This is an example of a safe deploy process for a Sitecore environment with one content management server (CM) and two or more web front servers (content delivery CD). The website will be up and running without any interruptions that would affect the customers and you will be able to safely do the code deploy and install the Sitecore packages.

Content Delivery Server 2 (CD2)

• Drainstop CD2 from external Internet traffic in the Network Load Balancing Manager (NLB). If you use Microsoft NLB you must log in to the machine using the machine admin account to be able to manage the NLB software. Otherwise the NLB might not be able to access the servers in the cluster due to insufficient system rights.
• Create a database copy of the Sitecore_Web database by restoring a backup to a new database called Sitecore_Web_Offline
• Edit the Sitecore_Web value to Sitecore_Web_Offline in the ConnectionString.config in the Website\App_Config\ catalog
• Make sure that the sites are up and running on the CD2 by surfing them locally (you have to configure the sites in the hosts-file in the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc catalog) as well as in the Sitecore sites settings file in the Sitecore\App_Config\Include catalog
• Start CD2 in the NLB for external Internet traffic

Content Delivery Server 1 (CD1)

• Drainstop CD1 from external Internet traffic

Content Management Server (CM)

• Install the Sitecore packages on the CM server
• Deploy the .NET code on the CM server
• Publish all new items in Sitecore CMS from the CM server

Content Delivery Server 1 (CD1)

• Deploy the .NET code on CD1. Do not forget to manually copy the code in the Sitecore packages. Compare the file structure with the CM server. You can use a file comparer program like Beyond Compare
• Make sure that the sites are up and running on CD1 by surfing them locally
• Start CD1 in the NLB for external Internet traffic

Content Delivery Server 2 (CD2)

• Drainstop CD2 from external Internet traffic
• Copy all files from CD1 to CD2. Do not forget to delete obsolete files
• Make sure that the sites are up and running on CD2 by surfing them locally
• Start CD2 in the NLB for external Internet traffic

Happy deploying!

/Daniel Rytterqvist

linkedin, Sitecore

By Daniel  -      

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