Production Release Notes

Release Date: October 2025

Version: Multi-Environment Configuration v1.0

Executive Summary

This release establishes a dual-track deployment strategy that enables simultaneous refactoring work on modern technology while maintaining stable production operations. The QA environment has been provisioned for comprehensive refactoring efforts using the latest Meteor and React versions, while Production and Staging environments continue to support the current working version with minor fixes until the refactor is completed.

Environment Provisioning

QA Environment (Refactoring Track)

Purpose: Complete application refactoring using modern technology stack

Technical Specifications:

• Meteor Version: 3.2/3.3.1 (Latest stable from 3.x series)
• Node.js Version: 20.12.2
• React Version: 18.3.1
• Python Version: Python 3 (latest stable)
• MongoDB Connection: `mongodb+srv://` format with automatic service discovery

Build Requirements:

• Full build toolchain installed: python3-dev, build-essential, make, g++
• Native module compilation support for Node 20
• Enhanced memory allocation for build processes (2x pipeline size)

Build Process:

• Clean dependency installation with cache verification
• Complete removal of node_modules, package-lock.json, and .meteor/local/build before each deployment
• Fresh npm install from package.json
• Automated cache management (npm cache clean --force and npm cache verify)

Key Refactoring Objectives:

• Upgrade from React Router v5 to v6.20.1
• Migration from class components to functional components with hooks
• Implementation of modern async/await MongoDB methods (findOneAsync, fetchAsync, insertAsync, updateAsync)
• Transition from withTracker HOC pattern to useTracker and useSubscribe hooks
• Server-side rendering (SSR) compatibility improvements
• Removal of SSR-incompatible libraries (react-visibility-sensor, react-spring SSR issues)
• Styled-components theme system optimization
• Conversion to modern React patterns throughout application

Staging Environment (Stable Maintenance Track)

Purpose: Pre-production testing for minor fixes and patches to current version

Technical Specifications:

• Meteor Version: 2.7.2
• Node.js Version: 18.x
• MongoDB Connection: Legacy mongodb:// format with manual host specification
• Python Version: Python 3 with legacy compatibility

Build Requirements:

• Basic build tools: python3, make, g++
• Standard compilation support for Node 18

Build Process:

• Production-optimized dependency installation (--production --no-audit --no-fund)
• Clean build state management
• Standard pipeline size

Purpose: Validate minor fixes and security patches before production deployment

Production Environment (Live Service Track)

Purpose: Stable live service delivery with minimal disruption

Technical Specifications:

• Meteor Version: 2.7.2
• Node.js Version: 18.x
• MongoDB Connection: Legacy mongodb:// format (same as staging)
• Python Version: Python 3 with legacy compatibility

Build Requirements: Standard toolchain matching staging environment

Build Process:

• Production-optimized builds matching staging configuration
• Automated deployment via Bitbucket Pipelines
• Manual trigger deployment for change control

Additional Services:

• Let's Encrypt SSL certificate management
• Proxy logs monitoring via MUP
• Deployment artifacts retained for rollback capability

Deployment Strategy

Parallel Development Tracks

QA Track (New Development):

• Full freedom to implement breaking changes
• Modern technology stack testing component-by-component refactoring approach, performance and compatibility validation

No production impact during development

Staging/Production Track (Maintenance):

• Bug fixes only
• Security patches
• Critical feature updates that cannot wait for refactor completion
• Full backward compatibility maintained
• Minimal risk deployment strategy

Pipeline Configuration

Branch-specific deployment automation

• qa branch → QA environment (Meteor 3.x stack)
• staging branch → Staging environment (Meteor 2.7.2)
• production branch → Production environment (Meteor 2.7.2)

Manual deployment triggers for change control

• Secure SSH key management via environment variables
• Settings file generation from secure templates
• Build artifact retention for debugging
• Deployment size scaling per environment needs

Build Optimization

Enhanced Build Reliability:

• Complete cache cleanup between deployments
• Fresh dependency resolution for each build
• Babel runtime version consistency across environments
• Native module recompilation when needed
• Proper SSL certificate handling for MongoDB connections

Migration Timeline

😬

Current Phase: Foundation

Completed:

• ✅ QA environment provisioned with Meteor 3.x stack
• ✅ Separate build pipelines configured for all environments
• ✅ MongoDB connection string formats updated per environment
• ✅ Build toolchain requirements documented and implemented
• ✅ Bitbucket CI/CD pipeline established with manual deployment controls

In Progress:

• 🔄 Component refactoring in QA environment
• 🔄 SSR compatibility improvements
• 🔄 React Router v6 migration
• 🔄 Modern hooks implementation

Next Phase: Refactoring Completion

Planned:

• Complete all component migrations to functional components
• Validate SSR functionality across all pages
• Performance testing and optimization
• Cross-browser compatibility verification
• Accessibility audit and improvements

Final Phase: Production Migration (Future)

Prerequisites:

• All refactoring work completed and validated in QA
• Comprehensive testing suite passing
• Performance benchmarks met or exceeded
• Stakeholder approval for production migration
• Rollback plan established

Execution:

• Gradual rollout strategy TBD
• Feature flag implementation for gradual migration
• Monitoring and alerting enhanced for new stack
• User communication plan
• Support team training on new architecture

Critical Difference:

• QA (Meteor 3.x) requires mongodb+srv:// for automatic service discovery due to newer MongoDB driver
• Staging/Production (Meteor 2.7.2) uses mongodb:// with manual host specification
• SSL parameter: Modern stack uses tls=true, legacy uses same or ssl=true

Babel Runtime Management

Issue Resolved:

• Removed redundant @babel/runtime installation from build scripts
• Version 7.26.9 managed exclusively through package.json
• Consistent version across all environments prevents compilation conflicts

Known Constraints

Meteor 3.3 Stability:

• babel-compiler@7.12.1 had breaking bugs (resolved by using Meteor 3.2 or waiting for fixes)
• MongoDB package version conflicts between mongo@2.1.3 and npm-mongo dependencies (using mongo@2.1.2 for stability)
• Recommendation: Stick with Meteor 3.2 for production readiness until 3.3 ecosystem stabilizes

Support and Rollback Procedures

Rollback Capability

Each environment maintains:

• Previous build artifacts in pipeline
• Git commit history for code rollback
• Settings file backups
• Database backup procedures (follow existing protocols)

QA Environment

• Successful builds and deployments of refactored code
• No SSR rendering errors
• Modern API usage throughout application
• Performance benchmarks meet or exceed current production

Staging/Production

• Zero downtime for maintenance deployments
• No regression bugs introduced
• Security patches applied within SLA
• User experience remains consistent

Conclusion

This multi-environment setup provides a stable foundation for conducting a major application refactor while maintaining reliable production service. The QA environment enables aggressive modernization efforts without impacting live users, while the staging and production environments ensure business continuity through controlled, minimal-change deployments.

The refactor to Meteor 3.x with React 18 and modern patterns represents a significant technical investment that will improve application maintainability, performance, and developer experience moving forward.