Context

When managing applications, you may need to run one-off tasks like database migrations or data transformations.

Answer

There are two recommended approaches to handle one-off tasks in Qovery:

Option 1: Application Startup Migration

You can manage the task during your application startup process. When using this approach:

1. Configure Kubernetes health check probes properly to indicate that your application isn't ready until the task completes

2. Be aware of potential race conditions if you're running multiple application instances

For detailed guidance on configuring health checks, refer to our guide on achieving zero-downtime applications with Kubernetes.

Option 2: Lifecycle Jobs (Recommended)

Create a lifecycle job to manage your one-off tasks:

1. Set up a lifecycle job that runs before your main application deployment stage

2. Configure the job to trigger on the 'Deploy' event

3. Deploy the job alongside your application to ensure the task runs before the new application version is deployed