Docs/patterns/release pattern/workflow

Release Pattern — Workflow

Pattern: Release
Component: workflow.md
Version: 1.1 | Updated: 2026-07-16


End-to-end flow

Step procedure

Step Actor Action Exit criteria
1 Artifact Verifier Confirm digest + provenance + SBOM policy Matches release record
2 Gate Aggregator Attach test/security results for digest All required gates green or exception filed
3 Release Agent Emit sequence, canary, abort, rollback Package complete
4 Human Go / No-Go Named decision
5 Ops Expand-only migration Migration reversible or safe to leave
6 Canary Controller 1% → 5% → 25% → 100% with holds Each hold met
7 On-call Watch abort metrics Auto or manual abort if tripped
8 Rollback Operator On abort: flag off + prior digest RTO met; health restored
9 Owner Observation window; close change Notes + digest recorded

Abort criteria (example shape — declare concrete numbers per service)

Abort if any true for the hold window:

  • Error rate > baseline + absolute delta
  • p99 latency > SLO or > baseline + %
  • Saturation (CPU/mem/queue) soft limit breached
  • Business KPI probe fails (checkout success, auth success)
  • Security/page-worthy alert on the canary cohort

Do not raise these numbers during an active canary without a new Go decision.

Parallelism rule

One progressive release per blast-radius unit (service or flag). Parallel unrelated releases need separate abort dashboards so signals are not confounded.