Webtools:CVS Guidelines

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General gotchas

• Always update your other code to the latest for that branch before you start your production routine
• Don't ever submit a log without a description or corresponding bug number (if applicable) -- blank changelogs should be avoided
• Talk to your team
  • Don't duplicate effort
  • Be aware of other patches in progress
  • Talk to each other to ensure that your patches won't cause regressions
  • Run the usual smoke tests and (ideall) some sort of automated script that can spot SNAFUs immedeately
• Don't file IT requests for production updates every hour, and don't email them every 5 minutes (or text-message them either) -- your best bet is to group your updates and push them weekly.

Tagging for production

• Tag your last-known-working-copy as your ROLLBACK (if one doesn't already exist)

[morgamic@khan aus]$ cvs tag -f AUS2_ROLLBACK

• Review LXR logs to make sure each update makes sense
• Apply your patches for the next batch
• When you're _SURE_ that this is the final batch of updates, you need to tag it as PRODUCTION, then check that baby in

[morgamic@khan aus]$ cvs tag -F AUS2_PRODUCTION
cvs tag: Tagging .
T README
T htaccess.dist
T index.php
cvs tag: Tagging inc
T inc/aus.class.php
T inc/config-dist.php
T inc/init.php
T inc/patch.class.php
T inc/update.class.php
T inc/xml.class.php
[morgamic@khan aus]$ cvs ci

Pushing updates into production

• Only initiate a request if you are sure you are not causing a seriuos regression
• For major updates, you should contact major parties and discuss the update -- at least briefly -- so they are aware. When in doubt, just email everyone.  :)

Requesting an update in production

• File an IT Request when you are sure you are ready to go
• Assign the appropriate severity -- note that critical or blocker pages the oncall.

Pushing updates

• Updating production should be a simple step, and should always be consistent if we follow this procedure:

[root@somebox]$ cvs up -r AUS2_PRODUCTION

After the push

• Always be available after updates are pushed
• Sysadmins, if the developer did things right, you should be able to rollback by using:

[root@khan aus]$ cvs up -r AUS2_RTM_[date of rollback]

For example:

[root@khan aus]$ cvs up -r AUS2_RTM_20060808