April 2019 Summaries

In a new video format aimed at offering more focused content, the "Ask Octopus" series presents episodes that delve into specific topics such as stopping deployments during upgrades, upgrading Octopus and associated best practices, and automatically auditing projects. This approach allows viewers to access detailed discussions led by experts like Bob, Derek, and Ryan, with direct links to each video available for convenience. Additional resources and documentation on related subjects, including maintenance mode, operating system upgrades, and project auditing, are accessible for those seeking further information. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the YouTube channel and follow the playlist for updates on new episodes.

Bob Walker discusses how to address the complexities of managing concurrent development work across multiple teams and applications by utilizing Octopus Deploy's multi-tenancy feature. The scenario involves three development teams working on four interdependent applications, leading to potential conflicts when teams simultaneously modify the same application. Walker proposes creating separate "sandboxes" for each team and developer, allowing them to test changes independently without disrupting others' work. This approach necessitates automated deployments and deviates from the "always be integrating" philosophy, as it can delay integration testing. By configuring Octopus Deploy, developers can isolate changes, test against production-like environments, and manage hotfixes efficiently. The article outlines the setup process, including infrastructure adjustments, project configurations, and build server integrations, while highlighting potential risks and the need for adaptability based on organizational requirements.

Derek Campbell introduces a new format for the "Ask Octopus" video series, where sessions are split into individual videos to allow viewers to focus on specific topics such as Blue/Green Deployments, HA Cluster configuration, and Exposing links in deployment logs through Write-Highlights. The episodes, featuring discussions by experts like Bob, Derek, and Ryan, are available on the Ask Octopus page, where viewers can also submit their questions. Additional information on these topics can be found in related documentation, and viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the YouTube channel and follow the playlist for future episodes.

In Episode 12 of the "Ask Octopus" series, hosted by Derek Campbell on April 17, 2019, the discussion focuses on Environment Approval Gates and Worker Pools per Environment, addressing questions such as requiring approvals before progressing to the next environment and managing worker pools specific to each environment. The episode provides direct links to these discussions within the video and encourages viewers to explore further details through available documentation on related topics like Manual Intervention, Approval Steps, and Multi-Tenants deployment. Viewers are also invited to subscribe to the YouTube channel and follow the playlist to stay updated on future episodes.

In a blog post by Shannon Lewis, Octopus Deploy introduces a new feature for generating release notes templates, enhancing the visibility and traceability of deployments. This feature, born from the Jira integration, allows users to manage release notes more efficiently by utilizing new package metadata and deployment variables, which aggregate release notes even when metadata and work items are not present. The release notes templates can be customized using markdown and variable substitution, making them immediately visible in the Octopus portal. Additionally, these templates are editable, with changes applied upon saving, and can be used in email steps, providing a streamlined process for communicating release changes. The development team responded to user requests by enabling this feature, which they are eager for users to adopt and provide feedback on.

Octopus Deploy 2019.4 introduces features designed to enhance the feedback loop in CI/CD pipelines by improving integration between build servers and Octopus. Key updates include build information and work item tracking, enabling users to monitor features, issues, and bugs from code to deployment, and automatically generating release notes based on accumulated releases. The new Octopus Metadata step in build server plugins, currently available for Bamboo and TeamCity, collects and stores metadata for packages, aiding in release and deployment processes. Additionally, Octopus has integrated with Jira, allowing real-time deployment feedback to be reflected in Jira's deployment dashboard, benefiting users of both hosted and on-premises Jira instances. These advancements aim to streamline information flow within the CI/CD pipeline, particularly for those utilizing both Jira and Octopus.

Octopus Deploy 2019.4 focuses on enhancing the feedback loop in CI/CD pipelines by introducing features such as build information and work item tracking to improve traceability, release notes templates for easier change documentation, and integration with Jira for two-way issue and deployment links. Users are encouraged to update their Octopus Deploy build server plugins and install the Jira plugin to make full use of these features. While there are minor changes to the output format of a specific command, it is unlikely to affect most users, though testing is advised for those using it for automation. The release is available immediately for self-hosted customers and will be rolled out to Octopus Cloud customers in about two weeks, with the promise of inclusion in the next long-term support release by the end of Q2 2019.

Octopus Server 2019.3 LTS is the second release in the long-term support program, offering six months of support and recommended for most self-hosted customers. This release, essentially similar to 2019.2, includes several enhancements and bug fixes, notably in areas like Kubernetes and the Octopus Migrator, along with updates to database performance and cloud dependencies from the 2018.11 version. The release introduces Spaces, which brings significant breaking changes, particularly affecting API configurations for Teams, User Roles, and Permissions, necessitating updates for users with existing automation. Despite these changes, the upgrade process is smooth, as evidenced by the hundreds of customers who transitioned from 2019.2, and the LTS release aims to provide a reliable platform for long-term deployments.