Automating Multi-Tenant Mobile App Deployment with GitHub Actions and Fastlane
Project Year
2022
Industry
Mobile App
Overview
One of our South American clients required a React Native mobile application that could be dynamically configured for different clients, allowing each to have its own branding, API configurations, and deployment setup. Additionally, the deployment process needed to be fully automated to ensure seamless and scalable delivery of both Android and iOS applications.
Client Challenge
Dynamic Configurations Each client required unique branding, API endpoints, and environment variables.
Code Signing & Provisioning Managing Android Keystores, iOS provisioning profiles, and certificates securely.
Automated CI/CD Implementing a robust continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipeline for Android and iOS.
Google Play & App Store Integration Automating the upload of builds while ensuring compliance with store policies.
Solution: A Fully Automated Multi-Tenant Deployment Pipeline
01
API configuration
Clients first fill out a form, specifying their branding, API configurations, and other settings.
02
Firebase
The submitted data is stored in Firebase Firestore.
03
Deployment pipeline
When a build is triggered, the deployment pipeline fetches the stored configurations from Firestore.
04
Fetch
The fetched configuration is then used to update the respective configuration files dynamically before the build process starts.
05
Dynamic and scalable
This eliminates the need for separate .env files, making the process truly dynamic and scalable.
Business Impact & Results
90% Reduction in Deployment Time: Deployment that once took hours is now completed in minutes.
Eliminated Manual Errors: Consistent deployment pipelines reduce human mistakes.
Scalable & Multi-Tenant Ready: Each client's app version is deployed without impacting others.
Seamless Store Integration: Automated uploads ensure compliance with Google Play and App Store
Conclusion
By leveraging GitHub Actions and Fastlane, we successfully automated the deployment of a multi-tenant React Native application, enabling seamless and efficient app releases. This automation not only streamlined operations but also empowered the client to scale their offerings without additional deployment overhead.