What are the best practices for handling rollbacks and failed deployments for web applications?

1 Use version control and branching

Version control is a system that tracks the changes in your code and allows you to revert to previous versions if needed. Branching is a technique that creates separate copies of your code for different features, environments, or stages of development. By using version control and branching, you can isolate your changes, test them before deploying, and rollback to a stable version if something goes wrong.

3 Use feature flags and canary releases

Feature flags and canary releases are techniques that allow you to test and release new features gradually and safely. Feature flags are switches that enable or disable a feature in your code. Canary releases are deployments that expose a feature to a small percentage of users or servers. By using feature flags and canary releases, you can control the visibility and impact of your features, and rollback or scale up as needed.

4 Monitor and measure your performance

Monitoring and measuring your performance are essential for detecting and resolving issues in your web application. Monitoring is the process of collecting and analyzing data about your application's availability, reliability, and functionality. Measuring is the process of evaluating and comparing your application's performance against your goals and expectations. By monitoring and measuring your performance, you can identify and fix problems, improve your user experience, and optimize your resources.

5 Have a backup and restore strategy

Backup and restore are operations that save and recover your data in case of a disaster or a failure. Backup is the process of copying your data to a secure and accessible location. Restore is the process of retrieving your data from the backup location and restoring it to the original or a new location. By having a backup and restore strategy, you can prevent data loss, minimize downtime, and resume your operations.

6 Document and communicate your processes

Documentation and communication are key for ensuring the quality and consistency of your web application development and deployment. Documentation is the process of creating and maintaining written records of your code, features, tests, and procedures. Communication is the process of sharing and exchanging information with your team, stakeholders, and users. By documenting and communicating your processes, you can improve your collaboration, transparency, and accountability, and reduce errors and misunderstandings.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?