--- title: "Deployments" slug: "deployments" updated: 2024-08-23T11:10:38Z published: 2024-08-23T11:10:38Z canonical: "help.mail-and-deploy.com/deployments" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.mail-and-deploy.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Deployments ### General Deployments are used to transfer [Reports](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) or [Tasks](/release35/docs/tasks) from one instance of Mail & Deploy (the *Source Instance*) to another instance of Mail & Deploy (the *Target Instance*). > Example: If you have multiple instances of Mail & Deploy (e.g. one for testing and one for production), deployments allow you to develop and test [Reports](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) and [Tasks](/release35/docs/tasks) in the test environment and then deploy them to the production environment when tested and ready for production. Every deployment allows to deploy multiple [Reports](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) or [Tasks](/release35/docs/tasks) from a [Workspace](/release35/docs/workspaces) of the source instance (the *Source Workspace*) to a [Workspace](/release35/docs/workspaces) of the target instance (the *Target Workspace*). ### Deployment Concepts The following types of content can be deployed: - [Reports](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) - [Tasks](/release35/docs/tasks) #### Deploying Reports When a [Report](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) is deployed, it will either be created as a new report in the target instance, or - if a report with the same ID or name does already exist in the target instance - update the existing report. This ensures that the second deployment of the report will update the already deployed version of the report rather than create a new one. > Example: You deploy the report *Sales Report* to a target instance for the first time; since the report does not exist in the target instance, it will be created. If you deploy it a second time, the existing *Sales Report* of the target instance will be overwritten with the deployed version. #### Deploying Tasks When a [Task](/release35/docs/tasks) is deployed, it will either be created as a new task in the target instance, or - if a task with the same ID or name does already exist in the target instance - update the existing task. This ensures that the second deployment of the task will update the already deployed version of the task rather than create a new one. NOTE When deploying [Tasks](/release35/docs/tasks) the [Execution Plans](/release35/docs/execution-plans) of the task are not deployed. The reason for this behavior is that you may not have the same execution plans for different instanes (e.g. you may have a different execution plan for the task in your test environment than in your production environment). After you have deployed the task to an instance for the first time, you need to set up execution plans for that task. In subsequent deployments, the execution plans will not be overwritten by the deployed version of the task. #### Required Entities [Reports](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) and [Tasks](/release35/docs/tasks) which are deployed may require additional information that may not be present in the target instance. > Example: A [Report](/release35/docs/introduction-to-reports) requires [Datasources](/release35/docs/introduction-to-datasources), a [Task](/release35/docs/tasks) may require [E-Mail Servers](/release35/docs/introduction-to-email-servers) etc. The following table shows how these required entities are handled during a deployment: | Entity Type | Description | | --- | --- | | [Workspace](/release35/docs/workspaces) | Deployed reports and tasks belong to a workspace; if a workspace with the same ID or name does exist in the target instance, the deployed reports and tasks will be added to that workspace. If such a workspace cannot be found in the target instance, a new workspace with the same properties as the one on the source instance will be created in the target instance. | | [Datasource](/release35/docs/introduction-to-datasources) | If deployed reports and tasks reference a datasource in the source workspace, referenced datasources will be matched in the target repository by their name (e.g. if a report requires a datasource named MyQlikSenseApp in the source instance, a datasource with the same name must exist in the target instance). If such a datasource cannot be found in the target instance the deployment will fail. | | [User](/release35/docs/users) or [User Group](/release35/docs/user-groups) | If a report or a task references a user or user group (e.g. when using a [Send E-Mail Action](/release35/docs/send-e-mail) in a task to send an e-mail), Mail & Deploy will try to match all users and user groups in the target instance. [Users](/release35/docs/users) are matched by their name, match code, or windows account and user groups are matched by their name. If a user or user group cannot be found in the target instance, they will be removed from the distribution list (e.g. if you send an e-mail to users *User1, User2*, and *User3* and *User2* cannot be found in the target instance, the e-mail will only be sent to *User1* and *User3*). | | [E-Mail Server](/release35/docs/introduction-to-email-servers) | If a task references an e-mail server (e.g. when using a [Send E-Mail Action](/release35/docs/send-e-mail), Mail & Deploy tries to find an e-mail server with the same name in the target instance. If such an e-mail server cannot be found, the e-mail server of the source instance will be transferred to the target instance; if an e-mail server already exists in the target instance, it will not be updated with the version from the source instance. | | [Global Variables](/release35/docs/global-variables) | If deployed reports or tasks use a global variable and a global variable with that name does not exist in the target instance, it will be created. Otherwise, it will not be deployed (i.e. the value of the already existing global variable in the target instance will not change). | ### Managing Deployments Deployments can be managed by logging on to the [Management Service](/release35/docs/services) and clicking *Deployments* in the menu. NOTE The *Deployments* menu item is only visible if the [Deployment Settings](/release35/docs/deployment-settings) allow deployments and if the logged on [User](/release35/docs/users) is of type *Administrator* or has the *Deploy Content* permission (see [Authorizations](/release35/docs/introduction-to-authorizations) for the [Workspace](/release35/docs/workspaces). *Incoming Deployments* are all deployments from other instances to the one you are logged on to; *Outgoing Deployments* are deployments from the current instance to other instances.