Deployment and Promotion Process for Drupal on Acquia

This document outlines the step-by-step process for deploying and promoting Drupal code changes from the lower development environments to the Quality Assurance (QA) environment, and subsequently to the Production (Prod) environment. Following this process will help ensure a smooth and controlled release of code changes.

1. Pre-Deployment Preparation

- Ensure that the code changes are reviewed and approved by the relevant stakeholders.

- Verify that all necessary code is committed via Git. 

- Confirm that any required configuration changes are documented and ready for deployment.

- Review and update the deployment checklist to ensure all steps are accurate and up to date.

2. Deploying to QA

- Pull the latest code changes from the dev environment/branch.

- Pull down the latest Prod database and files from production.  

- Run any necessary database updates and configuration import scripts.

- Deploy the code changes to the QA environment. 

- Clear cache and ensure that the QA environment is fully updated with the new code.

3. QA Testing and Approval

- Notify the QA team about the deployment and provide them with the necessary details.

- QA team performs thorough testing of the new code changes.

- Document any issues, bugs, or required adjustments during the QA testing process.

- Once testing is complete, the QA team provides approval or flags any critical issues.

- Address and resolve any identified issues as needed.

4. Promoting to Prod

- After receiving QA approval, prepare for the production deployment.

- Pull the latest code changes from the QA-tested branch. 

- Run final checks and ensure that all QA-approved changes are included.

- Deploy the code changes to the production environment.

- Run drush updb and drush cr 

- Monitor the production environment closely for any anomalies or issues.

5. Post-Deployment Tasks

- Validate the production deployment by thoroughly testing critical functionality.

- Monitor server logs and performance to ensure the production environment is stable.

- Communicate the successful deployment to the relevant stakeholders.

- Update any relevant documentation, including release notes and change logs.

- Schedule a post-deployment review to discuss the process and identify potential improvements.

Conclusion

Following this deployment and promotion process for Drupal code changes will help maintain a controlled and organized workflow, ensuring that code changes are thoroughly tested and smoothly transitioned from QA to production. Remember to continuously improve and adapt this process based on the evolving needs of the project.