Deployment is the process of releasing software into an environment where users or other systems can access it. This includes building application assets, packaging code, configuring environments, running database migrations, and starting services on production infrastructure. Deployments may be manual or automated through CI/CD pipelines.
Why it matters
Deployment is the final step that brings value to users. Poor deployment practices lead to downtime, configuration drift, and failed releases. Automated deployments improve reliability, reduce human error, and make it easier to ship updates frequently. Understanding deployments is essential for backend and DevOps workflows.
Examples
Pushing a new Docker image to production, publishing frontend assets to a CDN, or applying an infrastructure update via Terraform are all deployments. Lessons like What Deployment Actually Means dive deeper.