Single Path to Production

All deployments flow through one automated pipeline - no exceptions.

  less than a minute  

Definition

The deployment pipeline is the single, standardized path for all changes to reach any environment - development, testing, staging, or production. No manual deployments, no side channels, no “quick fixes” bypassing the pipeline. If it is not deployed through the pipeline, it does not get deployed.

Key Principles

  1. Single path: All deployments flow through the same pipeline
  2. No exceptions: Even hotfixes and rollbacks go through the pipeline
  3. Automated: Deployment is triggered automatically after pipeline validation
  4. Auditable: Every deployment is tracked and traceable
  5. Consistent: The same process deploys to all environments

What Is Improved

  • Reliability: Every deployment is validated the same way
  • Traceability: Clear audit trail from commit to production
  • Consistency: Environments stay in sync
  • Speed: Automated deployments are faster than manual
  • Safety: Quality gates are never bypassed
  • Confidence: Teams trust that production matches what was tested
  • Recovery: Rollbacks are as reliable as forward deployments

Migration Guidance

For detailed guidance on establishing a single path to production, see:

Additional Resources