What is the difference between a hard freeze and a cold freeze (change freeze)?
Quick Answer
A hard freeze blocks all changes and deployments for maximum stability (e.g., peak shopping events). A cold freeze is more restrictive-but-partial: only critical fixes and security patches are allowed. Both reduce change-induced risk during sensitive windows.
Detailed Answer
Change freezes cut the biggest source of incidents — change — during high-risk periods (holidays, launches, on-call gaps). A hard freeze = no changes, no deployments, maximum stability. A cold freeze = critical fixes and security patches only, with everything else held. Define the window, the exception process, and who approves emergency changes.
Interview Tip
Hard freeze = nothing ships; cold freeze = only critical/security fixes. Mention the exception/approval process for emergencies.