Update deployment overview docs #17612
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zzstoatzz
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Mar 28, 2025
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| Deployments allow you to run flows on a [schedule](/v3/automate/add-schedules/) and trigger runs based on [events](/v3/automate/events/automations-triggers/). | ||
| A deployment is a server-side store of metadata that enables remote orchestration. It defines when, where, and how a workflow should run. |
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personally, I think this opening sentence is more vague than it was before. "enables remote orchestration" of what? I know that we follow up with "a workflow" but since currently deployments are server-side configuration records for flows specifically, I think we should remain concrete in our description.
| - [scheduling](/v3/automate/add-schedules): You can set deployments to run manually, on a schedule, or in response [events](/v3/automate/events/automations-triggers). | ||
| - Remote management: Deployments expose an API and UI that allow you to trigger new runs, cancel active runs, pause scheduled runs, and customize parameters remotely. | ||
| - Infrastructure configuration: Deployments inherit infrastructure settings from work pools, which can be overridden at creation or runtime. | ||
| - Metadata storage: They store important information about the flow, enabling remote orchestration and management. |
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is this last bullet distinct from the existing ones?
| - dynamically provision infrastructure with [work pools](/v3/deploy/infrastructure-concepts/work-pools) - optionally with templated guardrails for other users | ||
| One of the core use cases for creating a deployment is to run flows on a schedule. However, deployments do not create or schedule flow runs. | ||
| If a deployment specifies a schedule, a Prefect server (or Prefect Cloud) creates and schedules flow runs. | ||
| A lightweight polling process called a [worker](/v3/deploy/infrastructure-concepts/workers/) polls the server for scheduled runs and submits those flow runs as jobs to your infrastructure. |
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imo "jobs" language makes sense in a kubernetes context, but not necessarily in general
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| A lightweight polling process called a [worker](/v3/deploy/infrastructure-concepts/workers/) polls the server for scheduled runs and submits those flow runs as jobs to your infrastructure. | |
| A lightweight polling process called a [worker](/v3/deploy/infrastructure-concepts/workers/) polls the server for scheduled runs and submits those flow runs to your infrastructure. |
| [Work pools](/v3/deploy/infrastructure-concepts/work-pools/) allow you to switch between different types of infrastructure and to create a template for deployments. | ||
| Data platform teams find work pools especially useful for managing infrastructure configuration across teams of data professionals. | ||
| ### Prototyping and local processes | ||
| To run flows in a local process, there are two options. The `.serve()` method can be useful for prototyping quickly; it couples the creation of a deployment and the creation of a process worker. Use a worker with a [process work pool](/v3/deploy/static-infrastructure-examples/docker) on long-lived remote infrastructure, such as a VM or EC2 instance. |
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its confusing to me that we'd say "long-lived remote infrastructure" in a section titled "local processes"
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| <Note> | ||
| **You don't have to commit to one approach** | ||
| Only the Python SDK supports the `.serve()` method. While deployments cannot be created via the UI, they can be edited, or deleted. Prefect. |
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hrm, stray Prefect here?
Suggested change
| Only the Python SDK supports the `.serve()` method. While deployments cannot be created via the UI, they can be edited, or deleted. Prefect. | |
| Only the Python SDK supports the `.serve()` method. While deployments cannot be created via the UI, they can be edited, or deleted. Prefect. |
| - Highly decoupled setups are possible. | ||
| - You want to programmatically create deployments | ||
| - You're integrating deployment creation into existing Python scripts | ||
| - You prefer a more imperative approach to deployment definition |
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Suggested change
| - You prefer a more imperative approach to deployment definition | |
| - You prefer an imperative approach to defining deployments |
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Updates deployment overview page to add more context and explanation.
Checklist
<link to issue>"mint.json.