Service Manager

Approving a Release

The release workflows described here reference the out-of-the-box application. You can work with your administrator to create or modify the workflows to better meet your business and organizational needs.

Only release types of major require approval; therefore, Service Manager has defined five different workflows to accommodate the various combinations of major releases.

•Major master feature-based release workflow

•Major master location-based release workflow

•Major phase feature-based release workflow

•Major phase location-based release workflow

•Major standalone release workflow

Each release workflow contains defined milestones that are created when you create a major type of release using a release template. See About Release Milestones for the list of milestones that are created based on the template you select, and see Working with Milestones for information about the milestone workflows.

The first milestone defined for a specific release starts when the status of the release is updated to active. When the Release Review Board approves the milestone, the status of the milestone is set to completed and the next milestone in the sequence starts. After each milestone defined for the release workflow is approved and its status is updated to completed, the release status is updated to closed.

The major master location-based workflow is shown as an example: (The workflow shown is the default. You might be using a workflow that has been customized by your administrator.)

Major Master Location-Based Workflow

When the trigger conditions are met, the workflow defined for those conditions is started. For this release, there are four milestones defined. Each milestone has its own workflow that runs. When the first milestone is approved and updated to completed status, the next one is invoked. After the final milestone is approved and updated to completed status, the release is closed.

Viewing the Workflow Instance for a Release

To view where the workflow is at when a release record is sent for approval, click the Workflow Instance tab of a release record.

Viewing the workflow instance for a release that is pending approval lets you know if the approval for the release has been voted on or in waiting state.

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

2.Open the Release workspace. A list of releases is displayed.

3.Double-click the release record for which to view the workflow.

4.From the toolbar, click View Workflow. The related workflows open.

Related Workflows

5.Click Show Definition next to the workflow. The workflow opens.