Canary release vs smoke testing: Choosing a deployment strategy

Canary releases and smoke testing are two distinct deployment strategies used to manage risks and validate software updates. A canary release gradually introduces a new software version to a small subset of users, allowing teams to monitor real-world performance and gather user feedback before a full rollout. This approach limits the impact of potential issues by enabling rapid rollback if problems arise. In contrast, smoke testing involves running a basic set of tests immediately after deployment to verify that critical functionalities are operational, providing quick feedback on deployment success and helping teams decide whether to proceed or roll back. Although smoke tests offer rapid validation, they may not catch all issues, whereas canary releases allow for comprehensive performance monitoring. Feature flags can enhance both strategies by offering granular control over feature visibility, enabling sophisticated rollout plans and minimizing the need for full deployment rollbacks. While canary releases are ideal for high-risk deployments requiring real-world validation, smoke testing suits environments where speed is prioritized over extensive validation. Blue-green deployment, another strategy mentioned, involves maintaining two identical environments, switching traffic between them for zero-downtime deployments, and allowing instant rollbacks, though it requires double the infrastructure resources.