FlexDeploy enables you to modify a pipeline while the pipeline is executing a release.  The changes will be picked up once the pipeline starts the next step/gate.  Changes to the currently execution step/gate will not be picked up immediately.  Keep in mind that a pipeline can be used by multiple releases, any changes will apply to all releases associated to the pipeline.

The pipeline does its best to manage different changes, but there are some changes that can produce unexpected results and pausing the releases tied to the pipeline and insuring the stage you plan to change is not executing may be safer where you are making more extensive changes.  

Safe Changes

• Adding and or updating stages or steps/gates is safe.  
• Re-sequencing or deleting any steps/gates that are not currently executing.

Changes that Require Awareness

• Deleting stages or steps/gates that may be executing
• Re-sequencing steps/gate or stages where the current step/gate is executing  

Note: If a currently execution step or stage is deleted, the execution will fail.  If the Snapshot still needs to be deployed to that stage (and it was not deleted), the stage can be replayed.