Question

I am using ASP.NET as the backend for windows phone browser. Sometime I need to make changes on the ASP.NET Pages WHILE users are surfing the website. I want to know how can I provide un-interrupted service to user in such a way they can surf during ASP.NET DLL uploading process:

Assume

1. say, there are a few ASP.NET (DLL) in production WebServer in such a way that all aspx pages in the one Folder and all DLL(s) in bin-folder.

2. page(1).aspx , page(1.2).aspx , page(1.n).aspx from DLL(1) and page(2.1).aspx, page(2.2) from DLL(2)

3. default.aspx from DLL(1)

Question

What will happen if I upload the updated DLL(2) to the production server and leave DLL(1) as it is :

1. Can user call the deafult.aspx?

2. Will user still be able to call aspx pages from DLL(1) during the uploading process?

Answer 1

I am a big fan of Martin Fowler’s Blue Green Deployment methodology (link).

The idea is simple, have two very similar environments setup (staging & production). You make changes to your code, deploy it on staging, do your testing and then swap staging with production via a simple router configuration.

It has worked great for us so far.