Best practices for managing releases
As with Change Management, the Release Management module is role-based. What applications you can access, and how much information you can view or modify is dependent upon your role. As the Process Flow Status bar steps you through the milestones of a release request, different roles perform different tasks. The Release Coordinator creates the release request at the Initiate milestone, the Release Approver approves the release at the Build milestone, and the Activity Assignee completes the activity at the Deployment milestone.
How each person uses Release Management depends on their role. The following figure illustrates the different Release Management support staff roles. It also shows where each role fits into the milestones of the release request lifecycle.
We recommend the following steps from the creation of the release request to the closure of that release request:
Milestone | Role and task |
|---|---|
1a - Initiate | The Release coordinator creates the release request, change request, and activity. For more information, see Initiating-and-modifying-a-release-request. |
1b - Initiate | CAB approves the release request. |
2a - Planning | The Release coordinator plans the release request, and uses the Change Calendar to check for conflicts.
For more information, see Initiating-and-modifying-a-release-request. |
2b - Planning | CAB approves the release request. |
3a - Build | The Release coordinator oversees the release builds. For more information, see Initiating-and-modifying-a-release-request. |
3b - Build | CAB approves the release request. |
4a - Test | The Release coordinator oversees the testing of the new service to make sure CIs meet specifications and requirements. For more information, see Initiating-and-modifying-a-release-request. |
4b - Test | CAB approves the release request. |
5a - Deployment | The Release coordinator rolls the release out to the business. Starts phased or non-phased deployment of release. |
5b - Deployment | CAB approves the release request. |
5c - Deployment | The Change manager executes the change request in its Deployment phase. For more information, see Initiating-and-modifying-a-release-request. |
5d - Deployment | The Task implementer executes the task in its Deployment phase. |
5e - Deployment | The Activity assignee executes the task in its Deployment phase. |
6 - Closed | The Release coordinator completes the change request. For more information, see Initiating-and-modifying-a-release-request. |