Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Release Approach

A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Release Approach is a SDLC management for SaaS solutions.

• See: LTS Release Approach.

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References

2023

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  • There are several SaaS release approaches that cater to different development methodologies, customer needs, and business requirements. Here are some common SaaS release approaches:
    • Major/Minor Release Approach: This approach focuses on releasing major versions with significant new features, improvements, or architectural changes, and minor versions with smaller enhancements, bug fixes, or performance improvements. This allows customers to plan their upgrades around major releases while benefiting from incremental improvements in minor releases.
    • Continuous Deployment (CD): With continuous deployment, every code change that passes automated testing is automatically deployed to production. This approach enables rapid delivery of features and improvements but may require customers to adapt to frequent updates and potential instability.
    • Rolling Release: In a rolling release approach, software updates are continuously rolled out to customers without distinct version numbers. Customers always have the latest version of the software, which is updated incrementally as new features, enhancements, and bug fixes are developed. This approach provides a steady stream of improvements but may require constant attention to updates and changes.
    • Long-Term Support (LTS) Release: This approach designates specific versions as LTS releases, which receive extended maintenance and support compared to regular releases. LTS versions are typically chosen for their stability and receive updates for critical bug fixes, security patches, and backward-compatible improvements over a longer period. Major feature updates are reserved for regular releases.
    • Feature Flagging: This approach uses feature flags (also known as feature toggles) to selectively enable or disable features for specific users, groups, or environments. Feature flagging allows teams to deploy new features to production without making them immediately available to all users. Features can be gradually rolled out, tested, and refined before being enabled for the entire user base.
    • Canary Releases: This approach involves releasing new features or updates to a small subset of users before rolling them out to the entire user base. This allows teams to monitor the performance, stability, and user feedback for the new release before making it widely available, reducing the risk of issues affecting all users.
    • Blue/Green Deployment: This approach involves deploying a new version of the application alongside the existing version, with both versions running simultaneously but only one being active and serving user traffic. If any issues are detected with the new version, traffic can be quickly switched back to the old version, minimizing downtime and potential impact on users.

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