May 2019 Summaries

Blue/green and red/black deployment strategies are often used interchangeably to describe a method of deploying new versions of a centralized application, where two environments run side by side to facilitate seamless traffic switching with minimal downtime. Although there are claims of differences between these strategies—such as whether both versions receive traffic simultaneously or not—tools like Netflix's Spinnaker, Kubernetes, and Istio treat them as synonymous, emphasizing that any distinctions are generally inconsistent and context-specific. Ultimately, these terms are used to describe the same overarching strategy of ensuring that a newly deployed application version is stable and tested before it receives all production traffic, though technical nuances might vary between specific implementations or organizations.

Octopus Server 2019.3 LTS marks the last version that can be hosted on Windows Server 2008, as the platform moves towards a cross-platform capability that includes modern Windows and Linux operating systems, as well as containers. This transition requires a shift in the minimum hosting requirements to Windows Server 2008 R2, especially since Microsoft's extended support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 will end in January 2020. Users with critical deployments are encouraged to upgrade their operating systems to maintain security and performance, while the Octopus Server installer will ensure no accidental upgrades beyond 2019.3 LTS on unsupported systems. Although Windows Server 2008 R2 remains supported despite the upcoming end of extended support, future Octopus Server releases, starting with 2019.5, will gradually introduce cross-platform features, eventually allowing hosting on Linux. The company assures that the deployment targets remain unaffected and provides guidance on upgrading or moving to a modern operating system.

In episodes 22 to 24 of the "Ask Octopus" series, topics such as allowing projects to choose different packages for step templates, relocating the Octopus Server and Database, and comparing Octopus Server versions are discussed. Viewers can access previous episodes and submit questions on the Ask Octopus page, while additional resources on these subjects are available in their documentation. The series encourages viewers to subscribe to their YouTube channel and follow their playlist for updates on new episodes.

Derek Campbell's webinar focuses on the seamless integration of TeamCity and Octopus Deploy, highlighting how these tools complement each other in automating the software deployment process. The session guides participants through building a solution, automating deployment to a development environment, and subsequently promoting the release for deployment across test, production, and disaster recovery stages. This is achieved using a multi-cloud strategy involving Azure and AWS, showcasing the efficiency of combining TeamCity and Octopus Deploy in a streamlined deployment workflow.

In a series of episodes from the "Ask Octopus" series, key topics such as installing Octopus Deploy, staging deployment packages, and retrying rolling deployments without affecting the entire web farm are discussed. Hosted by Derek Campbell and featuring contributors like Ryan and Bob, the episodes provide insights into effectively managing deployments using Octopus. Viewers are encouraged to access previous episodes, submit questions, and explore the related documentation for further information on installation, package transfer, and deployment strategies. The series is available on YouTube, where subscribers can follow playlists to stay updated with new episodes.

The recent release of version 2019.5.0 introduces Script Module support for languages beyond PowerShell, addressing long-standing user requests. Script Modules are collections of functions that facilitate code sharing across multiple projects by allowing centralized management, reducing the need to copy and paste code. Unlike PowerShell, new languages require explicit imports to use Script Modules, enhancing dependency clarity and preventing naming conflicts. The update also includes features that make it easier to track the usage of Script Modules across projects, minimizing unexpected issues during deployments. The documentation provides detailed guidance and examples for using Script Modules with different languages, and there are plans to extend similar usage tracking to Variable Sets in the future.

The Octopus Deploy plugin for Jira enhances software development efficiency by integrating two popular tools, allowing for seamless end-to-end visibility of software pipelines. Jira Software is widely used for planning and tracking software releases, while Octopus Deploy automates development and operations processes. The integration of these platforms unlocks crucial scenarios, such as tracking when features or bug fixes are deployed to production, viewing Jira issues included in Octopus releases, and automatically generating release notes for software environments. This collaboration ensures greater transparency and insight into the development process, making it easier to manage and share progress through email, Slack, or other communication tools. However, the plugin is only compatible with Jira Software Cloud due to API limitations in the Jira Server version. The integration aims to replace manual processes with automation, thus streamlining software deployment and communication within teams.

In this blog post, Ryan Rousseau explores how to use Octopus Subscriptions and custom webhooks to send Slack notifications for production deployments. The process begins with configuring a webhook and setting up a subscription to capture specific deployment events like "Deployment Started," "Deployment Succeeded," and "Deployment Failed." Using Firebase Cloud Functions, he demonstrates how to log event payloads and create Slack messages using project and category mappings to direct notifications to appropriate channels. The post further explains how to enhance message styling with emojis and ensure secure and accurate event processing by implementing authorization checks and duplicate event handling using a Firestore database. Rousseau concludes by providing code samples and inviting feedback and questions, offering a comprehensive guide on integrating Octopus Deploy with Slack for effective deployment notifications.