Managing lifecycles

A software release cycle usually has multiple phases. In BMC Release Process Management, you use lifecycles to specify the sequence of the states and transitions, which might include several requests. Lifecycles enable you to organize the software release process efficiently within the framework of your organization's processes. First, you create a lifecycle template to structure the release plan of your software, then you add lifecycle stages to the template, and then you create an instance of the lifecycle.

This topic provides the following information to help you manage lifecycles:

• • To create a lifecycle template
  • To add a lifecycle stage
  • To change the order of the stages
  • To create a lifecycle
  • To edit a lifecycle stage from a template
  • To create an instance of a lifecycle
  • To edit lifecycle details
  • To create a request for a lifecycle
  • To assign a request to a lifecycle
  • To create a run
  • Related topics

To create a lifecycle template

1. Click Environment > Metadata > Manage Lifecycle Templates.
2. Click the Create Lifecycle Template link on the right.
3. In the Name field, enter the name of your template.
4. From the list in the Template type field, select the template type.
5. Click Create.
6. To complete the lifecycle template formation, click the Add stage link below the lifecycle and add as many stages as required.

To add a lifecycle stage

1. From Environment > Metadata > Manage Lifecycle Templates.
2. Create Lifecycle Templates.
3. Click open a lifecycle template.
4. In the Stages section, click Add stage.
5. In the Creating Lifecycle Stage dialog box, enter a name for the stage in the Name field.
6. In Default Request Template, add as many request templates as necessary by pressing the Ctrl key.
7. (Optional) To give the requestor access to the stage, select the Requestor Access check box.
8. Click Create.
9. Create as many stages as needed by repeating steps 4 through 8.

To change the order of the stages

Drag and drop the stage's icon.

To create a lifecycle

1. From the Lifecycles page, click Create Lifecycle.
2. From the Lifecycle Template list, select a template, depending on the type before creating a lifecycle.
3. In the Lifecycle Name field, type a lifecycle name.
4. From the Release Manager list, select the release manager name.
5. From the Teams field, select the required check boxes.
6. From the Release tag list, select a release tag.

7. From the Release Date field, select the release date. 

   Note

   If you click Edit Lifecycle Details after you have created the lifecycle, the release tag and the release date that you select appear as defaults. They also appear as defaults when you want to add a request to the lifecycle.

8. In the Release Description field, enter a release description.

To edit a lifecycle stage from a template

1. Click Environment > Metadata > Manage Lifecycle Templates.
2. On the table view page, click the lifecycle for which you want to edit a stage.
3. Click the Edit link next to the stage.
    The editing stage dialog box opens.
4. In the Name field, type a name for the stage.
5. From the Default Request Template list, select your request templates, using the Ctrl key to select multiple templates.
6. (Optional) To give the requestor access to the stage, select the Requestor Access check box.
7. Click Update.

To create an instance of a lifecycle

1. Click the Lifecycles tab, and then click Create Lifecycle on the right.
2. From the Lifecycle Template Type list, select the template type.
3. In the Lifecycle Name field, type a name for your instance.
4. Click Create.
    Your new instance is added to the list of lifecycles.

To edit lifecycle details

1. In the Stages page, click the Edit Lifecycle Details link.
2. In the dialog box, enter the details in the fields on the left.
3. On the right under Stage Dates, enter the dates.
4. (Optional) You can add a release description in the Release Description text box.
5. Click Update.

To create a request for a lifecycle

After you have created a lifecycle and edited lifecycle details, you must create requests.

1. From the Stages tab for a lifecycle, click Create Request.
2. On the Request page, create a request from scratch, or choose a template by clicking Choose Template on the right.
    (Click the image to expand it)
   
3. Click Create Request.
4. In the dialog box, select an environment from the Select Environment list, and click Create Request.
5. Click the expand link to see the request details.
6. (Optional) If you need to modify the request, click Modify Request details, and then modify the details in the Edit Request dialog box.

To assign a request to a lifecycle

See Managing-requests.

To create a run

See Creating-and-executing-a-lifecycle-run.

Related topics

• Managing-tickets
• Managing-requests