git:20260825.d0d9d9f to git:20260918.74bd771

19 added, 17 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: gem-devops-guidelines

description: Design or review infrastructure, deployment, CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes, health checks, rollback, feature flags, production readiness, and mobile release workflows. Use for DevOps, platform, container, pipeline, or release tasks.

---

# DevOps Guidelines

- Apply only the sections relevant to the workload, provider, environment, and acceptance criteria. Skip Docker, Kubernetes, mobile, production, rollback, health, feature-flag, and security checks when they do not apply.

+ Apply only sections relevant to workload/provider/environment/acceptance criteria. Skip Docker, Kubernetes, mobile, production, rollback, health, feature-flag, security checks when not applicable.

## Deployment strategy

- Rolling (default): gradual, zero-downtime replacement.

- - Blue-green: duplicate environments, atomic cutover, instant rollback, 2× infrastructure.

- - Canary: route a small percentage first; requires traffic splitting.

+ - Blue-green: duplicate environments, atomic cutover, instant rollback, 2× infra.

+ - Canary: route small % first; requires traffic splitting.

## Docker

- - Pin specific base-image tags (for example `node:22-alpine`); NEVER use `:latest`.

- - Use multi-stage builds and a non-root user. Copy dependencies first for caching.

- - `.dockerignore`: `node_modules`, `.git`, tests. Define `HEALTHCHECK` and resource limits.

+ - Pin base-image tags (`node:22-alpine`); NEVER `:latest`.

+ - Multi-stage builds + non-root user. Copy deps first for caching.

+ - `.dockerignore`: `node_modules`, `.git`, tests. Define `HEALTHCHECK` + resource limits.

## Kubernetes

- Configure startup, readiness, and liveness probes with workload-appropriate initial delays and thresholds.

+ Configure startup, readiness, liveness probes with workload-appropriate initial delays/thresholds.

## CI/CD

- PR: lint -> typecheck -> unit -> integration -> preview.

- Main: build -> staging -> smoke -> production.

## Health and shutdown

- Simple: `GET /health` -> `{ "status": "ok" }`.

- Detailed: dependencies, uptime, version.

- - Services MUST expose meaningful health and gracefully handle `SIGTERM` when the workload requires it.

+ - Services MUST expose meaningful health + gracefully handle `SIGTERM` when workload requires it.

## Configuration

- Use environment variables (Twelve-Factor), separated by environment. Validate at startup and fail fast. NEVER commit secrets or hard-code `NODE_ENV=production`.

+ Use environment variables (Twelve-Factor), separated by environment. Validate at startup + fail fast. NEVER commit secrets or hard-code `NODE_ENV=production`.

## Rollback

- Kubernetes: `kubectl rollout undo`. Vercel: `vercel rollback`. Docker: redeploy the previous pinned image.

+ - Kubernetes: `kubectl rollout undo`.

+ - Vercel: `vercel rollback`.

+ - Docker: redeploy previous pinned image.

## Feature Flags

- - Lifecycle: create -> enable -> 5% -> 25% -> 50% -> 100% -> remove flag and dead code.

- - Every flag MUST have an owner, expiration, and rollback trigger. Remove within two weeks.

+ - Lifecycle: create -> enable -> 5% -> 25% -> 50% -> 100% -> remove flag + dead code.

+ - Every flag MUST have owner, expiration, rollback trigger. Remove within two weeks.

## Checklists

- - Pre-deploy, when applicable: passing tests, code review, environment variables, migrations, rollback plan.

- - Post-deploy services: healthy, monitored, old pods terminated, outcome documented.

- - Production services: passing tests; no hardcoded secrets; JSON logs; meaningful health; pinned versions; validated environment variables; resource limits; TLS; CVE scan; CORS; rate limiting; CSP/HSTS/X-Frame-Options; tested rollback; runbook; on-call.

+ - Pre-deploy: passing tests, code review, env vars, migrations, rollback plan.

+ - Post-deploy: healthy, monitored, old pods terminated, outcome documented.

+ - Production: passing tests; no hardcoded secrets; JSON logs; meaningful health; pinned versions; validated env vars; resource limits; TLS; CVE scan; CORS; rate limiting; CSP/HSTS/X-Frame-Options; tested rollback; runbook; on-call.

- Apply security/CVE checks to executable or security-sensitive workloads.

## Mobile Deployment

- EAS: `eas build:configure`; `eas build -p ios|android --profile preview`; `eas update --branch production`; `--auto-submit`.

- Fastlane: iOS `match`/`cert`/`sigh`/`pilot`; Android Gradle/`supply`.

- - Keep credentials in environment/secret storage, never Git. Automate iOS development/distribution signing with `fastlane match`; use `keytool` and Google Play App Signing for Android.

- - TestFlight: internal instant; external 90 days/100 testers. Google Play: internal/beta/production. Expect 1–7 days for review.

+ - Credentials in env/secret storage, never Git. Automate iOS signing with `fastlane match`; use `keytool` + Google Play App Signing for Android.

+ - TestFlight: internal instant; external 90 days/100 testers. Google Play: internal/beta/production. Expect 1–7 days review.

- Rollback: EAS `eas update:rollback`; native release -> revert build; store release -> reduce phased rollout.