Virto Commerce Production Checklist

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By following this comprehensive checklist, you can ensure a smooth and secure go-live process for your Virto Commerce implementation. If you need further details or additional steps, feel free to ask!

1. Pre-Deployment Checks

Code Review and Quality Assurance

  • Ensure adherence to coding standards and best practices.
  • Perform static code analysis (e.g., using SonarCloud).
  • Keep Virto Commerce up to date: Follow VirtoCommerce release strategy.

Testing

  • Unit Testing: Ensure all unit tests pass.
  • Integration Testing: Verify integration with third-party services.
  • Load Testing: Simulate high traffic to ensure performance under load. [2]
  • User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Validate functionality with end-users.

Security

  • Run vulnerability scans and apply secure coding practices (e.g., OWASP ZAP) [2]
  • Ensure secure coding practices (e.g., input validation, encryption). [2]
  • Implement and test security measures (e.g., firewalls, SSL/TLS). [2]
  • Do not use production data in development or test environments unless strictly necessary—with proper anonymization—due to regulatory and security risks.

2. Configuration and Optimization

Environment Configuration

  • Disable RefreshProbingFolderOnStart for production to reduce startup time. [2]
  • Check that the .NET application is running in Production mode. [2]
  • Disable Swagger and GraphQL playground endpoints in the production environment.
  • Configure admin panel backgrounds or watermark the UI to clearly distinguish production and non-production environments - prevents accidental operations.

Performance Optimization

  • Optimize database queries and indexes. [2]
  • Enable caching mechanisms (e.g., Redis). [2]
  • Fine-tune Elasticsearch indexes. [2]
  • Consider using SQL Database Elastic Pool. This allows you to segment modules across different databases (Cart, Order, Catalog, Customers, etc.). [2]

Scalability

  • Set up auto-scaling for web servers and databases. [2]
  • Ensure the application can handle increased load. [2]

SEO and Analytics

  • Enable Google Analytics and Hotjar for tracking and analysis (sitemaps, robots.txt, meta tags).
  • Enable SSR or prerendering (e.g. Prerender.io, Cloudflare) for SPA storefront to ensure SEO visibility.
  • Configure and test all payment, tax, and shipping integrations thoroughly in production mode.

Email, Domain & Authentication

  • Configure SMTP/email providers (e.g. SendGrid), verify template rendering and delivery. [2]
  • Configure HTTPS with valid SSL/TLS certificates and a custom production domain.. [2]
  • Implement SSO (e.g. Azure AD) for Virto Commerce back office instead of traditional login/password. [1]

Security

  • Roles and Permissions
    • Create roles and limit access using Virto Commerce Permissions.
    • Eliminate the use of the Administrator role where possible.
  • Data Security
    • Ensure all critical information is stored securely. [2]

3. Data Management

Data Migration, Backup & Recovery

  • Validate data migration scripts in a staging environment prior to live migration.
  • Establish backup schedules and test recovery scenarios.
  • Import production data (e.g. catalog, prices, availability, etc).

4. Deployment Automation & Monitoring

  • Use CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps) with zero‑downtime strategies like blue/green deployments.

  • Integrate Virto Commerce Global Tool (vc-build) best practice to reduce runtime overhead.

  • Prepare optimized deployment packages using vc-build to speed up startup.

  • Set up monitoring and logging (e.g. Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Hangfire dashboards).

  • Monitor all external integrations and background jobs.

5. Post Deployment & Smoke Testing

  • Confirm all service components are running (search, storefront, APIs).

  • Execute smoke tests on critical user journeys and functionalities.

  • Re‑validate SEO indexing, analytics events, and monitor prerender status.

6. User Training & Documentation

  • Provide training sessions for platform users and administrators.

  • Ensure up‑to‑date documentation, runbooks, and onboarding guides are accessible.

7. Go-Live

  • Announce go-live timing to stakeholders, prepare contact paths for support during rollout.
  • Execute communication plan for incident management.

8. Ongoing Maintenance & Optimization

  • Regularly review performance metrics and dependency latencies.
  • Plan database maintenance (index rebuilds, cleanup).
  • Periodically review permissions - minimise use of admin roles. Update security posture.
  • Periodically apply security patches and hot fixes from Virto Commerce.
  • Plan Virto Commerce Update Path to the latest Stable release every 3/6 months.

Notes

  1. Recommended Action.
  2. Available as OOTB in Virto Cloud.