Deployment Frequency

Overview

Deployment frequency is one of the four key DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) metrics used to measure the efficiency of a software development team. It represents how often code changes are successfully deployed to production. High deployment frequency is associated with agile, high-performing teams that can quickly deliver value to users while maintaining stability.

How We Measure Deployment Frequency

We track deployment frequency based on PRs into the main branch (deploy branch). Each merge represents a successful deployment to production. However, we understand that different teams may have unique workflows, so we allow customization of the main branch per repository.

Note: If you need to modify the deploy branch for a specific repository, contact our support team, and we will assist you.

Importance of Deployment Frequency

By monitoring deployment frequency, teams can:

• Deliver new features and bug fixes to users faster.
• Reduce the risk associated with large releases by deploying smaller changes more frequently.
• Improve overall development efficiency and responsiveness to business needs.
• Strengthen system reliability by ensuring regular and tested updates.

Benchmarking Deployment Frequency

DORA categorizes deployment frequency into four performance levels:

• Elite: Multiple deploys per day.
• High: Deploys between once per day and once per week.
• Medium: Deploys between once per week and once per month.
• Low: Deploys less than once per month.

Best Practices to Improve Deployment Frequency

• Implement continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Automate testing to ensure rapid and reliable deployments.
• Encourage smaller, incremental changes to reduce deployment complexity.
• Foster a culture of fast feedback and iterative improvement.

By optimizing deployment frequency, development teams can accelerate software delivery while maintaining stability and reliability.