12 Factors: Revisiting the 5th Factor - Build, Deploy, and Run
Tags: programming, devops, cloud, productivity
Published: 2023-03-30 14:31:18

Hello everyone! In this article, we will continue our series on the [12 factors](https://12factor.net/) for the development of modern applications, inspired by the legendary Martin Fowler's books. If you missed our previous articles, feel free to check out the [other factors](https://luizferreira.dev/categories/12-factors/).

Today, we will cover the fifth factor:

## Build, Deploy, and Run

The fifth factor emphasizes the importance of separating the stages of building, deploying, and running an application. This separation ensures that the application can be consistently built, deployed, and run in different environments, improving maintainability, portability, and scalability.

### Key Principles for Build, Deploy, and Run

1. **Build:** The build stage involves compiling the source code, processing assets, and creating an executable or package that can be deployed to various environments. It is essential to have a reproducible build process that generates consistent artifacts across different environments.

2. **Deploy:** The deployment stage involves taking the build artifacts and deploying them to a specific environment, such as staging or production. It should be automated, consistent, and have a clear separation between environments.

3. **Run:** The run stage is when the application is actually executed in the target environment. It should be easy to start, stop, and restart the application, and it should be able to run consistently across different environments.

### Tools and Examples

Here are some tools and technologies that can help you implement the Build, Deploy, and Run factor in your application:

1. **Git:** Git is a widely-used version control system that can help you manage your source code and assets, making it easier to build and deploy your application consistently.

2. **Docker:** Docker is a containerization platform that allows you to package your applications and their dependencies into containers, which can run consistently across different environments and platforms. This makes it easier to deploy and run your application.

3. **Jenkins:** Jenkins is an open-source automation server that can help you automate the build, deployment, and run stages of your application. This ensures that your application can be consistently built, deployed, and run in different environments.

4. **Kubernetes:** Kubernetes is a container orchestration system that can manage the deployment, scaling, and operation of container-based applications. It can help you run your application consistently across different environments and scale it as needed.

5. **Ansible:** Ansible is an open-source automation tool that can help you automate the deployment and configuration of your application across different environments. This ensures that your application can be consistently deployed and run in various environments.

In summary, the fifth factor of the 12 factors is "Build, Deploy, and Run." It highlights the importance of separating the stages of building, deploying, and running an application, ensuring that the application can be consistently built, deployed, and run in different environments. The tools and technologies mentioned above can help you achieve this goal.

In the next article, we will cover the sixth factor of the 12 factors. Stay tuned!

Don't forget to share this article with your colleagues and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.

See you next time!