Deploy to the Web

Last updated 1/10/2025

Dependent on your subscription, an instance of your application can progress through three deployments; development, testing, and production. It is recommended that you read the chapter Deployment Environments to understand each type of deployment and who can deploy to each environment.

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When deploying to the development, testing, and production environments, the first deployment may take up to five minutes to be available as the new DNS (Domain Name System) entry for the URL needs to propagate.

In the event of a timeout, wait for one to two minutes and click the Run button again. The Run button will show in the toolbar but the location can't be found yet because the DNS has not propagated.

Deploy to Development

Five will initially create an instance of your application for you and set this record as the default when you first save an application record. Only one instance of your application can be flagged as the default. The default instance record will have the Deploy to Development button in Five's toolbar enabling you to deploy your application from any view in Five.

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If you are on a Basic plan, when you deploy to the development environment, the changes are made to your live production application instantly.

1. Click the Deploy to Development button.

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If you are at the application level and have multiple applications saved in Five, you will need to select an application record before the Deploy to Development button is available.

Figure 1 - Deploy to Development button

Once you deploy your application, the Deploy to Development button will be replaced with the following buttons:

Run: With your application deployed to the development environment, you use the Run button each time you want to see the development changes you have made.

Remove from Deployment: This button will bring down the container holding your development instance. Next time you deploy to the development environment, a new container will be created to hold the development instance.

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Except for a production application on the Basic plan, after two hours of inactivity on your running application, the app will close down and you will need to remove the deployment and re-deploy your application again.

Restart Development: This button will remove the application from the development environment and then re-deploy the application to the development environment in one go.

Import Database to Development button: This button enables you to import a MySQL file in the development environment for your application.

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When importing an SQL file into your application in the development environment, it will overwrite any pre-existing data that is alredy saved in the application.

Back up Development button: This button will export your data into a MySQL file from the development environment.

Figure 2 - Run, Remove from Development, Restart Development, Import Database to Development, and Back up Development buttons

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Refer to the documentation on First Time Logging into Your Application to know how to log into your multiuser application for the first time using the default admin user supplied by Five.

Cluster Management

The Cluster Management page on the instance record enables you to:

• Deploy all instances to the development environment, dependent on your subscription
• Deploy to the testing and production environments, dependent on your subscription
• Remove deployments
• Restart deployments
• Backup databases

Your subscription will determine how the Cluster Management page looks for you.

On the Basic plan, deployment to the development environment is available.

Figure 3 - Development deployment

On the Team plan, deployment to the development and production environments are available.

Figure 4 - Development and production deployments

On the Business and Enterprise plans, deployment to the development, testing, and production environments are available.

Figure 5 - Development, testing, and production deployments

Deploy an Instance From the Cluster Management

All instances of your application can be deployed from the Cluster Management. If you wish to deploy an instance of your application that is not set as the default, you will need to deploy it using the Cluster Management.

For a Basic plan, if this is the instance of your application that you want to run live for your end-users, you will need to ensure the Production switch on the application record is set to true.

1. Navigate to the Instances view by selecting Setup in the menu and Instances in the sub-menu.

Figure 6 - Instances menu item

2. Select the instance record you want to deploy to the development environment.

3. Click the Cluster Management button.

Figure 7 - Cluster Management button

4. Click the Deploy to Development button.

Figure 8 - Deploy to Development button

Deploy to Testing

The testing deployment is available to the Business and Enterprise plans.

For a Business or Enterprise plan, if this is the instance of your application that you want to run in the testing environment, you will need to ensure the Production switch on the application record is set to true.

To deploy an instance of your application to the testing environment, you must use the Cluster Management and the instance must of been deployed to the development environment first.

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You do not need to remove your instance from the development environment!

1. Select the instance record you want to deploy to the testing environment and click the Cluster Management button.

Figure 9 - Cluster Management button

2. Click the Deploy to Testing button.

Figure 10 - Deploy to Testing button

Deploy to Production

The production deployment is available to the Team, Business, and Enterprise plans.

For a Team, Business, or Enterprise plan, if this is the instance of your application that you want to run in the production environment, you will need to ensure the Production switch on the application record is set to true.

On a Team plan, to deploy an instance of your application to the production environment, you must use the Cluster Management and the instance must of been deployed to the development environment first.

On a Business or Enterprise plan, to deploy an instance of your application to the production environment, you must use the Cluster Management and the instance must of been deployed to the development and testing environments first.

tip

You do not need to remove your instance from the development or testing environments!

1. Select the instance record you want to deploy to the production environment and click the Cluster Management button.

Figure 11 - Cluster Management button

2. Click the Deploy to Production button.

Figure 12 - Deploy to Production button