How Do I Use App Deployment Slots?

App deployment slots are an excellent feature provided by cloud providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. They allow developers to deploy multiple versions of an application in a single environment, without the need for additional resources. If you’re new to deployment slots, this guide will show you how to use them effectively.

What are App Deployment Slots?

Deployment slots are instances of your application that run on the same server, but with different configurations. They allow you to test new features or updates before deploying them to production. It’s like having a staging environment that’s integrated with your production environment.

Why Use Deployment Slots?

There are several benefits of using deployment slots:

• You can deploy new code without affecting the production environment.
• You can test your changes in a staging environment before they go live.
• You can easily roll back to a previous version if there are any issues.

How Do I Use Deployment Slots?

Here’s how you can use deployment slots in Azure:

1. Create a Web App: First, create a web app in Azure. This will be your production environment.
2. Create a Deployment Slot: Once your web app is created, go to the “Deployment Slots” section and click “Add Slot”.

   Name your slot and choose the configuration settings you want to apply.

3. Deploy Code: Deploy your code to the deployment slot using any method you prefer (FTP, Git, etc. ).
4. Test Your Changes: Test your changes in the deployment slot by navigating to its URL.
5. Swap Slots: Once you’re satisfied with your changes in the deployment slot, swap it with the production slot. This will make the deployment slot the new production environment and vice versa.

Tips for Using Deployment Slots

Here are some tips for using deployment slots:

• Use a naming convention for your deployment slots. This will make it easier to identify them.
• Automate your deployments to make the process faster and more reliable.
• Monitor your deployment slots using Azure’s monitoring tools to ensure they’re running smoothly.
• Take advantage of slot-specific settings, such as connection strings and environment variables, to customize each slot.

Conclusion

Deployment slots are a powerful tool that can help you manage your application deployments more effectively. By using them, you can deploy new features and updates with confidence, knowing that you’re testing them in a controlled environment.

If you haven’t tried deployment slots yet, give them a try – they may just become your new favorite feature!