Part 8: Deployment Planning & Infrastructure Setup

When I was younger and deploying my first projects, my go-to method was the trusty scp command. I’d SSH into the server, copy over the files, and pray everything worked. Sometimes, I’d even use FTP to upload only the modified files. It felt quick and efficient... until it wasn’t.

I remember one particularly frustrating deployment where my scp command disconnected halfway through. I didn’t notice until hours later, when users started reporting bugs. Turns out, the code I thought was deployed never actually made it to production. With FTP, it was even worse,I might as well have been editing files directly on the server.

These methods worked for small, personal projects, but they introduced layers of uncertainty. Without a proper deployment strategy, it was hard to track changes, patch bugs, or even know what was actually running in production.

For FamFlix, our Netflix-like platform for families to share private videos, we can’t afford that kind of chaos. A smooth launch requires a resilient, automated deployment pipeline, one that minimizes service disruption and ensures consistency across environments.

In this article, we’ll explore how to set up a deployment process that’s as reliable as it is efficient.

The Solo Project Mindset: Deployment as an Afterthought

In personal projects, deployment is often an afterthought. You might:

• Use manual tools: Copy files with scp or FTP, and hope for the best.
• Skip testing: Deploy straight to production without verifying the changes.
• Ignore rollbacks: If something breaks, you scramble to fix it live.

This approach is tempting, but it’s risky. Without a proper deployment strategy, you might:

• Introduce bugs that go unnoticed until users report them.
• Cause downtime during deployments, frustrating users.
• Lose track of what’s actually running in production.

For example, when I deployed shotsrv using scp, I once accidentally overwrote a critical configuration file. The result? Hours of downtime while I tried to figure out what went wrong.

The Team Project Reality: Deployment as a Core Discipline

In a team project, deployment isn’t just a step: it’s a core discipline. It ensures:

1. Consistency: The same code runs in development, staging, and production.
2. Reliability: Deployments are automated, repeatable, and error-free.
3. Recoverability: If something goes wrong, you can roll back quickly.

For FamFlix, this means implementing a deployment process that includes:

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1. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

IaC tools like Terraform allow you to define and provision infrastructure in code.

• AWS Resources: Use Terraform to provision S3 buckets, EC2 instances, and CloudFront distributions.
• Version Control: Store Terraform configurations in Git to track changes and collaborate with the team.
• Consistency: Ensure every environment (development, staging, production) is identical.

Success Metric: Infrastructure can be provisioned or updated with a single command.

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2. CI/CD Pipeline

A CI/CD pipeline automates the build, test, and deployment process.

• GitHub Actions: Set up workflows to build the app, run tests, and deploy to staging.
• Automated Testing: Ensure only code that passes tests is deployed.
• Staging Environment: Deploy to a staging environment that mirrors production for final smoke tests.

Success Metric: Code can be deployed to production with a single click (or automatically).

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3. Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery ensures the platform can recover quickly from failures.

• Database Backups: Automate daily backups of the PostgreSQL database.
• Cross-Region Replication: Use S3 cross-region replication to protect video files.
• Rollback Plan: Ensure you can quickly revert to a previous version if something goes wrong.

Success Metric: The platform can recover from a failure within 30 minutes.

4. Staging Environment

A staging environment mirrors production and is used for final testing before launch.

• Smoke Tests: Run a suite of tests to verify critical functionality (e.g., upload, playback).
• Load Testing: Simulate real-world traffic to ensure the system performs under load.
• User Testing: Invite a small group of users to test the platform and provide feedback.

Success Metric: Staging environment matches production, with no critical issues found.

Why This Process Matters

At first glance, deployment planning might feel like overkill. But it’s the difference between a smooth launch and a chaotic one. By investing in a structured deployment process, we:

• Reduce risk: Automated deployments and rollbacks minimize the chance of errors.
• Save time: Developers can focus on writing code, not manually deploying it.
• Build trust: A reliable deployment process keeps users happy and the business running.

For example, if we’d skipped deployment planning for FamFlix, we might’ve caused hours of downtime during launch, frustrating families and damaging trust. Instead, we’re delivering a platform that’s resilient, scalable, and ready for real-world use.

Coming Up Next…

In Part 9, we’ll dive into Launch & Post-Deployment Monitoring: how to roll out the platform to users and ensure it stays stable and performant.

In the meantime, ask yourself:
If I built FamFlix alone, what deployment issues would I overlook? And how would that hurt real users?

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Your Turn
Have you ever worked on a project where poor deployment planning caused chaos? Share your story in the comments!

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