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Using Rollback Tags with Apply Schema Step

When deploying database changeSets in Harness, rollback safety is built-in. The Apply Schema step ensures that every deployment is checkpointed with a rollback tag (preStartTag). This tag can be reused or created automatically, giving teams a reliable way to revert changes if needed.

How it Works​

When the Apply Schema step runs in a pipeline:

  1. Harness checks if the last deployed changeSet already has a tag.
  2. If a tag exists, Harness will reuse it.
  3. If no tag is found, Harness automatically creates a new tag before running the update command. This ensures that every deployment has a safe checkpoint for rollback.

Accessing Rollback Tags​

You can access the rollback tag value with Harness expressions:

  • Within the same stage 
    <+execution.steps.stepGroupIdentifier.steps.stepIdentifier.output.preStartTag>
  • Across pipeline 
    <+pipeline.stages.stageIdentifier.spec.execution.steps.stepGroupIdentifier.steps.stepIdentifier.output.preStartTag>

Here’s what each part means:

  • stageIdentifier: The stage where your Apply Schema step runs.
  • stepGroupIdentifier: The step group containing your Apply Schema step.
  • stepIdentifier: The Apply Schema step itself.
  • preStartTag: The tag value Harness captures before running the update.

Best Practices​

  • Use consistent tag naming conventions (e.g., release-2025-09-22).
  • Store rollback tags in external audit systems for traceability.
  • Always verify tags before running deployments in production.
  • Integrate rollback tags into approval steps for safer rollouts.
  • When deploying a git-based schema, tag using the git sha
  • when deploying an artifactory-based schema, tag using the artifact version

FAQ​

1. Is this different from Liquibase tags?​

Yes. Liquibase requires manual tagging. Harness automates this process, ensuring a rollback tag is always captured—no missed steps, no manual scripts.

2. Can I export tags for external systems?​

Yes, rollback tags can be logged or passed into monitoring and audit tools. It can also be queried via this API Endpoint - https://apidocs.harness.io/migration-state/v1migrationstateprojdbinstance

3. What if no previous tag exists?​

Harness creates one automatically before the update, ensuring rollback safety every time.

4. Why use Harness instead of Liquibase directly?​

Harness Database DevOps builds on top of Liquibase capabilities but adds pipeline automation, visibility, governance, auditability, and intelligent defaults like automatic tagging. This means:

  • You don’t need to write custom scripts for rollback safety.
  • Rollbacks are standardized across all environments.
  • Teams save time by using built-in pipeline steps instead of managing manual Liquibase commands.

5. How does this improve CI/CD for databases?​

Tags ensure every schema deployment is checkpointed. Combined with Harness pipelines, this makes database delivery as safe and repeatable as application delivery.