# A/B Deployment

A/B deployment is an update process whereby you deploy new versions of your game servers alongside your already existing game servers. First in small amounts, allowing you to test your new build first with a few clients, maybe a team of internal or external testers. You control the clients that will connect to the new versions via your matchmaker - you do not update all clients at the same time. Only when you are happy with the new game server version will you send all client-update instructions and will you let all other clients join with the new game servers.

This has the side effect that your game servers running the old version will automatically be abandoned once all your clients have updated. When that moment has been reached, you can delete the remaining game servers still running the old version.

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## Benefits

* No maintenance window is required
* Allows for testing your new game servers before moving the whole community to the new version

## Downsides

* During the A/B deployment process you will have a bit more game servers than normal, occupying a bit more resources, unless you have unused bare metal hosts available

## Performing a A/B Deployment via the UI

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## Performing a A/B Deployment via the API

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This deployment method is not yet available. This documentation will be updated as soon as it is available.
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## Performing a A/B Deployment manually

You can perform all of the above manually if you wish, bypassing our automated systems. For more details on how to do this, please see the [AB Deployment - Manually](https://docs.i3d.net/game-hosting/processes/index/ab-deployment-manually) chapter. Note that you will not receive any live-reporting emails then.


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