Introducing Canary Releases

Deploy the Fleet now supports Canary Releases, so a new build can reach a few devices you pick before it reaches everyone else.

Until now, activating a deployment meant every device got it. That works fine right up until the build has a problem. Then your whole fleet finds out together.

I’ve written before about testing the update itself. Canary Releases make that part of how you ship.

Test on a few devices first

When you create a deployment, check This is a canary release and pick the devices that should get it. Pick the ones you’d be least embarrassed to break. The board on your desk is a good start.

Every other device keeps getting your current stable build. Nothing changes for them.

Catch a bad build early

If the new build has a problem, you find out from the handful of devices you chose. The deployment page lists each canary device with the version it reports, so you can see which ones picked up the new build.

Devices in the canary group also get a Canary badge in the device list.

Promote with one click

Happy with the build? Click Deploy to Fleet. The build goes to your entire fleet and becomes your stable deployment. There is no automatic gate. You decide when it’s ready.

Your canary group stays put. Next time you create a canary, those devices are already selected.

Roll back

Not happy with it? Deactivate the canary. At their next check-in, the canary devices are offered your stable build again, even if that’s an older version. That’s on purpose. The rest of the fleet never received the canary.

What do I need to do?

Nothing on the firmware side. Canary Releases use the same update check your devices already make. The steps are in the Canary Releases docs.