9.1 Goal of Release Management

Many service providers and suppliers may be involved in the Release of hardware and software in a distributed environment. Good resource planning and management are essential to package and distribute a Release successfully to the Customer. Release Management takes a holistic view of a Change to an IT service and should ensure that all aspects of a Release, both technical and non-technical, are considered together.

The goals of Release Management are:

to plan and oversee the successful rollout of software and related hardware
to design and implement efficient procedures for the distribution and installation of Changes to IT systems
to ensure that hardware and software being changed is traceable, secure and that only correct, authorised and tested versions are installed
to communicate and manage expectations of the Customer during the planning and rollout of new Releases
to agree the exact content and rollout plan for the Release, through liaison with Change Management
to implement new software Releases or hardware into the operational environment using the controlling processes of Configuration Management and Change Management - a Release should be under Change Management and may consist of any combination of hardware, software, firmware and document CIs
to ensure that master copies of all software are secured in the Definitive Software Library (DSL) and that the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is updated
to ensure that all hardware being rolled out or changed is secure and traceable, using the services of Configuration Management.

The focus of Release Management is the protection of the live environment and its services through the use of formal procedures and checks.

Release Management works closely with the Change Management and Configuration Management processes to ensure that the shared CMDB is kept up-to-date following Changes implemented by new Releases, and that the content of those Releases is stored in the DSL. Hardware specifications, assembly instructions and network configurations are also stored in the DSL/CMDB.

Release Management is often funded from major projects rather than being included in the cost of the normal service to Customers. Although there are costs associated with implementing Release Management, these are far less than the potential costs of not adequately planning, managing and controlling software and hardware Releases.