • Maintains deployment history
  • Enables version tracking across environments

Implementation​

  • Release Workflow: digital-kudos-wall/.github/workflows/release-uat.yml

The workflow includes:

  1. Pre-deployment contract verification
  2. Environment setup and configuration
  3. Container deployment and orchestration
  4. Health checks and verification
  5. State management and recording

Release Strategy​

Version Management​

frontend_image_tag:
  description: "Frontend Docker image tag (commit SHA or tag)"
  required: true
  default: "latest"
backend_image_tag:
  description: "Backend Docker image tag (commit SHA or tag)"
  required: true
  default: "latest"

State Management​

  • Version tracking in state files
  • Deployment recording in Pact Broker
  • Environment state persistence

Quality Gates​

  1. Contract Verification

    • Consumer contract compatibility
    • Provider verification status
    • Version compatibility checks

  2. Deployment Health

    • Container health status
    • Service connectivity
    • Database migration success
    • Basic functionality verification

  3. Environment State

    • Configuration validation
    • Resource availability
    • Security compliance

Common Issues and Solutions​

  1. Database Migration Issues

    • Automated migration scripts
    • Version control for schemas
    • Rollback procedures

  2. Container Health

    • Health check implementation
    • Retry mechanisms
    • Logging and monitoring

  3. Network Issues

    • Service discovery
    • Network isolation
    • Port mapping

Example Successful Run​

Successful Release Stage Run

A successful release stage run executes all steps in sequence:

  1. Check Services (25s)

    • Install Pact CLI
    • Debug Pact Broker configuration
    • Verify frontend deployment compatibility
    • Verify backend deployment compatibility

  2. Deploy to UAT (1m 23s)

    • Set image URIs and tags
    • Deploy to UAT environment via SSH
    • Set up database and migrations
    • Configure Docker Compose
    • Pull latest images
    • Start services
    • Verify service health

  3. Record State (4s)

    • Record frontend deployment in Pact Broker
    • Record backend deployment in Pact Broker
    • Update deployment state files
    • Commit version records

  4. Smoke Tests (4m 45s)

    • Set up test environment
    • Install test dependencies
    • Run smoke test suite
    • Verify deployment success

Total pipeline execution time: ~6m 24s

This efficient execution is achieved through:

  • Parallel service deployment where possible
  • Optimized smoke test execution
  • Efficient state management
  • Automated health checks

Next Steps​

  1. Test Shield
  2. Engineering Metrics