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Beta Update Deployment Process

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TechSY730:
Somewhere in the past there was a discussion about what needs to go into deploying a stable, full update. It was quite a lot!

However, what about deploying a beta update? (This question applies not only to AI War, but the other products as well)
From what I have seen, things that need to be done include:

* Checking out and building the SVN revision that the devs have agreed to be the next beta release
* Generating a patch archive, consisting of all files that changed from the last version. Also, determining which previous patch archives are now also completely obsoleted by this new one, and thus can be skipped when updating to this version. (Do you have a tool that can do this sort of change analysis for patch file packaging, or do you do it by hand?)
* Uploading the patch file to your update server (currently, some Amazon cloud service, right?)
* Updating and uploading the updates xml file to indicate the new patch version (possibly including the previously determined information about which past patches can now be skipped with this patch)
* Come up with a "clever" name for the patch (optional, but recommended :D)
* Update the release notes page on the wiki to indicate the version is released. Also, create the blank entry for the next version.
* Write a summary of what is new, changed, and noteworthy fixes, and possibly some other stuff about the patch or short term future goals
* Post that summary on the official Arcen blog
* Post that summary on the appropriate forum, and sticky it (unsticking the previous version if needed)
* Update the previous version's post indicating a new version and give a forum link to that new version
* Wait an hour or two before calling it a day just in case there is some sort of "game will not run" or "my save games got corrupted" or "it blew up my computer and my dog" level bugs in it (also optional, but we greatly appreciate when you are able to promptly fix those kinds of bugs in the rare cases they turn up)
Wow, while considerably shorter than deploying a stable update, that still is a lot of things to keep up with. Props to Chris for being able to do this several times a day.
Anything I missed?

x4000:
Cheers, thanks for that.  And yep, you pretty much nailed it.  Although sometimes we have to skip the last step for... sleep. ;)

laughingman:

--- Quote from: x4000 on March 29, 2012, 05:19:05 PM ---Cheers, thanks for that.  And yep, you pretty much nailed it.  Although sometimes we have to skip the last step for... sleep. ;)

--- End quote ---

What, you haven't heard of caffeine? :)

x4000:
I take 18oz of dark coffee to get going in the morning, and then a large soda or tea for late lunch as a booster.  Yeah...

laughingman:
I hope you saw my tongue firmly planted in my cheek for that post. :)

I'm amazed at the consistently high volume of work you do. Much respect!

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