Deployment Strategy Decision Tree

A/B testing runs two versions of the application side by side to compare user behavior and performance. In Azure, you can route traffic to two different deployment slots using Azure Traffic Manager or Application Gateway with weighted routing, or you can use feature flags to expose different feature sets to user groups. The results are collected from analytics, telemetry, and user feedback. Unlike a canary deployment, A/B testing is not about stability; it is about making a data-driven decision on which version leads to better outcomes. The decision to switch fully to version A or B comes after enough data is gathered. The relationship between the two versions is competitive: they run simultaneously, and the comparison guides the final choice. This strategy is ideal when you need to optimize user experience or business metrics before committing to a change.