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Perform a blue/green deployment

A blue/green deployment involves multiple steps and multiple system components. In an interactive deployment, some steps require your review and explicit action to continue. In a single-click deployment, the steps proceed automatically as long as no problems are found. In both cases, the deployment process is the same.

Note:

Before you proceed with a blue/green deployment, make sure that you have completed the preparation steps. See Prepare for a blue/green deployment.

Single-click deployment procedure​

A single-click deployment proceeds automatically as long as there are no problems.

Step 1: Verify compatible changes​

Before starting a blue/green deployment, you must verify that your configuration changes are compatible. See Verify blue/green deployment compatibility.

Step 2: Start a blue/green deployment​

  1. In Guidewire Home, navigate to the planet containing the application to deploy.
  2. Select Deploy selected IS.
  3. Set Deployment type to Blue/green.
  4. Set the Single-click check box.
  5. Set Shutdown time to the number of minutes prior to the blue servers shutting down that users are notified.

    During this time, the application interface shows a banner informing users that the system will soon be unavailable. After the timer expires and the green servers are ready, then the blue servers are shut down.

  6. Set the check box next to the application to deploy, then select the branch and build.

    Note that only applications with separate UI and batch nodes are available. See Verify separation of the UI nodes and batch nodes.

  7. Select Deploy selected. The Current activity panel shows the status of the deployment.
Important:

Once the deployment is complete, you can no longer roll it back.

Interactive deployment procedure​

An interactive deployment requires your manual intervention at certain points in the deployment process.

Step 1: Verify compatible changes​

Before starting a blue/green deployment, you must verify that your configuration changes are compatible. See Verify blue/green deployment compatibility.

Step 2: Start a blue/green deployment​

  1. In Guidewire Home, navigate to the planet containing the application to deploy.
  2. Select Deploy selected IS.
  3. Set Deployment type to Blue/green.
  4. Clear the Single-click check box.
  5. Set Shutdown time to the number of minutes prior to the blue servers shutting down that users are notified.

    This can be a value between 1-500.
    During this time, the application interface shows a banner informing users that the system will soon be unavailable. After the timer expires and the green servers are ready, then the blue servers are shut down.

  6. Set the check box next to the application to deploy, then select the branch and build.

    Note that only applications with separate UI and batch nodes are available. See Separate the UI nodes and batch nodes.

  7. Select Deploy selected. The Current activity panel shows the status of the deployment.

Step 3: Review the schema migration report​

The schema migration report runs automatically, and you must review and approve it for the deployment to proceed.

  1. Navigate to the application instance that is being deployed.

    The Current activity panel provides a link, or you can find the link in the tile for the application.

  2. Log in to the application, then press Alt+Shift+T to open the Server Tools page.
  3. In the sidebar, select Upgrade and Versions.
  4. In the report list, locate the blue/green report, then select the icon under View Details or Download Details.

    Note that View Details is not available when the server is in Production mode.

  5. Review the report, and determine if any incompatible changes are noted.
  6. To proceed with the schema migration, select Enable Schema Migration.

    If you instead do not want to proceed, you can roll back the deployment. See Rolling back a blue/green deployment.

Step 4: Enable the green cluster​

Once the database schema is updated, the green servers are ready to start up. You must manually enable the green cluster to bring the servers online. If you instead do not want to proceed, you can roll back the deployment. See Rolling back a blue/green deployment.

  1. Navigate back to the application instance that is being deployed, then back to the Server Tools page.
  2. In the sidebar, select Upgrade and Versions.
  3. Select Enable Green Cluster.

Step 5: Complete the blue/green deployment​

Once all of the blue servers have shut down, you must complete the deployment. If you instead do not want to proceed, you can roll back the deployment. See Rolling back a blue/green deployment.

Important:

Once the deployment is complete, you can no longer roll it back.

  1. Navigate to an application instance on a green server, then to the Server Tools page.
  2. In the sidebar, select Upgrade and Versions.
  3. Select Blue/Green Upgrade Complete.
  4. The green UI servers become fully operational, and users can again make changes to data.
  5. The green batch servers start up.
  6. The deployment is complete, and all traffic is served by the green servers.

Stop deployment​

  1. In Guidewire Home, navigate to the planet containing the deployment to stop.
  2. Under Applications and add-ons, select InsuranceSuite.
  3. Select Stop.