2.1 Best Practices for the Deployment Workflow

If you can t get software into your user s hands, then what is its value? Absolutely nothing. Software deployment is a complex endeavor, all too frequently ignored in favor of sexier topics such as distributed object development, components, or the latest version of the Java development kit. The Deployment workflow includes efforts such as your system s initial release planning, including identifying your deployment audience s potential release window, and general deployment strategy will you release the software all at once or incrementally? It also includes efforts such as training your customers, including the end users of your system as well as the operations and support staff that will be working with it. It also includes actual installation of your system into your staging and production environments. Why is the Deployment workflow important? The answer is simple: you may be able to create the greatest software in the world, but if you can t deploy it, it really doesn t matter.

In the article Effective Software Deployment Scott W. Ambler overviews the activities of the Deployment workflow by phase. He shows that when you are deploying a system, you need to consider three basic tasks: preparing for release, releasing your system to operations and support, and finally releasing your system to your user community. During the Inception phase the Deployment workflow focuses on your system s initial release planning, including identifying your deployment audience s potential release window, and general deployment strategy. During the Elaboration phase you must define...