--- title: Core Concepts of PaaS Deployment | Shopware Community Hub description: >- Learn the fundamental technical concepts behind PaaS deployments, including git-based workflows, environment orchestration, and infrastructure as code. canonical_url: 'https://hub.shopware.com/learn/unit/paas-core-concepts' --- # Core Concepts of PaaS Deployment - Understand git-based deployment workflows and their advantages. - Explore environment orchestration and service management in PaaS platforms. - Learn about immutable infrastructure and infrastructure-as-code principles. # Core Concepts of PaaS Deployment In this learning unit, we'll explore the technical innovations that make PaaS so powerful: Git-based deployment workflows, environment orchestration, and the principles of immutable infrastructure and infrastructure as code. ## Git-Based Deployment Most PaaS platforms for Shopware use Git for deployments, replacing manual FTP/SSH approaches. ### How Git-Based Deployment Works 1. Your code lives in a Git repository. 2. The PaaS platform connects to this repository (or a copy of it). 3. Pushing changes to a specific branch triggers a deployment. 4. The platform builds your application from that branch. 5. After a successful build, the new version is deployed. The official documentation shows a complete [deployment workflow](https://developer.shopware.com/docs/products/paas/shopware-paas/#getting-started-with-shopware-paas-how-to-deploy-your-first-project), from creating a Shopware project with `composer create-project shopware/production demo` to pushing code with `git push platform main`. Your Git repository is the **single source of truth**. This ensures consistency between environments and provides a clear history of changes. ### Key Benefits of Git-Based Deployment - **Version Control**: Every deployment is tied to a specific commit. - **Auditability**: Full change history. - **Rollback Capability**: Easy reversion to previous versions. - **Branch-Based Workflows**: Different branches can deploy to different environments. - **Deploy Preview**: Feature branches can deploy to temporary environments. - **Infrastructure as Code**: Configuration stored in Git. ### PaaS-Specific Git Extensions Most PaaS providers extend Git with platform-specific capabilities: - **Platform Configuration Files**: Define services, routes, and build processes. - **Deploy Hooks**: Run scripts during a deployment process. - **Environment Variables**: Configuration per environment. - **Build Cache**: Faster builds via caching. ## Environments & Service Orchestration PaaS platforms excel at managing multiple environments and the services they require. ### Environment Types and Purposes - **Development**: Active work, debugging. - **Staging/QA**: Pre-production testing. - **Production**: The live environment. - **Feature Environments**: Temporary environments for testing specific features. ### Service Orchestration PaaS platforms automatically provision and configure the services your application needs: - **Databases**: MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL - **Caching**: Redis, Memcached - **Search**: Elasticsearch, Meilisearch - **Queuing**: RabbitMQ, SQS - **Storage**: Object storage for media files These services are typically: 1. **Containerized**: Each service runs in its own isolated container. 2. **Networked**: Services can communicate securely within the platform. 3. **Managed**: The platform handles updates, backups, and monitoring. 4. **Scalable**: Services can be resized as needed. ### Environment Variables and Configuration PaaS platforms use environment variables to configure: - Database connections - API credentials - Feature flags - Environment-specific settings - Secrets and sensitive information Never hard-code environment-specific configurations. Instead, use environment variables and override per environment. ### Multi-Environment Workflows PaaS enables sophisticated workflows: - **Continuous Integration**: Automated testing on every push. - **Continuous Deployment**: Automatic deployment to dev or staging. - **Pull Request Previews**: Temporary environments for reviewing changes. - **Blue/Green Deployments**: Zero-downtime deployments to production. - **A/B Testing**: Running multiple versions simultaneously. ## Immutable Infrastructure and Infrastructure as Code PaaS uses **immutable deployments** and **infrastructure as code**. ### Immutable Infrastructure - Each deployment creates a **new, immutable instance**. - Build from scratch each time. - Once deployed, the environment doesn't change until the next deployment. - Updates are done by building and deploying a completely new instance. Benefits of immutable infrastructure: - **Consistency**: Every deployment starts from a clean state. - **Reproducibility**: Environments can be rebuilt identically. - **Predictability**: No configuration drifts over time. - **Rollback**: Easy return to previous states. - **Scalability**: New instances can be added without affecting others. ### Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Infrastructure as Code means defining your infrastructure requirements in code rather than manually configuring servers: - **Platform Configuration Files**: Define services, routes, hooks, and more. - **Build and Deploy Scripts**: Automate the build and deployment process. - **Service Definitions**: Specify the size and configuration of services. - **Network Rules**: Define how services communicate. These configuration files live in your Git repository alongside your application code, providing: - **Version Control**: Track changes to infrastructure over time. - **Code Review**: Review infrastructure changes like any code change. - **Consistency**: Apply the same configuration across environments. - **Automation**: Automate provisioning and configuration. - **Documentation**: Self-documenting infrastructure requirements. ### Examples of Platform Configuration Files Different PaaS providers use different configuration formats: **Shopware PaaS** uses `.platform/applications.yaml` and `.platform/services.yaml`: ```yaml # .platform.app.yaml example name: app type: php:8.1 relationships: database: "mysql:mysql" redis: "redis:redis" web: locations: "/": root: "public" index: - index.php hooks: build: | set -e composer install --no-dev --optimize-autoloader bin/console assets:install --no-debug disk: 2048 ``` See [Shopware PaaS step-by-step guide](https://developer.shopware.com/docs/products/paas/shopware-paas/#getting-started-with-shopware-paas-how-to-deploy-your-first-project) for detailed configuration. **Symfony Cloud** uses a similar approach with `.symfony.cloud.yaml` and `.symfony/services.yaml`. **AWS Elastic Beanstalk** uses various configuration files in a `.ebextensions` directory. While specific syntax varies between platforms, the core principles remain the same: defining infrastructure requirements declaratively in code that lives alongside your application. ## How These Concepts Transform Shopware Deployment These PaaS concepts fundamentally change how we approach Shopware deployments: ### Traditional vs PaaS-based Deployment | Aspect | Traditional | PaaS-based | |---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | **Environment setup** | Manual server provisioning | Automated environment provisioning | | **Deployment** | SSH access for configuration and updates, FTP or Git for Code | Git-driven deployments | | **Configuration** | Environment-specific configuration in files | Declarative service configuration | | **Database** | Manual database migrations | Automated database migrations | | **Scaling** | Manual scaling and service provisioning | API-driven scaling and service management | | **Backups** | Manual backup and restore processes | Automated backup processes | | **Infrastructure** | Mutable, long-lived servers | Immutable infrastructure for consistency | ## Technical Requirements for PaaS-Ready Shopware Projects To work effectively on PaaS platforms, Shopware projects need to follow certain principles: 1. **Environment Awareness**: Adapt to environment (dev, staging, prod). 2. **Configuration via Environment Variables**: Don't hardcode configuration. 3. **Stateless Application Tier**: Store state in services, not in the application filesystem. 4. **Managed Asset Storage**: Use object storage for media files. 5. **Database Migration Automation**: Automate schema updates. 6. **Build Process Automation**: Automate build processes. 7. **Health Checks**: Provide health checks. ## Key Takeaways - **Git-Driven Workflow**: Git becomes your deployment mechanism, not just version control. - **Environment Proliferation**: Multiple environments are easy to manage. - **Configuration as Code**: Infrastructure and application configuration live together in code. - **Immutable Deployments**: Each deployment creates a fresh, immutable application instance. - **Service Orchestration**: Services are managed by the platform. - **Automation First**: Automation replaces manual operations. For all technical details (CLI, config, troubleshooting), see the [Shopware PaaS documentation](https://developer.shopware.com/docs/products/paas/shopware-paas/#getting-started-with-shopware-paas-how-to-deploy-your-first-project). Congratulations! You've now completed the foundational course on Shopware PaaS. ## Next Steps In the next course, **Planning & Bootstrapping PaaS Projects**, you'll put this knowledge into practice. You'll learn how to set up your development environment, configure repositories, design environment strategies, and ensure your projects are deployment-ready.