Mastering Software Releases: A Beginner’s Guide to Feature Flags and Dark Launching

Are you ready to learn how to make software releases smoother and less risky? In this guide, we’ll explore the power of feature flags and dark launching, two techniques that are revolutionizing the way development teams roll out new features. Whether you’re just starting or looking to level up your skills, you’ll discover how to deploy code with confidence and gather valuable feedback from your users.

Understanding Dark Launching

Dark launching is a game-changing process that allows you to release new features to a select group of users without exposing them to your entire user base. This enables development teams to gather feedback, fix bugs, and assess performance before a full release.

Feature flags, also known as feature toggles, are the key to dark launching. These flags are if-then logic statements in your code that enable or disable functionality remotely, without requiring a code deployment. With feature flags, you can decouple code deployments from feature releases, making it easier to control the rollout of new features.

Implementation of LaunchDarkly into our projects

Dark launching is made easy with feature flags or toggles, allowing remote activation or deactivation of features without code deployment. These flags act as logic statements, separating code deployment from feature release. After pushing a feature to production, developers can gradually expose it to a small user group and expand it as necessary.

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During the dark launch process, teams monitor user feedback and system performance to determine wider rollout. If issues arise or feedback is negative, the feature flag can be easily disabled for refinement without application restart.

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Let’s have a look at how a feature flag is created using the LaunchDarkly tool :

1. Navigate to the Feature Flags Section: Once logged in, locate the “Feature Flags” section in the dashboard, typically found in the sidebar menu.
2. Initiate Flag Creation: Click on the “Create New Flag” or similar button to start the process of creating a new feature flag.
3. Provide Flag Details: Enter relevant details for the feature flag, such as a descriptive name and a brief description to offer context to team members.
4. Set a Unique Flag Key: Define a unique key for the feature flag, which will be used for identification purposes in your codebase and API requests.
5. Select Flag Type: Choose the type of flag you wish to create, such as Boolean, string, number, or JSON variations.
6. Define Default Variation: Specify the default variation for the feature flag, determining the variation served to users when no rules or targeting conditions apply.
7. Establish Targeting Rules: Set up targeting rules to determine which users or environments will have the feature flag enabled: Add rules or targeting criteria based on user attributes, custom attributes, or environment settings. Optionally, define a percentage rollout to gradually expose the feature to a subset of users. Customise rules based on specific criteria or user segments as needed.
8. Save Your Changes: Once all targeting rules are defined, save your changes to create the feature flag.
9. Test and Deploy: Validate the feature flag in your development environment to ensure proper functionality before deploying it to production. Once confirmed, deploy the flag to production to begin serving it to users according to the defined rules.

By following these steps, you’ll effectively create a feature flag in LaunchDarkly and configure targeting rules to manage its rollout. This allows for the safe and controlled release of new features in your applications.

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Benefits of Dark Launching

Dark launching offers several advantages over traditional release methods:

• Reduced Risk: By testing features on a subset of users, you can identify issues early and mitigate risks before a full rollout.
• Iterative Development: Dark launching enables an iterative approach to development, allowing you to make incremental improvements based on user feedback.
• Real-Time Control: With feature flags, you have the flexibility to enable, disable, or adjust features in real time, giving you greater control over the release process.

DevOps Teams Love Dark Launching! Here’s Why?

DevOps teams are embracing dark launching for several reasons:

• More Experimentation: Dark launching allows teams to run experiments with new features without risking the stability of the entire system.
• Safer Changes: Feature flags make it easier to safely upgrade infrastructure and test changes in production environments.
• Cost Savings: By eliminating the need for separate staging environments, dark launching can reduce testing costs and streamline development workflows.

Optimizing Deployment Strategies

Dark launching isn’t just for releasing new features — it can also optimize other deployment strategies, such as:

• Canary Testing: By exposing new features to a small group of users while others use the original application, you can gather feedback and gradually roll out changes.

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• A/B Testing: Feature flags allow you to run A/B tests on a subset of users, gathering data and mitigating risk in a real-world production environment.

Real-World Examples

Let’s dive into some real-world scenarios to see how dark launching works in practice:

1. Testing a New Checkout Process: Dark launching enables testing of one-click checkout with gradual rollout for performance tracking.
2. Transitioning Infrastructure: Transition infrastructure with minimal disruption using dark launching for gradual traffic transition.
3. Beta Testing: Dark launching facilitates beta testing by targeting specific user groups for feedback.
4. VIP User Features: Roll out features to VIP users first with dark launching for opt-in feedback before a wider release.

Leveraging Feature Management Platforms

To scale dark launching effectively, many teams turn to feature management platforms like LaunchDarkly. These platforms offer sophisticated targeting capabilities, clean user interfaces, and enhanced security features, allowing teams to deploy code with confidence at any scale.

Conclusion

By mastering feature flags and dark launching, you can transform the way your team releases software. With reduced risk, greater control, and real-time feedback, you’ll be able to deliver high-quality features to your users faster than ever before. So why wait? Start dark launching today and take your software releases to the next level!