Question

We are developing application(console) which is deployed on seven windows servers. It is very time consuming to update such app in every server when new version is released. Maybe someone could suggest any solution how to make deployment of such app as quick as possible?

I see only one solution is to deploy app on shared folder and run app from it on all servers. Not sure is this good idea.

Answer 1

I would post this as a comment but don’t have enough rep, perhaps someone can add a comment to this effect and I’ll delete this answer.

Can you clarify whether the update/deployment is a simple case of copying files, or whether an executable needs to be run?

Either way you have two main strategies:

Push – where you update the servers from one central location.

Pull – where each deployment location checks the central location to see if there is a new version each time it is run, and if so, it runs an update before re-launching itself.

If its a constantly on service, then you’re better wish Push, else I would advise Pull as its cleaner. I have had success using Pull method with the help of batch files to overcome the chicken and egg problem of a updating a compiled app’s own files, but I’m sure there are more elegant solutions…