Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for automated software container rehydration and deployment include a server that updates a container image for a software application by modifying layers of the container image and deploying the updated container image as a first container in a passive production environment. For a plurality of traffic volumes, the server: a) increases application traffic directed to the first container to a first traffic volume, b) monitors service level indicators associated with performance of the first container, c) increases the application traffic directed to the first container to a higher traffic volume upon determining that the service level indicators are within a performance threshold, and d) repeats steps b) and c) until the application traffic is increased to a highest traffic volume and the service level indicators are within the performance threshold. The server deploys the updated container image as a second container in an active production environment.