Rehearse rollback when the new image cannot read existing data
A new runtime starts successfully but fails on records created by the previous release.
- Focused work estimate
- 6h + prerequisites
- Priority in the scenario
- Medium
- Engineering practice
- Release engineering · Compatibility
Estimated field mix
- Platform engineering60%
- Database engineering40%
Field percentages are editorial estimates of the ticket's engineering focus. They total 100%; they are not measured time, proficiency scores, or ownership evidence.
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Project context
A fictional reporting API is rebuilt separately for staging and production. Different dependency resolutions and mutable tags make incident rollback unreliable.
Setup prerequisites
- Create a tiny local HTTP service and nonprivileged image build.
- Use synthetic registries or provider fixtures; no production deployment.
Preceding work
Complete these dependencies, or supply their agreed outputs before taking this ticket.
- AIMAGE-101 · Exclude local credentials and bulky artifacts from the image context
- AIMAGE-102 · Pin service build inputs to immutable identities
- AIMAGE-103 · Run the service image as an unprivileged user with a read-only root
- AIMAGE-104 · Record image provenance without embedding build credentials
- AIMAGE-105 · Promote the tested digest instead of rebuilding for each environment
- AIMAGE-106 · Stop promotion when required security scan results are missing
- AIMAGE-107 · Make artifact promotion idempotent across lost CI responses
- AIMAGE-108 · Retain rollback images without deleting active environment digests
Acceptance criteria
- Declare compatibility expectations for stored data.
- Route back to the retained old digest without rebuilding.
- Identify any irreversible schema step that blocks binary rollback.
Implementation constraints
- Use a synthetic compatibility fixture and local runtime only.
Verification to include
- Roll out a compatible image and restore its predecessor.
- Trigger a schema incompatibility and stop automatic rollback with an explicit recovery decision.
Deliverables
- Rollback drill and compatibility matrix
Rollout and recovery
Run the drill before promotion; block releases without a viable declared recovery path.
Value of the work
For the engineer: Practice artifact identity, least privilege and reproducible delivery.
For the team: Review whether deployed bytes can be traced and rolled back reliably.
Evidence boundaries
Outcome Evidence: Tests, patches, and runbooks are requested deliverables. They become Outcome Evidence only through a qualified Mission and immutable Evidence IDs.
Ownership Evidence: Independent adaptation must be observed under a declared verification policy and cite immutable Evidence IDs. Completing a planning ticket establishes no Ownership Evidence.