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Patch Deployments

Deploy a specific commit to a pipeline, temporarily pausing normal deployments until the patch is released.

When to use

Use a patch deployment when you need to deploy a specific commit -- such as a hotfix or cherry-pick -- without waiting for it to flow through the normal push-based deployment process. This is especially useful when you need to deploy a commit that isn't the latest on the tracked branch.

How Patch Mode Works​

When you initiate a patch deployment:

  1. The specified commit is deployed through the pipeline's stages, just like a normal deployment.
  2. The pipeline enters patch mode. While in patch mode, incoming pushes to the tracked branch are ignored -- no new deployments are triggered.
  3. Patch mode stays active until you explicitly release the patch.
  4. When you release the patch, the pipeline resumes normal operation. The next push to the tracked branch triggers a deployment as usual.
Normal Operation          Patch Mode                   Released
     │                        │                            │
  pushes ──► deploy      pushes ──► ignored           pushes ──► deploy
                          patch commit ──► deploy

Starting a Patch Deployment​

  1. Navigate to the pipeline in the dashboard.
  2. Click Patch Deploy in the header action buttons.
  3. Enter the full or short commit SHA you want to deploy.
  4. Click Validate. DevRamps fetches the commit metadata from GitHub and shows:
    • Commit message, author, and date.
    • A diff summary comparing the commit against the pipeline's last deployed commit (files changed, additions, deletions).
  5. Review the changes and click Confirm Patch Deploy.

The pipeline enters patch mode and the deployment begins. A warning banner appears on the pipeline page indicating that patch mode is active.

Releasing a Patch​

Once you're satisfied with the patch deployment (or ready to return to normal operations):

  1. Navigate to the pipeline in the dashboard.
  2. Click Release Patch in the warning banner or the header action buttons.
  3. The pipeline exits patch mode and resumes normal push-triggered deployments.
Don't forget to release

While in patch mode, all incoming pushes are silently ignored. Make sure to release the patch when you're done to avoid missing deployments.

Patch Deploy Requirements​

  • The commit SHA must exist in the pipeline's connected GitHub repository.
  • The pipeline must not already be in patch mode (release the current patch first).
  • The pipeline must not be stopped.
  • The commit is validated against the GitHub API before deployment begins.

Summary​

OperationEffect
Patch DeployDeploys a specific commit and pauses normal deployments
Release PatchExits patch mode and resumes normal push-triggered deployments