Even the perfect code (if it exists) is useless if it is not being run. So in order to serve a purpose, our code needs to be installed on the target machine (computer) and executed. The process of making a specific version of your application or service available to the end users is called deployment.
In case of desktop applications, this seems to be simple—your job ends on providing a downloadable package with optional installer, if necessary. It is the user's responsibility to download and install it in his/her environment. Your responsibility is to make this process as easy and convenient as possible. Proper packaging is still not a simple task, but some tools were already explained in the previous chapter.
Surprisingly, things get more complicated when your code is not a product per se. If your application only provides a service that is being sold to the users, then it is your responsibility to run it on your own infrastructure. This scenario is typical for a...