# Deployment Patterns

## GitOps Pattern

For production deployments, we recommend a GitOps approach where your deployment configuration is tracked in version control.

### Overview

- **spec.yml is your source of truth**: Maintain it in your operator repository
- **Don't regenerate on every restart**: Run `deploy init` once, then customize and commit
- **Use restart for updates**: The restart command respects your git-tracked spec.yml

### Workflow

1. **Initial setup**: Run `deploy init` once to generate a spec.yml template
2. **Customize and commit**: Edit spec.yml with your configuration (hostnames, resources, etc.) and commit to your operator repo
3. **Deploy from git**: Use the committed spec.yml for deployments
4. **Update via git**: Make changes in git, then restart to apply

```bash
# Initial setup (run once)
laconic-so --stack my-stack deploy init --output spec.yml

# Customize for your environment
vim spec.yml  # Set hostname, resources, etc.

# Commit to your operator repository
git add spec.yml
git commit -m "Add my-stack deployment configuration"
git push

# On deployment server: deploy from git-tracked spec
laconic-so deploy create \
  --spec-file /path/to/operator-repo/spec.yml \
  --deployment-dir my-deployment

laconic-so deployment --dir my-deployment start
```

### Updating Deployments

When you need to update a deployment:

```bash
# 1. Make changes in your operator repo
vim /path/to/operator-repo/spec.yml
git commit -am "Update configuration"
git push

# 2. On deployment server: pull and restart
cd /path/to/operator-repo && git pull
laconic-so deployment --dir my-deployment restart
```

The `restart` command:
- Pulls latest code from the stack repository
- Uses your git-tracked spec.yml (does NOT regenerate from defaults)
- Syncs the deployment directory
- Restarts services

### Anti-patterns

**Don't do this:**
```bash
# BAD: Regenerating spec on every deployment
laconic-so --stack my-stack deploy init --output spec.yml
laconic-so deploy create --spec-file spec.yml ...
```

This overwrites your customizations with defaults from the stack's `commands.py`.

**Do this instead:**
```bash
# GOOD: Use your git-tracked spec
git pull  # Get latest spec.yml from your operator repo
laconic-so deployment --dir my-deployment restart
```