Rollback strategies with Octopus Deploy

Bob Walker explores rollback strategies that can be implemented without the need for advanced deployment patterns like blue/green or canary deployments, which, while making rollbacks easier, can be time-intensive and sometimes unnecessary. He focuses on code-only rollbacks, excluding database changes due to their complexity, and explains how skipping certain deployment steps can expedite the rollback process, especially in testing environments. By introducing the concept of "deployment mode," Walker suggests modifying existing deployment processes to support rollbacks by distinguishing between a new deployment, a rollback, and a redeployment. He presents tools and templates such as Calculate Deployment Mode and Block Release Progression to streamline this process within Octopus Deploy, emphasizing the importance of testing rollback procedures regularly. Despite advocating for rolling forward in some scenarios, Walker acknowledges the value of a rollback process as part of a CI/CD pipeline, highlighting how simple adjustments and automated steps can facilitate effective rollbacks when necessary.