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To support zero-downtime deployments, configure a health check endpoint in your Django application. This endpoint allows Sevalla to verify that your app is running correctly before routing traffic to it. There are multiple ways to implement a health check in Django, depending on the level of control and visibility required.

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Option 1: Use an existing view

If you don’t want to create a new endpoint, you can reuse an existing public view as the health check. The chosen path should return a successful response only when critical dependencies, such as the database or other required services, are functioning correctly. If a failure occurs, the view should return an error status.

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Option 2: Create a dedicated health check view

For more control and clarity, you can create a simple, dedicated health check endpoint. This view can explicitly verify core dependencies, such as database connectivity, by calling connection.ensure_connection(). If a connection cannot be established, an exception is raised, and the endpoint returns an error response, indicating the application is unhealthy. 
# views.py
from django.db import connection
from django.http import HttpResponse

def health_check(request):
    connection.ensure_connection()
    return HttpResponse("OK", status=200)

# urls.py

urlpatterns = [
    path('health_check/', views.health_check, name='health_check'),
]
This view can then be extended with any other checks that your app needs to perform to assess its health.

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Option 3: Use a health check library

You can also use established libraries that provide ready-made health check endpoints. These libraries can automatically verify the health of multiple components, such as databases, caches, task queues, and email services. One example is Django Health Check, which offers modular checks and configurable endpoints, making it a good choice for more complex applications with multiple dependencies.