Setting Up Phoenix Deployments with Kamal

This article provides a comprehensive guide on deploying Phoenix applications using Kamal, a deployment tool created to streamline the Docker workflow. It begins by explaining the unique challenges of deploying applications in Elixir and how Kamal addresses these by providing a cloud-like experience on any infrastructure. The article details the steps for preparing a Phoenix application for deployment, including containerization and server provisioning. It highlights Kamal's features such as health checks, rollbacks, and zero-downtime deployments. The process of setting up Kamal is outlined, including configuration for secrets management and deployment specifics. Advanced configurations are also discussed, such as automating database migrations and integrating with CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions, ensuring a modern deployment workflow. The article concludes by encouraging developers to explore multi-role deployments and scaling strategies, reinforcing Kamal's versatility for both simple and complex applications.