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Deploying code is the process of pushing code to an Astro Private Cloud (APC) Deployment. A code deploy can include an entire Astro project as a Docker image, or just the Dags in your project. APC supports several methods for deploying code to a Deployment: Use this document to understand each method and choose the right approach for your use case.

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Deployment methods comparison

Data plane failover supports only image-based deploys. Deploy a full project image for any Deployment that must fail over to another data plane cluster. See Deploy mechanism requirements.

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Astro CLI deploys

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Full image deploy

By default, deploy code by building it into a Docker image and pushing to the Astronomer Registry using the CLI. This mechanism builds your Dags into a Docker image alongside all other files in your Astro project directory:
  • Python packages (requirements.txt)
  • OS-level packages (packages.txt)
  • Dockerfile customizations
  • Plugins and include files
The resulting image generates Docker containers for each Airflow component. Every time you run astro deploy, your project is rebuilt into a new image and containers are restarted.

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When to use

  • Python or OS dependency updates
  • Custom Dockerfile modifications
  • Initial deployment setup
  • Major version changes

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Dag-only deploy

For faster iteration, enable Dag-only deploys to deploy just your dags directory without rebuilding the Docker image.

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When to use

  • Frequent Dag changes
  • No dependency changes
  • Development workflows
  • Quick fixes
You still need Docker access to authenticate to APC before deploying Dags.

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NFS volume-based Dag deploys

For teams deploying Dag changes frequently, APC supports NFS volume-based Dag deploys. Using this mechanism, deploy Dags by adding Python files to a shared filesystem on your network. Compared to image-based deploys, NFS enables:
  • Zero downtime deployments
  • Continuous deployment workflows
  • Shared Dag storage across environments

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When to use

  • Enterprise environments with existing NFS infrastructure
  • High-frequency Dag updates
  • Shared Dag development across teams

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Requirements

  • NFS server accessible from Kubernetes cluster
  • Platform-level configuration enabled
  • Read access for UID/GID 50000
For configuration details, see Deploy Dags via NFS volume.

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Git-sync Dag deploys

For Git-based workflows, APC supports git-sync deployments. Configure a Git repository to sync with your Deployment. When you push changes to the repository, Dags automatically sync with no downtime.

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Sync modes

  • Polling: Periodically checks for changes (default: every 60 seconds)
  • Webhook: Triggers sync on push events

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When to use

  • GitOps deployment workflows
  • Version-controlled Dag management
  • CI/CD pipeline integration
  • Branch-based deployment strategies
For configuration details, see Deploy Dags via git sync.

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Choose a deployment method

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Decision tree

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Combine methods

You can combine deployment methods:
  • Use CLI Full Image for dependency updates
  • Use CLI Dag-Only for quick Dag iterations
  • Use Git Sync for automated production deployments
A Deployment uses one Dag deploy mechanism. When you configure NFS or Git Sync, Dags come only from that mechanism, and astro deploy --dags no longer applies. You can still deploy a new project image to the Deployment with astro deploy --image. See Deploy a project image to a git-sync Deployment.

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CI/CD integration

All deployment methods integrate with CI/CD pipelines: