Process and practice for Hotfix or Critical build

Hotfix is a term used for a Critical Fix that must be deployed on production to fix the issue impacting the client business. Typically, this is a single error fix that is deployed to fix an important business scenario. In the real world, we know that a 100% bug-free system is a myth and there is some or the other edge case or condition which gets missed due to tight deadlines or unclear requirements. In such cases when a major issue occurs at the production level, a hotfix must require a focused and efficient testing approach due to their time-sensitive nature. It must be deployed to solve that specific issue. Testing a hotfix build requires a focused and efficient approach to ensure that the fix addresses the issue without introducing new bugs or regressions.

Here's a process and best practices for the QA team to follow:

Preparation (Planning Phase):

1. Analyze the Hotfix:
   • Gather information about the specific issue addressed and the implemented fix.
   • The Dev & QA Team verify whether it is a valid issue. If the issue is found valid, the Product Owner creates a ticket.
   • Review release notes and change logs to understand affected areas and potential regressions.
   • Prioritize testing based on the severity and impact of the issue.
2. Environment Setup:
   • Ensure the testing environment mirrors production as latest as possible.
   • Verify data consistency and availability for comprehensive testing.
   • Confirm access to required testing tools and automation scripts.
3. Test Case Selection:
• Focus on testing the fixed functionality and its impacted areas.
• Prioritize regression testing of areas potentially impacted by the fix.
• Identify existing automated tests where applicable, updating them if needed.
• Prepare manual test cases for areas not covered by automation.
4. Communication and Collaboration:
• Inform developers, product manager, and stakeholders about the testing plan and timeline.
• Clarify expectations and ensure everyone understands the scope, objectives, and potential risks of hotfix testing.

Testing (Execution Phase):

1. Build Verification:
   • Verify the build version and integrity upon receiving it.
   • Perform basic smoke tests to ensure core functionalities work as expected.
2. Functionality Centric Testing:
• Test the fix thoroughly, including positive and negative scenarios.
• Validate the fix has resolved the original issue as intended.
• Identify edge cases and unexpected scenarios to avoid introducing new problems.
• Test with different data types and volumes to ensure reliability.
3. Retest and/or Regression Testing:
• Perform re-testing to verify the fixes and ensure that no new issues have been introduced.
• Run regression tests based on risk and impact assessment.
• Execute both automated and manual regression tests.
4. Documentation and Reporting:
• Document all test results, including passed, failed, and inconclusive cases.
• Capture detailed bug reports with steps to reproduce for any identified issues.
• Clearly communicate testing progress and any potential risks to stakeholders.

Post-Testing (Release and Monitoring Phase):

1. Deployment Planning:
   • Once testing is complete, and the stability of the hotfix build is ensured and ready for release, provide formal sign-off to authorize its deployment to production.
   • Plan a rollback plan in case of post-deployment issues.
   • Plan monitoring application performance and user feedback.
2. Release and Monitoring:
   • Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) closely after deployment.
   • Actively gather and address user feedback related to the hotfix.
   • Conduct a retrospective analysis to identify learnings and improve future hotfix testing processes.

Best Practices:

Remember, adapting this process to your specific organization, project, and hotfix context is crucial. By following these guidelines and best practices, your QA team can efficiently test hotfixes and ensure their swift and stable deployment.

By following these detailed steps and best practices, your QA team can ensure thorough and efficient testing of hotfix builds, minimizing risks and facilitating smooth deployments. Remember, the specific process may vary depending on your organization's size, project complexity, and internal regulations.

• Identify and prioritize critical issues that require immediate attention and hotfix deployment to minimize disruption to business operations.
• Conduct thorough testing of the hotfix in a controlled environment to ensure it addresses the issue without introducing new bugs or regressions.
• Keep the scope of the hotfix focused on addressing the specific issue at hand to minimize potential side effects and deployment risks.
• Maintain proper version control and documentation for hotfixes, including clear descriptions of the issue being addressed and the changes made.
• Have a clear rollback plan in place in case the hotfix introduces new issues or fails to resolve the problem effectively, allowing for quick restoration of the previous state.
• Ensure that security considerations are taken into account when implementing hotfixes to prevent introducing vulnerabilities or compromising system integrity.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders, including customers and internal teams, about the nature of the issue, the proposed hotfix, and any potential impacts on system availability or functionality.
• Monitor the system closely after deploying the hotfix to detect any issues or performance degradation promptly, and set up alerts for abnormal behavior.
• Consider the scalability implications of the hotfix and ensure that it does not introduce bottlenecks or limitations that may impact future growth or expansion.
• Gather feedback from users and stakeholders after deploying the hotfix to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement in the hotfix deployment process.

Malpractices:

Avoiding these malpractices and following best practices for hotfix deployment can help ensure the effectiveness and reliability of hotfixes while minimizing risks to the system and business operations.

Here are some malpractices or mistakes commonly associated with handling hotfixes:

1. • Deploying a hotfix directly to the production environment without thorough testing can lead to unforeseen issues or regressions.
   • Failing to maintain proper version control and documentation for hotfixes can result in confusion and difficulty tracking changes over time.
   • Prioritizing speed over security when implementing hotfixes can leave systems vulnerable to exploitation or compromise.
   • Not having a clear rollback plan in place in case the hotfix introduces new issues or fails to resolve the problem effectively can prolong downtime and impact business operations.
   • Poor communication with stakeholders, including customers and internal teams about the nature and impact of the hotfix can lead to confusion and dissatisfaction.
   • Improper investigation and understanding the root cause of the issue before implementing the hotfix can result in incomplete or ineffective solutions.
   • Neglecting to update documentation, such as release notes or change logs, to reflect the hotfix can lead to misinformation and difficulties in troubleshooting future issues.
   • Missed to monitor the system closely after deploying a hotfix can result in delayed detection of new issues or performance problems.
   • Introducing new dependencies or libraries without proper consideration or testing can lead to compatibility issues or unexpected behavior.
   • Implementing a quick fix without considering its impact on system scalability or future growth can result in performance bottlenecks or resource constraints.

Difference between Hotfix, Coldfix, Bugfix and Patch:

The terms Hotfix, Coldfix, Bugfix and Patch all refer to program code changes, but with slightly different meanings.

Hotfix is an urgent measure taken to address a critical issue outside the normal DevOps process. These fixes are applied to a hot or live environments without impacting the live business operations. Systems are not restarted, and users do not need to uninstall or reinstall applications.

Coldfix  is the opposite of a hotfix. To undertake a Coldfix, systems are shut down, and applications are unusable while the fix is applied. Coldfixes are usually announced well in advance so that users can prepare for the time when the application will be unavailable.

Bugfix  is a workaround to an error in programming. It is the piece of programming that corrects the bug in software. Programmers report bugfixes in software documentation when the error has been resolved.

Patch is a software update released to address one or more issues, including bugs, vulnerabilities, or performance improvements, often bundled together into a single update package.

Bugfixes are often temporary fixes to specific issues and might not deal with a larger underlying problem that's causing the bug. Unlike hotfixes, bugfixes are typically resolved in production as part of the normal release cycle. Debugging is generally only used to address critical bugs or security flaws in live, user-facing and widely accessible applications.

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