| name | deployment-patterns |
| description | Deployment workflows, CI/CD pipeline patterns, Docker containerization, health checks, rollback strategies, and production readiness checklists for web applications. |
Deployment Patterns
Production deployment workflows and CI/CD best practices.
When to Activate
- Setting up CI/CD pipelines
- Dockerizing an application
- Planning deployment strategy (blue-green, canary, rolling)
- Implementing health checks and readiness probes
- Preparing for a production release
- Configuring environment-specific settings
Deployment Strategies
Rolling Deployment (Default)
Replace instances gradually — old and new versions run simultaneously during rollout.
Instance 1: v1 → v2 (update first)
Instance 2: v1 (still running v1)
Instance 3: v1 (still running v1)
Instance 1: v2
Instance 2: v1 → v2 (update second)
Instance 3: v1
Instance 1: v2
Instance 2: v2
Instance 3: v1 → v2 (update last)
Pros: Zero downtime, gradual rollout
Cons: Two versions run simultaneously — requires backward-compatible changes
Use when: Standard deployments, backward-compatible changes
Blue-Green Deployment
Run two identical environments. Switch traffic atomically.
Blue (v1) ← traffic
Green (v2) idle, running new version
# After verification:
Blue (v1) idle (becomes standby)
Green (v2) ← traffic
Pros: Instant rollback (switch back to blue), clean cutover
Cons: Requires 2x infrastructure during deployment
Use when: Critical services, zero-tolerance for issues
Canary Deployment
Route a small percentage of traffic to the new version first.
v1: 95% of traffic
v2: 5% of traffic (canary)
# If metrics look good:
v1: 50% of traffic
v2: 50% of traffic
# Final:
v2: 100% of traffic
Pros: Catches issues with real traffic before full rollout
Cons: Requires traffic splitting infrastructure, monitoring
Use when: High-traffic services, risky changes, feature flags
Docker
For Dockerfile examples (Node.js, Go, Python multi-stage builds), see the docker-patterns skill. Key principles:
- Use specific version tags (node:22-alpine, not node:latest)
- Multi-stage builds to minimize image size
- Run as non-root user (uid 1001)
- Copy dependency files first (layer caching)
- Use .dockerignore to exclude node_modules, .git, tests
- Add HEALTHCHECK instruction
- Set resource limits in docker-compose or k8s
- Never store secrets in image (use env vars or secrets manager)
CI/CD Pipeline
Pipeline Stages
PR opened:
lint → typecheck → unit tests → integration tests → preview deploy
Merged to main:
lint → typecheck → unit tests → integration tests → build image → deploy staging → smoke tests → deploy production
Health Checks
Health Check Endpoint
app.get("/health", (req, res) => {
res.status(200).json({ status: "ok" });
});
app.get("/health/detailed", async (req, res) => {
const checks = {
database: await checkDatabase(),
redis: await checkRedis(),
externalApi: await checkExternalApi(),
};
const allHealthy = Object.values(checks).every(c => c.status === "ok");
res.status(allHealthy ? 200 : 503).json({
status: allHealthy ? "ok" : "degraded",
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
version: process.env.APP_VERSION || "unknown",
uptime: process.uptime(),
checks,
});
});
async function checkDatabase(): Promise<HealthCheck> {
try {
await db.query("SELECT 1");
return { status: "ok", latency_ms: 2 };
} catch (err) {
return { status: "error", message: "Database unreachable" };
}
}
Kubernetes Probes
livenessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /health
port: 3000
initialDelaySeconds: 10
periodSeconds: 30
failureThreshold: 3
readinessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /health
port: 3000
initialDelaySeconds: 5
periodSeconds: 10
failureThreshold: 2
startupProbe:
httpGet:
path: /health
port: 3000
initialDelaySeconds: 0
periodSeconds: 5
failureThreshold: 30
Environment Configuration
Twelve-Factor App Pattern
DATABASE_URL=postgres://user:pass@host:5432/db
REDIS_URL=redis://host:6379/0
API_KEY=${API_KEY}
LOG_LEVEL=info
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=production
APP_ENV=production
Configuration Validation
import { z } from "zod";
const envSchema = z.object({
NODE_ENV: z.enum(["development", "staging", "production"]),
PORT: z.coerce.number().default(3000),
DATABASE_URL: z.string().url(),
REDIS_URL: z.string().url(),
JWT_SECRET: z.string().min(32),
LOG_LEVEL: z.enum(["debug", "info", "warn", "error"]).default("info"),
});
export const env = envSchema.parse(process.env);
Rollback Strategy
Instant Rollback
kubectl rollout undo deployment/app
vercel rollback
railway up --commit <previous-sha>
npx prisma migrate resolve --rolled-back <migration-name>
Rollback Checklist
Production Readiness Checklist
Before any production deployment:
Application
Infrastructure
Monitoring
Security
Operations
