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Creating a Release Request

Only Release Managers and Change Managers can create releases by using the release form, template on the release form, or within a change form.

If Change Managers create a release, they can create the release record and set it to draft status while gathering requirements or formalizing plans and details for the release. When they are ready to submit the release record, they update its status to requested. They often create a release while working on a change.

If Release Managers create a release, they can set it any state and work on the release. They also work on requested releases and update their status to active.

Depending on your role, you might have access to certain fields and values in the release module. The Release Manager has full permissions to work with the Release business object. The default application is configured to allow the Change Manager and Release Manager to create releases. The Change Manager has access to a subset of the Release Manager's permissions to work on the Release business object.

1. Log in to Service Manager as a Release Manager or a Change Manager.

2.Open the Release workspace.

3.From the toolbar, click New Release to open a blank form, or select a template from the drop-down list.

The following default tabs appear (results may vary depending on your system setup):

Details: See step 4.

Milestones

CI

Service

Related Releases

Release Package

Change

Problem

Stakeholders

Activity History

Attachment

Related Posts

Schedule

Announcement

Workflow Instance

Audit History

4.Under the Details tab, enter information into the fields.

Field Name

Field Description

Project Name The name of the project to which this release is tied. If this a subset of another release, enter the overall project name or effort.
Description A description of the release.
Status Status of the request. Automatically set to draft. Only a Change Manager can set the release status to requested or canceled. The Release Manager is also not constrained by the state changes during the release lifecycle and can set other status values to the release record.
Type

The type of release.

Emergency: Response to a failure or error that is often urgent. This type of release must be made quickly and is usually recorded after the fact.

Major: New projects, such as a new system or an upgrade of a major system affecting a large volume of users. This type of release has other dependencies and might require other minor releases.

Minor: Small or routine release that has a minor effect.

Scope

The scope of the release.

Master: A release object that has related releases associated with it. These releases are phase releases. A master release does not usually contain a release package; release packages are created for the phase release. Use the Related Releases tab to link to the phase release records. See Working with Related Releases.

Phase: A child of a master release. Use the Related Releases tab to link to the Master release record.

Standalone: A single release without child releases.

Phase

The release phase.

Feature based: Release containing an added feature rolled out to the entire organization.

Location based: Release by location.

Team The team to which the release is assigned. By default a release is assigned to the Release Management team.
Owner The owner to which the team is assigned.
Urgency

The time appropriateness required. The default value is 3. Urgency and impact together define the priority value.

High: Necessary immediately with a high degree of urgency.

Medium: Required, but can be made after higher urgency changes have been implemented.

Low: Required, but can wait for other changes of greater urgency to be implemented.

Impact

Impact to the organization, group, or individual. The default value is 3. Impact and urgency together define the priority value.

High: Has a major impact on the organization.

Low: Does not have much effect on the organization.

Medium: Has some effect on the organization but generally not considered a large effect.

Start Date The scheduled or estimated start date.
Target End Date The estimated or target end date.
Actual End Date The actual end date
Effort The number of hours required for the release.
Estimated Cost The estimated cost of the release.
Total Cost The total cost. Automatically generated by the system based on effort and cost.
Time The time spent is based on the activity history, is automatically generated by the system, and is given in minutes.
Outage Plan Required Specifies if an outage plan is required. It can be attached to the record under the Attachment tab. When checked, the outage start and end date fields become required. The outage start and end dates are reflected in linked change records.

Start

End

The start and end dates for the outage plan.
Duration The duration. Automatically generated by the system based on the difference between the outage plan end and start dates.

Information in the Statistics section is driven from Self Service.

Any date values here are reflected in the linked change records.

5.Click Save. You can now create milestones.

6.Change the status of the release from draft when you are ready to work on the release.

The Release Manager can move through all states. The Change Manager can either request the release or cancel it. See Canceling a Release.

Applying a Template to an Existing Release

If you have already filled in some of the fields, they are overwritten when you apply the template. If the release type is major, the different combinations of scope and phase, as defined in the templates, automatically create milestones.

1.In the Release workspace, open a release record.

2.From the Action Menu, choose Templates. If you selected a template for a major release type, depending on the type of template you selected, Service Manager creates milestones for you. See Working with Milestones. For all other types of release, you have the option of creating milestones.

3.From the list of available templates, select a template from the list to apply it to the current release.

If you entered information in any of the fields, they are overwritten by the default values from the template that you selected. See About Release Milestones for information on the milestones that are created when you select some of the available templates.

4.Enter information in the relevant fields.

5.Click Save.

The release is in draft state until you request it. If you are the Release Manager, you can update the state to active if you are ready to start working on it and create milestones for the release.

Requesting a Release

A new release request is set to draft. You can leave it in this state while gathering information. When you are ready to submit the release request, set the status to requested.

As a Change Manager, you might have already linked to a release or created a release from change.

If you created a new release, you must request it.

Follow this procedure to request a release that you created. After you have saved the release in requested status, you cannot make any other changes to it unless you have Release Manager permissions. The Release Manager can update the release from draft to active, or any other available state.

1.In the Release workspace, open the release record to update.

2.From the Quick Action menu, choose Request Release. The status of the release is set to requested.

3.Click Save.

A notification is sent to the Release Manager of the request.


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