Best way to set up a SAAS model on DigitalOcean

March 12, 2018 1.5k views
PostgreSQL Ubuntu 16.04
mjacobson7
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mjacobson7

I'm currently setting up a site using the SAAS business model. I've read online that you can use one droplet for a group of customers and add droplets as needed. I've also heard about allowing each user to have their own droplet. If I have 100 customers and we need to roll code to production, would that mean I have to go to each droplet and pull the new code from github, or is there a more simple way to do this? I am not a sysadmin, so I'm unfamiliar with how I would go about doing this. Any help would be appreciated!

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2 Answers
levlaz March 13, 2018

You should read about continuous delivery.

I am not a sysadmin, so I'm unfamiliar with how I would go about doing this.

If you have a SaaS business with 100+ customers, then you should probably hire a sysadmin, or prepare to get your hands dirty. :)

An Introduction to Continuous Integration, Delivery, and Deployment
by Justin Ellingwood
Developing and releasing software can be a complicated process, especially as applications, teams, and deployment infrastructure grow in complexity themselves. Often, challenges become more pronounced as projects grow. To develop, test, and release software in a quick and...
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jtittle MOD March 13, 2018

@mjacobson7

I would recommend looking in to our API and seeing if there's an existing library available so that you don't need to roll your own:

https://developers.digitalocean.com/documentation/v2/

The API will allow you to perform most all actions that you would normally need to otherwise perform from our Cloud control panel. It also allows you to pass user data, which can be in the form of bash or cloud init.

When it comes to system administration, on our end, we take care of the hardware, the network, and the hypervisor. The customer would need to manage the overall security of the OS and software that may be installed to run their applications. This would include updates, upgrades, patches, etc. In such cases, we would definitely recommend having a sysadmin on-hand to help out and ensure that each Droplet you deploy is as secure and up-2-date as possible on a normal basis.

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