Backward compatibility

As explained in Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform

Backward compatibility is the property that a newer version continues to support interfaces, behaviors, or configurations expected by existing users or dependents.

Backward compatibility lets a newer infrastructure-as-code tool version preserve existing configurations and behavior while adding new features. Support usually lasts only briefly before older features are deprecated. section 13.2.2

Manage a backward-compatible upgrade through controlled, incremental changes:

• Pin module, tool, and plugin versions, then inspect breaking changes before selecting an upgrade path. section 13.2.1
• Test the upgrade outside production and avoid jumping directly to the latest version. section 13.2.1
• Refactor high-level resources first, deploy and test them, then proceed toward lower-level resources. section 13.2.2
• Use rolling updates to limit the blast radius, and roll forward when a single resource fails. section 13.2.2

Upgrading from 1.7 to 3.0

A tool upgrade from 1.7 to 3.0 preserves compatibility, so DNS and load-balancer resources are upgraded first. Servers follow one at a time; an override-script failure affects only one server and receives a manual fix. section 13.2.2

Figure 13.6 You plan your tool upgrade path and account for backward-compatible versions and versions with breaking changes.

Use the upgrade-path figure to compare backward-compatible steps with versions that introduce breaking changes. section 13.2.1

How Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform covers it

How deep it goes

Explains version pinning, staged resource updates, testing, rolling updates, and failure recovery, stopping short of tool internals.

Examples

Uses versions 1.7, 3.0, and 4.0, plus DNS, load balancers, servers, and a failing production override script.

What it assumes

Assumes infrastructure-as-code configurations, modules, plugins, version pinning, testing pipelines, and resource dependencies.

What you can do after

Apply it to plan, test, stage, and safely recover from backward-compatible infrastructure-as-code tool upgrades.

How it connects

Connects backward compatibility with infrastructure as code, version pinning, breaking changes, refactoring, rolling updates, and deployment testing.

liveBookmanning.com

Read Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform on liveBook Get the book at manning.com

Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  API Design PatternsBackward compatibility is the property of a changed software interface remaining usable by previously written clients or consumers.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Kafka for ArchitectsBackward compatibility is a schema compatibility policy in which consumers using the new schema can read messages produced with the previous schema.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and PatternsThe ability of a system or communication contract to remain usable by existing external clients after internal changes.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  The Design of Web APIs, Second EditionBackward compatibility is the ability of a changed API to continue supporting existing consumers and their prior usage expectations.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Apache Kafka in ActionBackward compatibility is schema compatibility in which consumers using the current schema can read data written with older schemas.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Web Components in ActionCompatibility of software with earlier browsers, platforms, or versions of a technology.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofuBackward compatibility is the ability of a newer software version to preserve the behavior and interfaces expected by existing users or dependent code.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Machine Learning System DesignThe ability of new software or an interface version to support existing code or clients without changes.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Simple Object-Oriented Design: Create clean, maintainable applicationsBackward compatibility is the ability of a changed software component or interface to continue supporting existing clients and usage patterns.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Kafka Streams in Action, Second EditionBackward compatibility is the ability of a newer software component or data schema to work with data produced using an older schema or interface.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  The Art of CodeBackward compatibility is the ability of a changed software component or interface to continue working with existing clients and dependent systems.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Learn Go with Pocket-Sized ProjectsBackward compatibility is the ability of a newer software version to continue working with existing users, integrations, or client code.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Practices of the Python ProBackward compatibility is the ability of a newer software version to preserve compatibility with earlier interfaces, data, or behavior.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Troubleshooting Java, Second EditionBackward compatibility is the ability of a newer consumer or implementation to process data produced according to an older schema.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Designing Deep Learning Systems: A guide for software engineersThe property of a system or data interface that allows newer changes to remain usable by existing consumers and projects.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  gRPC Microservices in GoBackward compatibility is the ability of a changed system to continue supporting existing users, integrations, or clients without requiring them to upgrade.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Automating API DeliveryAPI compatibility is the ability of an API client application and API server to communicate successfully across a change.

Compare how 18 books explain backward compatibility →

Related concepts

• breaking changecontrasts with · A breaking change is a modification to an interface, behavior, format, configuration, or contract that can prevent existing consumers from working correctly without changes.
• schema registryused by · A schema registry is a service that stores, versions, and provides schemas for structured data, often validating compatibility between schema versions.
• forward compatibilityincludes · Forward compatibility is the ability of older software, interfaces, or schemas to tolerate and interoperate with supported changes introduced by newer versions.
• Mapused by · A map is an associative data structure that stores key-value pairs and supports retrieving values by key.
• PostgreSQLused by · PostgreSQL is an open-source object-relational database management system that implements SQL and supports transactional data storage and extensibility.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.