All terms
Glossary
Canary release
A new version goes to a small share of traffic first. If the numbers hold, the share increases.
The difference to blue-green is the curve: instead of one switch, the share grows step by step, and the decision to continue is made against measurements.
That assumes measurements exist which show problems before customers call: error rate, response time, and at least one business signal such as completed orders.
How you notice it
- Releases are risky but frequent.
- There are meaningful metrics in real time.
- Traffic can be split by share.
Frequently asked
Which metric aborts the rollout?
Error rate and latency at minimum, plus one business figure such as completed orders. Purely technical metrics miss the case where everything answers and nobody can buy any more.