Having carefully avoided ‘release numbers’ in the title of this post, I shall now proceed to describe a release numbering scheme. The specifics of release numbering schemes are endlessly discussed. Each proponent of a specific scheme believing that their scheme is the best. I shall be no different. Read the rest of this entry ?
Archive for the ‘Release Management’ Category
Essential Release Planning
June 17, 2009Release planning is, in essence, very simple. I am speaking here of planning what changes are to be made for each software release. The planning of a release into an operational environment is a different type of release planning entirely!
Here is a simple way to think about releases and release planning.
Release identity and scheduling
June 17, 2009This entry was prompted by this post on the CMCrossroads General CM forum.
I see nothing fundamentally wrong with Victor’s definition of release management.
Software Release Management Process is the process through which proper versioned software is made available (Released) to the Client
It is unclear from this definition precisely what scope Victor anticipates release management will have, but I will assume the scope to include the planning, scheduling and control of software builds (and consequent baselines) through the various development and test environments, and ultimately preparation for delivery to the client. I shall exclude the release into an operational environment because this is a quite different type of release management to that being addressed in the thread.
I see no conflict between Victor’s definition of release management and the possibility of multiple releases with potentially complex relationships.
I disagree absolutely with Victor’s contention that “If we go forward as above, we are breaking the fundamental principals of configuration management.” This is simply wrong. There is absolutely nothing in the “fundamental principals of configuration management” that demands release identities proceed in an contiguous fashion. At best, one might make the case that in the best of all possible world, it is desirable that release identities progress in a contiguous sequential fashion. Hopefully this article will make my reasoning clear.
