A Workflow for Deploying Application Code

In today's software development environment, the process of deploying application code has become a well-oiled machine, complete with processes and tools meant to ensure speed, reliability, and security. Today we'll look at the normal workflow for deploying application code, concentrating on the seven critical phases that take code from development to production.

The Seven Steps of a Typical Application Deployment Workflow

A well-established workflow for deploying application code involves the following seven key steps:

1. Use Version Control
   Version control serves as the foundation for every modern development process. GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket are popular version control services that let teams manage code, track changes, and collaborate successfully. Developers use version control to ensure that the application code is consistently updated and that any changes are properly documented for future reference. The version control system (VCS) also plays an important part in continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) pipelines, enabling automated deployments.

2. Run the Code Locally
   Before making any changes, developers usually run the code locally on their PCs to confirm that the development environment matches the production environment. Running the code locally allows developers to test features, troubleshoot difficulties, and guarantee that new modifications do not break current functionality. This step entails creating services and databases that are as near to production as feasible, allowing potential faults to be identified early in the process.

3. Make Code Changes
   Once the environment is configured and the code runs properly locally, developers can make the necessary adjustments. This may include introducing new features, resolving issues, or enhancing performance. During this phase, it is critical to adhere to proper coding practices, ensuring that the modifications are modular, well-tested, and simple to maintain.

4. Submit Changes for Review
   After making the modifications, developers submit them for code review. Code review is an important procedure for ensuring quality by having peers check the code for potential issues such as bugs, readability, and adherence to coding standards. Code review also aids in the identification of security concerns and facilitates knowledge sharing within the team.

5. Run Automated Tests
   To guarantee that the modifications do not compromise existing functionality, the code is subjected to automated testing. These tests are often unit tests, integration tests, or end-to-end tests that are used to validate the application's functioning in a variety of scenarios. Running automated tests before deploying helps to identify issues early on, avoiding costly blunders in production.

6. Merge and Release
   Following a successful code review and testing, the modifications are merged into the repository's main branch. At this point, the code is ready for deployment. The merging step often initiates the CI pipeline, which automatically begins the process of building, testing, and preparing the code for deployment.

7. Deploy
   Finally, the code is deployed into the production environment. This deployment could be completed using a variety of methodologies, including rolling deployments, canary deployments, and blue-green deployments. Regardless of the deployment technique, it is critical to ensure that the application runs smoothly after deployment, with appropriate monitoring in place to detect any difficulties.

Securing Sensitive Variables with Terraform Cloud

Sensitive data must be managed throughout the deployment workflow. Terraform Cloud provides functionality for securely storing and managing variables like API keys, passwords, and other secrets. Terraform Cloud enables developers to ensure that sensitive data is never exposed in their codebase or version control system.

Integrating Version Control with Terraform Cloud

Another critical component of the deployment strategy is integrating version control with Terraform Cloud. Teams can automate their infrastructure deployment process by connecting a version control system, such as GitHub, to Terraform Cloud. Terraform Cloud integrates with GitHub, allowing teams to automate deployments based on code changes and ensure consistency across environments.

Using Terraform Cloud’s Private Registry

Terraform Cloud's private registry is a great tool for teams developing reusable infrastructure code. The private registry enables teams to securely store and exchange Terraform modules, ensuring that best practices are constantly followed and infrastructure code may be reused across several projects.

Putting It All Together

Terraform deploys application code seamlessly with modern DevOps processes, allowing companies to automate operations, secure sensitive data, and deploy uniformly across environments. The seven steps listed above serve as the foundation of any deployment pipeline, and by utilizing Terraform Cloud capabilities such as secure variable management, version control integration, and private module registries, teams can create a more simplified and secure deployment process.

As we move forward, these application deployment principles may be applied to infrastructure code, allowing us to use the same workflows for both application and infrastructure management. Terraform enables developers and operations teams to construct robust, scalable systems that automate and secure the full deployment lifecycle.