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    Rollback Capability

    Foundation
    Phase: deploy
    DF
    MTTR

    Quick Reference

    Phase
    deploy
    Epic
    Deployment Automation Foundations
    Milestone
    Foundation
    Target
    >= 95% deployments rollback in < 5min
    Implementation Time
    Part of Deployment Automation Foundations epic: 4 weeks (30 hours per capability avg)

    What & Why

    Definition

    >= 95% of deployments can rollback to previous version in < 5 minutes using automation.

    Business Value

    Eliminates 90% of environment-specific deployment failures and reduces deployment preparation time from 3 hours to 20 minutes through infrastructure as code Achieving >= 95% deployments rollback in < 5min is a key milestone toward this goal.

    Context

    This capability is part of the Foundation milestone's focus on establish baseline practices (testable, releasable, monitorable). Essential for teams targeting DF, MTTR improvements.

    Success Criteria

    Target

    >= 95% deployments rollback in < 5min

    Measurement

    Rollback execution time + success rate

    Evidence

    • Rollback runbook
    • Rollback execution logs
    • Rollback drill results

    In Practice

    Real-World Implementation

    Teams maintain previous version artifacts, use blue-green or rolling deployment strategies, practice rollback drills quarterly.

    Concrete Example

    Deploy v1.4.0 to prod. Issues detected. Rollback command executed 3:15pm. Traffic switched to v1.3.2 by 3:18pm (3min rollback).

    Implementation Guide

    Prerequisites

    Continuous Deployment to Non-Prod
    >= 90% merges auto-deploy within 15min

    Implementation Steps

    Follow the measurement approach: Rollback execution time + success rate

    For detailed step-by-step guidance, refer to the Deployment Automation Foundations Implementation Kit.

    Resources

    Implementation Kit

    Deployment Automation Foundations Kit

    Templates

    Browse all templates

    Related Resources

    View learning paths

    Related Capabilities

    Prerequisites

    Implement these first

    Continuous Deployment to Non-Prod

    Enables

    What this unlocks

    Release Rollback Testing

    Complementary

    Often adopted together, from the Deployment Automation Foundations epic

    Production Deployment Gate
    Environment Parity
    Zero-Downtime Deployment

    Troubleshooting & FAQs

    Common Issues

    Issue: Target metric not improving

    Solution: Verify measurement is accurate, check if prerequisites are fully implemented, review evidence artifacts for completeness

    Issue: Team resistance to adoption

    Solution: Start with pilot team, demonstrate value with metrics, provide training and support during transition

    Issue: Inconsistent implementation across teams

    Solution: Create shared templates and guidelines, establish regular sync meetings, use automation to enforce standards

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can we implement this before completing prerequisites?

    While possible, it's not recommended. Prerequisites ensure foundational practices are in place, making this capability more effective and easier to adopt.

    How long does implementation typically take?

    Most capabilities can be implemented within 90 days when tackled as part of the Foundation milestone. Individual timelines vary based on team size and existing practices.

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    Way of Working

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