You can specify the following types of scripts that are executed during a deployment or rollback to an area:
Pre deploy
Post deploy
Deploy failure
You specify area scripts in the Area Definitions section of the Dimensions administration console.
Promotion and deployment are different concepts. Promotion indicates the quality of an object and specifies what deployment areas it can be deployed to. For example, at unit test developers may be testing on their local machines and not deploying to deployment areas until system testing begins. Therefore, promoting an item to unit test means that development has been completed and unit testing is proceeding, but the item is not yet of a sufficient quality to be deployed to a deployment area.
If you do not add a deployment area to a GSL stage, promotion to that stage will not result in any deployment, but the stage still exists. You can add a deployment area later to that stage, and then deploy items to that area.