Canary test (canary deployment)

A canary deployment is a technique used to test a new software version in production by routing a small percentage of traffic to the new version. This allows developers to verify that the new version is working as expected before deploying it to all users.

Canary deployments are often used for critical software updates, such as security patches, to ensure that the new code does not introduce any regressions. They can also be used to test new features with a limited number of users before making them available to everyone.

Canary deployments are usually combined with other techniques, such as A/B testing, to further verify that the new code is working as expected.

How do you run a canary test?

A canary test is a type of software testing that is used to identify potential issues with new software before it is deployed to production. Canary tests are typically used to catch regression bugs, performance issues, and other types of bugs that might not be caught by traditional testing methods.

Canary tests are typically run on a small subset of users, such as a beta group, before the new software is rolled out to all users. This allows the developers to identify and fix any issues before they impact the entire user base.

Canary tests can be run manually or with automated testing tools. To run a canary test manually, the developers would need to deploy the new software to a small group of users and then closely monitor them for any issues. Automated testing tools can be used to run canary tests on a larger scale, and can also be used to automatically roll back the new software if any issues are found.

Canary tests are an important part of the software development process, as they can help to ensure that new software does not impact the stability or performance of the production system.

What does canary deployment mean?

Canary deployment is a technique used to reduce the risk of introducing a new software version by first deploying it to a small subset of users or systems, and then gradually rolling it out to the rest of the users or systems. This allows for early detection of any problems with the new software version before it is deployed to the entire population.

Why is canary deployment called canary?

Canary deployments are so called because they are inspired by the practice of coal miners using canaries to test for dangerous gases in mines. If the canary died, it indicated that the air was not safe to breathe.

Similarly, in a canary deployment, a new version of the software is first deployed to a small group of users before being rolled out to the rest of the users. This allows for any potential issues with the new version to be identified and fixed before it affects the entire user base.

What is difference between blue green and canary deployment?

There are two main differences between blue green and canary deployments:

1. Blue green deployments involve deploying two identical versions of an application (blue and green), while canary deployments involve deploying a new version of an application alongside the existing version (the canary).

2. Blue green deployments are typically used for rollbacks (swapping between the blue and green versions), while canary deployments are used for testing new versions of an application before making them live (the canary version is typically a subset of users).

What is canary used for?

A canary is a type of software development and testing technique in which a new software feature or change is released to a small group of users before it is released to the general public. The purpose of this technique is to allow developers to identify and fix bugs or other problems before they cause major problems for all users.