upskill-event-manager/docs/DEPLOYMENT-CHECKLIST.md

HVAC Plugin Deployment Checklist

Pre-Deployment Checklist

1. Code Quality Checks

• All PHP files pass syntax check (php -l)
• No debug code left in files (error_log, var_dump, console.log)
• All TODO comments addressed or documented
• Code follows WordPress coding standards

2. Testing Complete

• All unit tests passing
• E2E tests passing on staging
• Manual testing checklist completed
• Tested with different user roles
• Mobile responsive testing done

3. Security Review

• All user inputs sanitized
• All outputs escaped
• Nonces implemented for forms
• Capability checks in place
• No hardcoded credentials

4. Performance Check

• Database queries optimized
• Caching implemented where appropriate
• Assets minified (production)
• Images optimized
• No unnecessary API calls

5. Documentation Updated

• CLAUDE.md updated with new features
• README files current
• Inline code documentation complete
• API changes documented
• Changelog updated

Deployment Steps

1. Staging Deployment

# Run pre-deployment validation
bin/pre-deployment-check.sh

# Deploy to staging
scripts/deploy.sh staging

# Run post-deployment verification
scripts/verify-plugin-fixes.sh

2. Staging Verification

• Login functionality working
• Navigation menus displaying correctly
• All pages loading (no 404s)
• Forms submitting properly
• Certificates generating
• Email notifications sending
• No PHP errors in logs
• No JavaScript console errors

3. Data Integrity

• Database migrations completed
• User roles properly assigned
• Page templates correctly set
• Meta data preserved
• Settings maintained

4. Cache Management

• WordPress cache cleared
• Breeze cache purged
• OPcache reset
• CDN cache cleared (if applicable)
• Browser cache considerations documented

5. Production Deployment

# Only when explicitly approved
scripts/deploy.sh production
# Double confirmation required

6. Production Verification

• Smoke test critical paths
• Monitor error logs for 30 minutes
• Check page load times
• Verify email delivery
• Test payment processing (if applicable)
• Confirm analytics tracking

Post-Deployment

1. Monitoring (First 24 Hours)

• Error logs checked every 2 hours
• Performance metrics reviewed
• User feedback collected
• Support tickets monitored
• Database performance checked

2. Communication

• Stakeholders notified of deployment
• Support team briefed on changes
• Documentation updated if needed
• Known issues documented

3. Rollback Plan

• Backup location confirmed
• Rollback procedure tested
• Rollback decision criteria defined
• Team members know rollback process

Rollback Procedure

If critical issues are discovered:

# 1. SSH to server
ssh user@server

# 2. Navigate to plugins directory
cd /path/to/wp-content/plugins

# 3. Backup current (problematic) version
mv hvac-community-events hvac-community-events-broken-$(date +%Y%m%d)

# 4. Restore previous version
cp -r hvac-backups/hvac-community-events-backup-[previous-date] hvac-community-events

# 5. Reactivate plugin
wp plugin activate hvac-community-events

# 6. Clear all caches
wp cache flush
wp breeze purge --all
wp eval 'if (function_exists("opcache_reset")) opcache_reset();'

# 7. Verify functionality
# 8. Document issue for investigation

Common Deployment Issues

Issue: Pages returning 404

wp rewrite flush
wp eval 'HVAC_Page_Manager::create_required_pages();'

Issue: Styles not loading

# Check if CSS files exist
ls -la wp-content/plugins/hvac-community-events/assets/css/

# Force cache refresh
wp cache flush

Issue: User roles not working

# Re-run role creation
wp eval 'HVAC_Roles::create_roles();'

Issue: Database errors

# Check database integrity
wp db check

# Optimize tables
wp db optimize

Emergency Contacts

• Lead Developer: [Contact Info]
• DevOps: [Contact Info]
• Project Manager: [Contact Info]
• Hosting Support: [Contact Info]

Final Checks

• All checklist items completed
• Deployment documented in project log
• Next deployment date scheduled
• Lessons learned documented
• Team debriefed

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Remember:

• Never deploy on Fridays unless critical
• Always have a rollback plan
• Test everything on staging first
• Document any deviations from process
• Communicate clearly with all stakeholders