Releasing an ASP.NET application requires careful planning to ensure a smooth deployment without disruptions. Below is a checklist that I use to cover essential pre- and post-release checks, focusing on database changes, application performance, and stability.
Pre-Release Checklist
| Task | Checkbox |
|---|---|
| Prepare the Code and Database Changes | |
| Peer-review all code changes. Make sure all code changes are reviewed and approved through pull requests. | ☐ |
| Run automated tests (unit, integration, and functional tests). | ☐ |
| Ensure proper logging and error-handling mechanisms are in place. | ☐ |
| Compile the code in Release Mode and make sure it does not throw any errors. | ☐ |
| Make a list of the files that need to be updated in live. Views/ASPX/ASCX/CSS/JS | ☐ |
| Make a list of any hard-coded value that needs to be changed in any file. | ☐ |
| Gather a list of newly added or updated third-party libraries, NuGet packages, or other resource files, such as images. | ☐ |
| Verify all SQL table schema changes (new tables, column modifications, constraints, etc.) and prepare the script. Use ALTER TABLE instead of DROP TABLE to prevent data loss. | ☐ |
| Review and test stored procedures, triggers, and views. Make the script ready. | ☐ |
| Verify new indexes are optimized and do not impact write operations. | ☐ |
| Make a script if you need to add any new data to any table. Or update any existing data in any table. | ☐ |
| Ensure that the SQL script does not have any hardcoded value that requires changing the live environment. | ☐ |
Make a list of what changes in in web.config or appsettings.json. | ☐ |
| Make a list of any new application settings that are required in live(e.g., API keys). | ☐ |
| Make a list of any dependent systems that need to be updated. Review and list any scheduled jobs and background services that need to change with this release. | ☐ |
| Make a list of any site setup changes required in IIS for this release. | ☐ |
| Database Backup | |
| Take a full backup of the production database just before the start of the release process. | ☐ |
| Prepare a rollback plan in case of deployment failure. | ☐ |
| Deployment Package Preparation | |
| Generate and package build the files (e.g., DLLs, CSS, JS files). Make sure the ddl is made in release mode. Minify css/js files. | ☐ |
| Organize and test the SQL scripts with a test database. | ☐ |
| Testing | |
| Run all unit tests. | ☐ |
| Perform integration testing with the database and external services. | ☐ |
| Conduct performance testing. | ☐ |
| Perform regression testing to ensure existing functionality works. | ☐ |
| Documentation | |
| Document release notes with changes, new features, and known issues. | ☐ |
| Create a step-by-step deployment guide. | ☐ |
| Communication | |
| Notify stakeholders about the release schedule and potential downtime. | ☐ |
| Brief the development, QA, and operations teams on the release process. | ☐ |
Follow the step-by-step deployment guide to make the release. For a major release, it is recommended to schedule downtime and include a maintenance page for the user.
Once the release is done, this is the post-release checklist.
Post-Release Checklist
| Task | Completed |
| Verify that the application is running correctly in the production environment. | ☐ |
| Perform tests on critical functionalities. | ☐ |
| Check logs for unexpected errors or warnings. | ☐ |
| Validate integrations with external systems (APIs, third-party services, etc.). | ☐ |
| Monitor database performance and query execution times. | ☐ |
| Perform real-user testing to ensure functionalities work as expected. | ☐ |
| Validate security settings post-release. | ☐ |
| Gather user feedback and address any reported issues promptly. | ☐ |
| Be prepared to roll back changes if critical issues arise. | ☐ |
| Communicate fixes and updates to stakeholders as necessary. | ☐ |
This checklist ensures a structured and thorough approach to deploying your ASP.NET application and minimizing risks to ensure a smooth production environment. Let me know if I have missed anything!