Why we don't schedule deployments during off-hours
Years back, before Scout, I used to schedule deployments outside the regular workday. I didn’t give it much thought – it was what my consulting clients were used to. However, we changed that practice with Scout.
Many web applications, including Scout, have customers around the world. There isn’t a perfect time for a deployment. With that in mind, we started scheduling deployments when it’s best for us.
Typically, we deploy major updates on weekday mornings. Why I like this timeslot:
- We’re fresh. I’m at my best around 10 AM. I’ve been awake for a couple of hours, I’m not hungry for lunch yet, and I’ve taken care of any lingering items. Deploys often involve a checklist. I like knowing I’m working through that list when I’m at my best.
- Time to watch the impact. We’ll be around the rest of the day so we can quickly react if things go awry. This is far better than a 3am wakeup call following a late-night release.
- Doesn’t interrupt free time. I value my free time and my coding time. I enjoy both of these the most when I’m not interrupting one with the other. Going out for a beer at 10 AM would be awkward. Deploying a major update when I’m not in work-mode is awkward as well.
Our work-day deployments feel a lot smoother than my previous off-hours deploys: that’s good for everyone.
