Pre-Deployment Read-Only Checklist

Purpose

Create a deployment readiness picture before any production modification. The workflow inventories artifacts, current runtime state, configuration, dependencies, risk, and rollback prerequisites without touching production files.

When to use

• Before deploying a new backend, frontend, worker, config bundle, container image, or package.
• Before following a user-provided deployment guide.
• When the target host, artifact source, or rollback path is uncertain.
• Before any action that may replace files, restart services, migrate data, or alter configuration.

Safety rules

• This skill is strictly read-only by default.
• Do not copy, unpack, edit, delete, chmod, chown, install, restart, reload, migrate, or clean anything without explicit approval.
• Do not print secrets, private logs, customer data, database URLs, tokens, internal IPs, real domains, or service account names.
• Use placeholders: <PROJECT_NAME>, <PROJECT_ROOT>, <UPLOAD_DIR>, <SERVICE_NAME>, <APP_DOMAIN>, <SERVER_IP>, <DB_NAME>.
• If the deployment requires code or business-logic changes, stop and ask for explicit approval.

Read-only workflow

1. Confirm host context: current host, user, working directory, date/time, OS, and whether this is the deployment target or only a control machine.
2. Confirm scope: component list, deployment artifact source, expected target paths, expected service names, and rollback requirements.
3. Inventory candidate artifacts: type, size, timestamp, checksum status, version string if available, and whether upload appears complete.
4. Inventory current deployment: process/service state, active version if visible, target directories, config files, logs directory, data directory, reverse proxy entries, and scheduled tasks.
5. Check resource readiness: disk space, memory pressure, CPU/load, inode availability, and port occupancy summaries.
6. Check dependency readiness: runtime version, virtualenv/container status, package manager availability, database reachability by safe metadata only, external service assumptions, and proxy requirements.
7. Check configuration compatibility: expected ports, env key presence without values, profile selection, feature flags, database migration requirements, static asset layout, and reverse proxy upstreams.
8. Check backup and rollback prerequisites: existing backups, writable backup target, rollback artifact availability, service stop/start requirements, and data protection constraints.
9. Identify risk class: low-risk static update, service restart required, schema/data risk, cross-host risk, or unclear target risk.
10. Produce a go/no-go recommendation and list user approvals required before deployment.

Evidence to collect

• Host identity and target confirmation.
• Artifact inventory and completeness indicators.
• Current service/process/port state.
• Config presence and expected keys, values redacted.
• Resource summary: disk, memory, load, inodes.
• Backup and rollback readiness.
• Dependency and external connectivity assumptions.
• Risk classification and blockers.

Stop conditions

• Target host is ambiguous.
• Artifact upload is incomplete or unverified.
• Backup/rollback path is missing for a risky deployment.
• Required config contains secrets that cannot be safely summarized.
• Deployment includes data migration, deletion, or schema changes without approval.
• Current production state cannot be inventoried safely.

Optional user-approved actions

Only after explicit user approval:

• Create backups.
• Transfer artifacts.
• Stage or unpack packages.
• Stop, start, restart, or reload services.
• Apply migrations.
• Edit configuration.
• Execute deployment or rollback.

Final report format

Summary: <go/no-go/readiness result>
Host context: <host/user/time/target confirmation>
Scope: <PROJECT_NAME components>
Artifacts: <inventory and completeness>
Current state: <services/ports/config/resources>
Backup/rollback: <ready/blocked/unknown>
Risks: <bullets>
Blockers: <bullets>
Approvals required before deployment: <specific actions>
Recommended next step: <read-only follow-up or approved deployment gate>