How to Reduce App Deployment Time

Using a smartphone is something most people do on a daily basis. Over the years, these devices have become a staple of life in America.

Did you realize that mobile phone users spend 90 percent of their time on mobile apps? Due to the increasing popularity of apps, many tech entrepreneurs have started to focus their energy on developing these programs.

Being first to market can be very powerful when attempting to have success with a new app. In order to properly deploy an app without tons of bugs in it, you will need all hands on deck.

The following are some of the things you need to consider when trying to speed up the app deployment process without sacrificing the quality of the programs you develop.

Get Your Development and Operations on the Same Page

The main thing you need to do right out of the gate to make deployment easier is getting operations and development on the same page. Your development team needs to let operations know when they want to deploy the app and whether or not any infrastructure changes need to be made to ensure deployment is successful.

Typically, your operations team is the front-line of defense when it comes to troubleshooting and monitoring your programs. Failing to keep them in the loop throughout the app development process can lead to big problems. If you want to find out more about how to adequately monitor your new app’s cloud logs, you can get more information with a bit of online research.  

Work on Automating the Build and Release Process

One of the prime concerns you should have when trying to deploy new apps or software quickly is minimizing human error. If your team is actually building every part of a new application on their own, mistakes are bound to happen. This is why you need to think about using a basic build server to automate certain parts of the app building process.

For years, app developers have used build servers like Jenkins and TFS to make this process easier and less problematic. The main thing you need to focus on when using these programs is making the process as easy to use as possible. Making sure just about any member of your team can operate the templates you have setup can reduce the chance of crucial mistakes being made.

Try to Limit the Number of Changes You Make

While it may be hard to limit the amount of changes you make to an app before deploying, it can definitely minimize the headaches you deal with. Some app developers make the mistake of completely overhauling their programs days before they are going to deploy them. Not only will this create a lot of additional work for you and your team, it can slow the deployment process down significantly.

You need to realize that you will be able to update your app down the road. Most apps have multiple updates each year to address issues with bugs or security issues. Focusing on building an app with an iron-clad framework will allow you to make appropriate changes in the future without the fear of your program crashing.

Focus on Creating and Testing SQL Change Scripts

Before deploying your new app, you need to use a tool like Red Gate SQL Compare to help you identify SQL schema issues that need to be moved to production. Before the final release, you need to run a test script on a backup copy of your app. By doing this, you can easily identify environmental differences.

You should always have a backup plan in place should the release of the current version of your app goes haywire. Most developers realize that code is much easier to roll back than the SQL.

Identify Key Performance Indicators

In the early stages of app development, you need to identify what key performance indicators (KPIs) you want to evaluate. These KPIs vary wildly depending on the type of application you are building and deploying. Some of the most common KPIs are things like page load times, server utilization and even database performance.

You can also get more detailed with your KPIs when trying to nail down issues with your app. Knowing things like how long a piece of code is taking to execute or how many error messages a certain part of the app is receiving is vital. With this information, you will be able to address issues with ease. Letting these problems linger can create app reliability issues and may lead to your program crashing as a result. Rather than losing the confidence of your audience, you need to closely monitor your app for issues from the outset.

Synthetic Transaction Tests are a Great Idea

Adequately testing your app before deployment is something you need to be passionate about. Doing things like testing login pages and APIs can help you pinpoint problems before they affect your customer’s experience with the program. The more testing you do, the higher your confidence will be once you deploy your new app. Rushing through the testing phase of the app development process will definitely come back to haunt you in the future.

Utilize the Power of Deployment Tracking Software

Once you have deployed new programs, you will need a way to track their progress and functionality. Luckily, there are a number of deployment tracking software programs on the market. These programs allow your DevOps team to see when certain deployments occur and how they are stacking up against predetermined KPIs.

With this software, you and your team can immediately identify errors in your program. If you are using an agile continuous delivery system, you will need this software to track down the source of certain error messages.

While it is important to create and launch an app in a hurry, you don’t want to compromise your user’s experience due to a lack of preparation. With the right amount of planning and software, you will have no problem getting reliable and functional apps into the hands of your audience.