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Release Management

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Goal Primary Objective

To take an holistic(Overall) view of aChange to an IT service and ensure that allaspects of a release, both technical and

non-technical are considered together

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Why Release Management

Managelarge or critical hardware roll-outs

Manage major software roll-outs Bundling or batching related sets of changes Controlthe release of authorised CIs into the supported

environment

Release Policy

A release policy document should be produced to clarify the

roles and responsibilities for Release Management. Theremay be one document per organisation or an umbrella set ofguidelines and specific details for each supported service

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Responsibilities of Release Management

Release

Policy

Release

Planning

Develop

or

purchase

software

Build /

configure

release

Fit for

purpose

testing

Release

acceptanceRoll out

planning

Communication

preparation &

training

Distribution

& installation

Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

and

Definitive Software Library (DSL)

Controlled Test Environment Live Environment

RELEASE MANAGEMENT

Development

Environment

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Terminology Definitive Software Library (DSL)

Definitive Software Library where ALL authorised versions of software are stored

and protected. A Physical library or storage repository where master copies ofsoftware

versions are kept. This one logical store may consist of one or more physical softwarelibraries or file stores.

Definitive Hardware Store (DHS)Definitive Hardware Store An area set aside for the secure storage of definitive

hardware spares. Types of Release

- Delta, Full and Package

Definitions

Release:a collection of authorised Changes to an IT Service

Release Unit:the portion of the IT infrastructure that isnormally released together

Roll-out:deliver, install and commission an integrated set ofnew or changed CIs across logical or physical parts of anorganisation

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Types of Release Delta

Only those CIs that have actually changed since last releaseare included.

FullAll components of the Release are built, tested, distributed

andimplemented together (whether they have changed or not).

PackageIndividual Releases both Full and Delta are grouped

together to

form a Package for release.

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Build Management

Software and Hardware components for release should beassembled in a controlled, reproducible manner.

Build Management becomes the responsibility of Releasemanagement from the controlled test environment on wards.

Back out plans should be devised and tested as part of therelease.

Change Management allows CMDB to remain accurate. Without Configuration data change impacts are not accurately

assessable.

Without Change and Configuration Management, Releases will

not be controlable.

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Possible Problems

Resistance from Staff to new procedures Circumvention of procedures

Unclear ownership and role acceptance Lack of understanding of release contents Reluctance to back out of a failing release.

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Benefits

Improved service quality from greater success rate forreleases and minimal disruption to the business

Greater ability to cope with high levels of Change Assurance that hardware and software in live use is of

known quality, reducing the chance of illegal, wrong orunauthorised software being in use

Better expectation setting for Business and Service staff

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Exam Tips

Release is associated with ROLLOUT Urgent Software releases do not require FULL

testing

RM

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Exam Questions

One of Release Managements tasks is to set up a DHS.Which statement most closely describes the DHS?

A A DHS is a number of physical locations where baselines arestored

B Before setting up a DHS a tool should first be purchased forreleasing the hardware into the environment

C A DHS is an area set aside for the secure storage of definitive

hardware spares

D A DHS is a database in which all definitive hardwareConfiguration Items are recorded

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Exam Question

The words Delta, Full and Package describe differenttypes of release. Which one of these following statementsis true?

A A Package release contains hardware and softwareB Urgent changes are always Delta releases

C A Delta release is only ever part of a Package release

D A Full release releases the normal release unit into the

live environment

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Exam Question

Students at a college can send in their course work fromtheir home PC via the telephone Network. They can thencheck their results on their PCs. A student needs anexisting set of programs that can be configured for theparticular course that the student is following. Whichprocess is responsible for the correct configuring andtransmission of the programs?

A Release Management

B Change Management

C Configuration Management

D Network Management