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Before deploying NutriFit to production, ensure all items in this checklist are completed. This systematic approach helps prevent common deployment issues and ensures optimal performance.

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Environment Configuration

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Critical Settings

1

Set Production Environment

Update your .env file:
APP_ENV=production
APP_DEBUG=false
Never enable APP_DEBUG=true in production. It exposes sensitive application details and stack traces.
2

Generate Application Key

Ensure your application key is set:
php artisan key:generate
This key is used for encrypting sessions, cookies, and other sensitive data.
3

Set Application URL

Configure your production domain:
APP_URL=https://yourdomain.com

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Database Configuration

Switch from SQLite to MySQL for production:
DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=nutrifit
DB_USERNAME=nutrifit_user
DB_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
Use a strong, unique password for database access
Execute database migrations:
php artisan migrate --force
The --force flag is required in production environments.
Create the admin user and initial data:
php artisan db:seed

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Mail Server Configuration

SMTP Settings

Configure your production mail server:
MAIL_MAILER=smtp
MAIL_HOST=smtp.yourdomain.com
MAIL_PORT=587
MAIL_USERNAME=[email protected]
MAIL_PASSWORD=your_mail_password
MAIL_ENCRYPTION=tls
MAIL_FROM_ADDRESS=[email protected]
MAIL_FROM_NAME="NutriFit"

Test Email Delivery

Verify email notifications are working:
php artisan tinker
# Then run:
Mail::raw('Test', function($msg) {
    $msg->to('[email protected]')->subject('Test');
});
Replace Mailtrap credentials with a real SMTP server. Mailtrap only works in development.

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Performance Optimization

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Caching Strategy

1

Compile Assets

Build optimized frontend assets:
npm run build
2

Optimize Composer Autoloader

Generate optimized autoload files:
composer install --optimize-autoloader --no-dev
The --no-dev flag excludes development dependencies.
3

Cache Configuration

Cache all configuration files:
php artisan config:cache
4

Cache Routes

Cache route definitions:
php artisan route:cache
Don’t use route caching if you use closure-based routes.
5

Cache Views

Pre-compile Blade templates:
php artisan view:cache

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Database Caching

Configure cache to use database for better performance: 
CACHE_STORE=database
SESSION_DRIVER=database
For even better performance, consider Redis: 
CACHE_STORE=redis
SESSION_DRIVER=redis
REDIS_HOST=127.0.0.1
REDIS_PASSWORD=null
REDIS_PORT=6379

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Security Hardening

Ensure your application is served over HTTPS:
  1. Obtain an SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt recommended)
  2. Configure your web server to redirect HTTP to HTTPS
  3. Update APP_URL to use https://
Verify SSL is working: https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/
Protect your .env file:
chmod 600 .env
Ensure .env is in .gitignore and never committed to version control.
Set correct permissions:
chmod -R 755 storage bootstrap/cache
chown -R www-data:www-data storage bootstrap/cache
Configure security headers in your web server:
  • X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN
  • X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
  • X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
  • Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000

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Queue Workers

Queue workers are critical for NutriFit. Email notifications won’t be sent without them.
Configure queue connection: 
QUEUE_CONNECTION=database
For better performance, use Redis: 
QUEUE_CONNECTION=redis
See Queue Workers for complete setup instructions.

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Scheduled Tasks

NutriFit sends appointment reminders 24 hours in advance. Configure the Laravel scheduler: 
crontab -e
Add this entry: 
* * * * * cd /path/to/nutrifit && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

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Backup Strategy

1

Database Backups

Set up automated daily database backups:
# Example backup script
mysqldump -u nutrifit_user -p nutrifit > backup-$(date +%F).sql
Store backups securely off-server.
2

File Backups

Back up uploaded files and storage:
tar -czf storage-backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz storage/
3

Environment Backup

Keep a secure backup of your .env file in a password manager or secure vault.

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Final Verification

Before going live, verify:
  • APP_ENV=production is set
  • APP_DEBUG=false is set
  • Database is MySQL (not SQLite)
  • SMTP server is configured
  • Assets are compiled (npm run build)
  • Composer is optimized (--no-dev)
  • All caches are generated
  • Queue worker is running
  • Cron job is configured
  • SSL certificate is installed
  • Backups are configured
  • Admin account is created
  • Test email notifications work
  • Test appointment booking works
  • Test PDF generation works

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Rollback Plan

Before deployment, prepare a rollback strategy:
  1. Keep previous version files accessible
  2. Have database backup ready to restore
  3. Document rollback commands
  4. Test rollback procedure in staging
# Example rollback commands
git checkout previous-stable-tag
composer install --no-dev
npm run build
php artisan migrate:rollback
php artisan cache:clear
Consider using a staging environment to test deployment procedures before production.

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Next Steps

Environment Setup

Detailed production environment configuration

Deployment Platforms

Choose and configure your hosting platform

Queue Workers

Set up background job processing

Monitoring

Monitor your production application

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