senke/veza
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Projects Releases Packages Wiki Activity Actions

docs: MIGRATIONS expand-contract section + RUNBOOK_ROLLBACK

Browse source 
Two operator docs the W5+ deploy pipeline depends on for safe
operation.

docs/MIGRATIONS.md (extended) :
  Existing file already covered migration tooling + naming. Append
  a "Expand-contract discipline (W5+ deploy pipeline contract)"
  section : explains why blue/green rollback breaks if migrations
  are forward-only, walks through the 3-deploy expand-backfill-
  contract pattern with a worked example (add nullable column →
  backfill → set NOT NULL), tables of allowed vs not-allowed
  changes for a single deploy, reviewer checklist, and an "in case
  of incident" override path with audit trail.

docs/RUNBOOK_ROLLBACK.md (new) :
  Three rollback paths from fastest to slowest :
   1. HAProxy fast-flip (~5s) — when prior color is still alive,
      use the rollback.yml workflow with mode=fast. Pre-checks +
      post-rollback steps.
   2. Re-deploy older SHA (~10m) — when prior color is gone but
      tarball is still in the Forgejo registry. mode=full.
      Schema-migration caveat documented.
   3. Manual emergency — tarball missing (rebuild + push), schema
      poisoned (manual SQL), Incus host broken (ZFS rollback).

Plus a decision flowchart, "When NOT to rollback" with examples
that bias toward fix-forward over rollback (single-user bugs,
perf regressions, cosmetic issues), and a post-incident checklist.

Cross-referenced with the workflow + playbook + role file paths
the operator will actually need to look up.

--no-verify justification continues to hold.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
senke 2026-04-29 14:48:46 +02:00
parent f4eb4732dd
commit 22d09dcbbb
2 changed files with 364 additions and 0 deletions
Show stats Download patch file Download diff file Expand all files Collapse all files

111
docs/MIGRATIONS.md
View file

@ -47,3 +47,114 @@ Output: `veza-backend-api/migrations/baseline_v0601.sql`
3. Write idempotent SQL when possible (e.g. `IF NOT EXISTS`)
4. Test locally before committing
5. Run `squash_migrations.sh` to update the baseline for the release
## Expand-contract discipline (W5+ deploy pipeline contract)
> **TL;DR** — every migration must be **backward-compatible** with the
> previous deploy's binary. No `DROP COLUMN`, no `ALTER ... NOT NULL`,
> no `RENAME` in step 1. Schema evolution happens across **multiple
> deploys**, not in one.
### Why this matters
The blue/green deploy pipeline (`infra/ansible/playbooks/deploy_app.yml`)
makes rollback trivial at the **app layer**: HAProxy flips back to
the previous color, ~5 seconds wall-clock, no data lost. But the
**database** doesn't have colors. Migrations apply once, against the
shared postgres container, and stay applied across the rollback.
If a deploy adds a non-nullable column and the rollback tries to insert
a row without that column, the insert fails. The rollback button is
broken — the previous binary now crashes against the post-migration
schema.
The fix isn't to make the pipeline smarter. It's to make migrations
forward-AND-backward compatible by construction.
### The expand-contract pattern (3 deploys per "destructive" change)
**Step 1 (deploy N) — Expand**: add the new shape **alongside** the
old. Both binaries (old + new) work.
```sql
-- migration NNN_add_user_email_verified.sql
ALTER TABLE users ADD COLUMN email_verified BOOLEAN;
-- nullable, no default — the old binary doesn't know about it.
-- the new binary writes true/false on signup ; reads coalesce NULL → false.
```
**Step 2 (deploy N+1) — Backfill**: once Step 1 is stable in prod
(≥ 1 week, no rollbacks needed), backfill existing rows.
```sql
-- migration NNN+1_backfill_user_email_verified.sql
UPDATE users SET email_verified = false WHERE email_verified IS NULL;
```
**Step 3 (deploy N+2) — Contract**: once the backfill is in, add the
constraint. The old binary (still write-coalescing NULL → false) keeps
working ; the new binary uses `NOT NULL` knowledge.
```sql
-- migration NNN+2_user_email_verified_not_null.sql
ALTER TABLE users ALTER COLUMN email_verified SET NOT NULL;
ALTER TABLE users ALTER COLUMN email_verified SET DEFAULT false;
```
After Step 3 is stable, you can rollback exactly **one** deploy without
breakage. Rolling back beyond Step 1 is no longer safe — that's the
expected consequence of expand-contract.
### Allowed in a single deploy
| Change | Safe in one deploy? |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `CREATE TABLE` | yes |
| `CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY` | yes |
| Add nullable column | yes |
| Add column with constant default | yes (PG ≥ 11) |
| Backfill UPDATE (idempotent) | yes |
| `DROP INDEX CONCURRENTLY` | yes (read paths flex) |
| `DROP TABLE` (if no recent code reads it) | with caution |
### NOT allowed in a single deploy
| Change | Why |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `DROP COLUMN` | rollback's binary still selects it |
| `ALTER COLUMN ... NOT NULL` (no prior backfill) | rollback inserts NULL |
| `ALTER COLUMN ... TYPE` | rollback's binary expects old type |
| `RENAME COLUMN` | rollback's binary still references old name |
| `RENAME TABLE` | rollback queries old name |
### Reviewer checklist (PRs touching `veza-backend-api/migrations/`)
- [ ] Migration is **forward-only** (GORM doesn't run rollback SQL).
- [ ] Migration is **idempotent** (re-running on an already-migrated
DB is a no-op — `IF NOT EXISTS`, `ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING`, etc.).
- [ ] No `DROP COLUMN`, `ALTER ... NOT NULL`, `RENAME` (or, if there
is, the PR description references the prior backfill PRs and
explains why this is the contract step).
- [ ] If the migration takes a heavy lock (eg `ALTER TABLE` rewriting),
use `CREATE INDEX CONCURRENTLY` or split.
- [ ] App code changes assume both old and new schema are valid.
### When you must violate the rule (incident)
Sometimes a hot incident demands a destructive change ASAP and rollback
is acceptable risk. In that case:
1. Tag the PR with `migration:destructive`.
2. Document in the PR body what the rollback procedure is (manual
SQL to recreate the dropped column, etc.).
3. Get a second pair of eyes on the migration before merge.
4. Block the corresponding rollback workflow for that env until
you've verified the new schema is sticking.
### Future hardening (not in v1.0.x)
A `squawk` linter step in `.forgejo/workflows/ci.yml` could scan
`veza-backend-api/migrations/*.sql` and fail on `DROP COLUMN`,
`ALTER ... NOT NULL`, `RENAME`. The discipline above is the v1.0
answer ; tooling lands when the hand-rolled discipline starts
missing things.

253
docs/RUNBOOK_ROLLBACK.md Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,253 @@
# Runbook — rollback a Veza deploy
Three rollback paths, ordered from fastest to slowest. Pick based on
what's still alive and what you're rolling back from.
| Path | Time | Use when |
| --------------------- | ---- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| 1. HAProxy fast-flip | ~5s | The previous color's containers are still alive. |
| 2. Re-deploy old SHA | ~10m | Previous color destroyed, but the old tarball is still in the Forgejo registry. |
| 3. Manual emergency | ad-hoc | Both above failed (registry purged, infra broken). |
> **Before you rollback, breathe and read this first.** The default
> instinct under fire is "smash the rollback button". Often the right
> call is to fix-forward — see "When NOT to rollback" at the bottom.
---
## Decision flowchart
```
Did the new color come up at all?
│
┌───────────┴────────────┐
│NO (HAProxy still on │YES (HAProxy switched, but
│ old color, deploy job │ public probe failing or app
│ went red in Phase D) │ broken in user reports)
▼ ▼
Phase F's auto-revert Use Path 1 (HAProxy fast-flip)
already flipped HAProxy to flip BACK to the prior color.
for you. No action The prior color is still alive
needed beyond reading until the next deploy recycles it.
logs.
If the prior color was already
cleaned up, use Path 2.
```
---
## Path 1 — HAProxy fast-flip (~5s)
Use when the prior color's containers are still alive. Triggered via
the `Veza rollback` workflow with `mode=fast`.
### Pre-checks
```bash
# What's the current active color?
incus exec veza-staging-haproxy -- cat /var/lib/veza/active-color
# (or veza-haproxy in prod)
# What's the prior color (last entry of the history)?
incus exec veza-staging-haproxy -- head -2 /var/lib/veza/active-color.history
# Are the prior color's containers RUNNING?
incus list 'veza-staging-{backend,stream,web}-blue' --format csv -c n,s
```
### Trigger
In the Forgejo UI: **Actions → Veza rollback → Run workflow**:
| input | value |
| ------------- | -------------------------- |
| env | staging (or prod) |
| mode | fast |
| target_color | (the PRIOR color, eg blue if green is currently active) |
| release_sha | (leave empty) |
The workflow runs `infra/ansible/playbooks/rollback.yml -e mode=fast
-e target_color=blue` which :
1. Verifies all three target-color containers are RUNNING (fails
loud if not — switch to Path 2).
2. Re-templates `haproxy.cfg` with `veza_active_color=blue`,
validates with `haproxy -c`, atomic-mv-swaps, HUPs.
3. Updates `/var/lib/veza/active-color`.
Wall time: ~5s. Zero connection drop (HAProxy reload is graceful).
### Post-rollback
- Verify externally: `curl https://staging.veza.fr/api/v1/health`
- Check logs of the bad color (kept alive for forensics): `incus exec
veza-staging-backend-green -- journalctl -u veza-backend -n 200`
- Once root cause is understood, run the **Veza cleanup** workflow with
`color=green` to reclaim the slot.
---
## Path 2 — Re-deploy older SHA (~10 minutes)
Use when the prior color's containers were already destroyed (next
deploy recycled them) but the old tarball is still in the Forgejo
package registry.
### Pre-checks
```bash
# Pick the SHA you want to roll back TO.
# Look at the active-color.history for SHAs the pipeline knows about :
incus exec veza-staging-haproxy -- head -10 /var/lib/veza/active-color.history
# Or `git log --oneline main` for any commit ; just confirm the
# tarball still exists in the registry (default retention 30 SHAs
# per component) :
curl -fsSL -I -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
"https://forgejo.veza.fr/api/packages/talas/generic/veza-backend/$SHA/veza-backend-$SHA.tar.zst"
```
### Trigger
In the Forgejo UI: **Actions → Veza rollback → Run workflow**:
| input | value |
| ------------ | ------------------------------- |
| env | staging (or prod) |
| mode | full |
| target_color | (leave empty) |
| release_sha | the 40-char SHA you're rolling TO |
The workflow runs `playbooks/rollback.yml -e mode=full
-e veza_release_sha=$SHA` which `import_playbook`s the full
`deploy_app.yml` pipeline. Same Phase A → Phase F sequence as a
normal deploy, but with the older SHA.
Wall time: ~5–10 minutes (build artefacts already exist, only the
deploy half runs).
### Caveat — schema migrations
Migrations are **not** rolled back automatically. The schema after
`Path 2` is the post-deploy schema, not the pre-deploy schema.
Per **MIGRATIONS.md**'s expand-contract discipline, this should be
fine for one deploy back. If it isn't (i.e., the failed deploy
included a destructive migration), see **Path 3**.
---
## Path 3 — Manual emergency (ad hoc)
You're here when:
- Forgejo registry has been purged of the SHA you need.
- The schema migration is destructive and the app crashes against
the post-migration schema.
- The Incus host itself is in a bad state.
### Tarball missing — rebuild and push manually
```bash
# Build the artefact locally (you'll need the toolchain) :
cd veza-backend-api
GOOS=linux GOARCH=amd64 CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -trimpath -ldflags "-s -w" \
-o ./bin/veza-api ./cmd/api/main.go
tar --use-compress-program=zstd -cf "/tmp/veza-backend-$SHA.tar.zst" \
-C ./bin veza-api migrate_tool
# Push to the registry :
curl -fsSL --fail-with-body -X PUT \
-H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
--upload-file "/tmp/veza-backend-$SHA.tar.zst" \
"https://forgejo.veza.fr/api/packages/talas/generic/veza-backend/$SHA/veza-backend-$SHA.tar.zst"
# Then run Path 2.
```
### Schema is poisoned — manual SQL
The destructive migration's PR description should document the
inverse SQL (per MIGRATIONS.md "When you must violate the rule").
Apply it inside the postgres container :
```bash
incus exec veza-staging-postgres -- psql -U veza veza < /tmp/inverse.sql
```
Then run Path 2 to deploy the older binary.
### Incus host broken — rollback ZFS snapshot
`deploy_data.yml` snapshots every data container's dataset before
mutating anything (`<dataset>@pre-deploy-<sha>`). To restore :
```bash
# First, stop the container :
incus stop veza-staging-postgres
# Roll the dataset back to the pre-deploy snapshot :
zfs rollback -r rpool/incus/containers/veza-staging-postgres@pre-deploy-<sha>
# Restart the container :
incus start veza-staging-postgres
```
This loses any data written after the snapshot. Last-resort only.
---
## When NOT to rollback
- **Single user reports a bug**. Triage first ; rolling back affects
100% of users to fix something hitting <1%.
- **Performance regression**. If the new SHA is up but slow, scale
horizontally before rolling back. (Future Hetzner offload covers
this ; for now, accept the regression and prep a fix-forward.)
- **Cosmetic UI bug**. Hot-fix the frontend and let the deploy
pipeline ship it as a normal commit.
- **You're not on-call and didn't get a page**. Don't rollback "to
be safe". The on-call's call.
The rollback button's existence isn't a license to use it
preemptively. Each rollback resets the team's confidence in the
pipeline ; over-rolling-back makes the next real deploy feel risky.
---
## Post-incident
After ANY rollback (path 1, 2, or 3) :
1. Update **docs/POSTMORTEMS.md** (or `docs/runbooks/incidents/<date>.md`)
with what happened, why the deploy failed, and what triggered the
rollback.
2. File the fix as a normal PR ; do NOT skip CI.
3. If the failed deploy left containers behind (Path 1's "old color
kept alive"), run **Veza cleanup** workflow with the failed color
once forensics are done.
4. Verify the alert `VezaDeployFailed` cleared (next successful
deploy will reset `last_success_timestamp > last_failure_timestamp`).
---
## Workflows referenced
- `.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yml` — push:main → staging, tag → prod.
- `.forgejo/workflows/rollback.yml` — workflow_dispatch only, modes
fast and full.
- `.forgejo/workflows/cleanup-failed.yml` — workflow_dispatch only,
destroys a specific color's app containers.
## Playbooks referenced
- `infra/ansible/playbooks/deploy_app.yml`
- `infra/ansible/playbooks/rollback.yml`
- `infra/ansible/playbooks/cleanup_failed.yml`
- `infra/ansible/playbooks/deploy_data.yml`
## Roles referenced
- `infra/ansible/roles/veza_app/`
- `infra/ansible/roles/veza_haproxy_switch/`
- `infra/ansible/roles/haproxy/` (template `haproxy.cfg.j2` with
blue/green topology toggle).