You can choose a Stable or Canary build when deploying MDriven Turnkey so that each environment receives either a tested historic nightly build or the latest nightly build.
Choose a build channel
MDriven publishes nightly builds and identifies selected historic nightly builds as Stable releases. The build channel controls which MDriven build the deployment uses.
| Channel | What it uses | Choose it when | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stable | A historic nightly build that MDriven has deemed stable. | You deploy to production or want a predictable baseline while investigating an issue. | Your live Turnkey site runs Stable while you validate a newer change elsewhere. |
| Canary | The latest nightly build. | You need the latest available feature or fix and can test the result before relying on it in production. | A test Turnkey site uses Canary to evaluate a recent change before the production site is updated. |
Set the channel for a deployment
In the deployment configuration, use the Is Canary check box to select the build channel.
- Open the deployment configuration for the Turnkey site you want to deploy.
- To use the Stable build, clear Is Canary.
- To use the latest nightly build, select Is Canary.
- Deploy the site using that configuration.
- Verify the build applied to the running Turnkey site before treating the deployment as approved.
For example, set Is Canary on a test site to try the latest nightly build. Keep the same setting cleared on the production deployment until you have completed your verification.
Decide between Stable and Canary
Use Stable by default for a production site. Use Canary deliberately when you have a reason to consume the latest nightly build, such as validating a newly available fix or feature.
A practical rollout can use two environments:
- Keep production on Stable.
- Deploy Canary to a test environment.
- Test the workflows that matter to your application.
- If the Canary build is suitable for your release process, update the production deployment according to your change process.
Do not assume that a Canary deployment remains on one fixed version: Canary means the latest nightly build at the time it is obtained. If you need an explicitly selected version in a Docker-based deployment, the deployment configuration can use a specific Turnkey or MDrivenServer version instead of the latest option; see Documentation:Deployment.
Check the applied build
You can check which build is applied to a Turnkey site. Do this after changing the channel and after a deployment so that you confirm the running site uses the expected build.
When reporting a deployment problem, include:
- Whether the site uses Stable or Canary.
- The applied build shown by the Turnkey site.
- Whether the issue occurs on both channels or only one.
This information helps distinguish a change in the deployed Turnkey build from an application-model or environment-specific problem.
Scope and compatibility
Stable versus Canary is a deployment build-selection choice. It is not a substitute for choosing the correct .NET target, package version, or platform-specific deployment artifact.
- For .NET Core and .NET version guidance, see Documentation:Dotnet core.
- When debugging Turnkey generic code, ensure that the Turnkey and MDriven Framework versions match. Core-built and .NET Framework-built binaries are different; see HowTos:Debug Turnkey Generic Code.
- For deployment methods, including Docker and CI/CD-related deployment guidance, see Documentation:Deployment and Documentation:ContinuousIntegration.