Never Absorb Upgrades During Peak Weeks

Upgrade risk is constant, but the cost of discovering a problem scales with load, which makes timing a controllable multiplier on every release decision.

The same upgrade is a different bet on different weeks. Absorbing it before your busiest period means discovering its surprises at maximum stakes with minimum slack.

Timing rules worth writing down

• Define blackout windows around known peak periods.
• Require a full observation window before the next peak.
• Keep rollback rehearsed and staffed for every upgrade slot.

Use the changelog, benchmarks, and enterprise guide to schedule the risk where the blast radius is smallest.