Which deployment method involves pushing changes to an inactive environment and switching traffic post-testing?

The Blue Green Deployment method is characterized by its approach to reducing downtime and minimizing risk during the release of new versions of applications. In this technique, two identical environments are maintained: one is the "blue" environment, which is currently active and serving live traffic, while the "green" environment serves as the inactive environment where new changes or updates are made and tested.

After deploying and thoroughly testing the new changes in the green environment, the traffic is then switched from the blue environment to the green environment. This switch can often be implemented with a simple routing change, which allows for seamless deployment. If any issues are detected after switching, it is easy to revert back to the blue environment, as it remains untouched and functional.

This method provides a powerful means of ensuring reliability and stability for end-users, as users continue to interact with the version of the application that is known to work while the new version is prepared and tested in parallel. The ability to quickly switch back in case of any issues also enhances the overall safety of the deployment process.