Release Management & Deployment

SAP Commerce Cloud (Hybris) Release Management & Deployment

1. Development Phase

• Code Repository: Developers push custom extension code and configurations to a Git-based repository. 

• Manifest Configuration: A manifest.json file is set up to reference:

  • Custom extension code and configurations.

  • Various SAP Commerce Cloud extensions (e.g., cloud hot folder extension, media conversion extension).

2. Build Phase

• Initiate Build: A system administrator uses the SAP Commerce Cloud Portal UI to initiate a build.

• Build Process:

  • The build retrieves custom extension code and SAP Commerce Cloud extensions based on the manifest.json.

  • It compiles them to generate security-hardened Docker images on top of a base image.

  • Upon successful build, the system registers the generated images in a container registry.

3. Deployment Phase

• Deploy to Environment: Through the Cloud Portal UI, a system administrator can deploy a successful build to a cloud environment.

• Deployment Process:

  • The Deployer component retrieves the Docker images from the container registry and places them onto the Kubernetes cluster nodes.

  • Docker containers are produced from these images and operated on the cluster nodes (e.g., the customized SAP Commerce Cloud Application in the S1 environment).
    
    

Deployment Configuration Options:

• Target Environment: Choose the environment (e.g., Development, Staging, Production).

• Platform Update Mode:

  • No migration required: No modifications to the type system or data.

  • Migrate data: Changes to the type system or item data are included.

  • Initialize database: The database schema is rebuilt from the ground up.

• Deployment Mode:

  • Rolling Update: Deploys the build to the cluster one server at a time, ensuring the entire cluster remains operational.

  • Recreate: Deploys the build to all servers in the cluster simultaneously, making the cluster non-operational during deployment.

  • Blue/Green: Adds a layer of protection to future deployments by offering a preview in production prior to its official launch to customers.

4. Post-Deployment

• Monitoring: After deployment, monitor the application for any issues.

• Testing: Conduct functional and performance tests to ensure the deployment was successful.

Step By Step

STEP 1: Project Structure & Source Code

• Use Git Repository (Bitbucket, GitHub, Azure DevOps, etc.)

• Structure:

  • custom folder for your extensions

  • manifest.json to define what extensions to build

  • settings.properties to define environment-specific configs

Example:

/my-project

├── custom/

├── manifest.json

└── settings.properties

STEP 2: Prepare Your Build (Cloud Portal or Local)

Option 1: SAP Cloud Build Environment (preferred)

1. Go to SAP Commerce Cloud Portal

2. Choose your project/environment

3. Click on "Builds" > "Create Build"

4. Select:

   • Git Branch

   • manifest.json (defines which extensions to build)

5. Click "Build"

6.  Build includes:

• Code compilation

• Configuration packaging

• Docker image creation
  
  

 STEP 3: Deploy to an Environment

Once the build completes successfully:

1. Go to "Deployments" > "Create Deployment"

2. Choose:

   • Target environment (dev, staging, prod)

   • Build version (from your previous step)

   • Update Strategy:

     • UPDATE: Modify schema and keep data

     • INITIALIZE: Wipes and rebuilds DB (dev use only!)

     • NONE: No DB change
       
       

3. Deployment Strategy:

   • Rolling Update (safe for production)

   • Recreate (faster but downtime risk)

   • Blue-Green (test before switch live)

4. Click "Deploy" and  Wait ~10–20 mins depending on deployment mode and infrastructure.

STEP 4: Post-Deployment Checklist

• Validate via Backoffice or hac (Hybris admin console)

•  Test:

  • Product listings

  • Checkout

  • User login

Optional: CI/CD with SAP Commerce Cloud

You can also automate the above with:

• Azure DevOps / Jenkins pipelines

• Trigger build & deploy using Webhooks + SAP Cloud APIs

• Store secrets/configs per environment (using Cloud Portal or vault)