The Release & Deployment Team is responsible for the planning, scheduling and controlling of changes and updates from Test to Live environments.
Release Managers, as part of a Release Team, direct the process using all information presented to help assess release readiness, and to efficiently identify deployment targets for the deployment phases of a release. This level of control guarantees the Release Manager can deliver updates to the live environment successfully, to all relevant parties, on time.
The Deployment component of the Release Team covers the activities or tasks responsible for moving new or changed hardware, software, documentation and process to the Live Environment.
To plan, schedule and control changes and updates from Test to Live environments, Release Management Teams are assigned to Releases within the Change>Releases tab. Included within these Teams are Groups of Users who are responsible for managing the various stages of the Release Lifecycle.
When Release Teams are configured within the application, Technicians with the Release and/or Deployment Process are associated with the Team. Managers with the Release Process are assigned to the Approval States of the Release Workflow. Technicians assigned the Release Process can be assigned to States of the Release Workflow, while Technicians only assigned the Deployment Process are placed in the Deployment Group and are responsible for completing the Deployment Tasks created for a Release.
To create a Release and Deployment Team:
Select User>Teams
Click New
Enter the Team Name
Select the Release Process
Complete the Team Location details, if required
Select Technicians from the Available Technicians list
The Technician List consists of Users assigned the Release and/or Deployment Process in their User Information screen.
Highlight Technician names within the Available Technicians list and click the arrow icon to move the Users to the Selected Technicians list.
NOTE:Technicians with the Release Process will be available for assignment within the Release Workflow States in the Team Information>States tab
Technicians only assigned the Deployment Process will be available for assignment to the Deployment Group, who will complete the Deployment Tasks generated as part of the Release.
Set the Team Lead
The Team Lead options are drawn from the Assigned Technicians who are assigned the Release Process.
Select Managers from the Available Managers list
The Manager List consists of Users assigned the Release Process in their User Information screen.
Highlight Manager names within the Available Managers list and click the arrow icon to move the Users to the Selected Managers list.
Click Next
The Information screen moves to the Service tab where the Release Workflows are associated with the Team.
Move the relevant Available Workflows to the Selected Workflows field
Set the Default Workflow
If a single Workflow is assigned to the Team it is automatically applied as the Default Workflow.
Assigning Workflows to the Team ensures the Team is displayed as an option within the Deployment Summary tab when the associated Workflows are assigned to a Task.
Click Next
The screen defaults to the Groups tab that lists the default deployment, manager and release Groups. The Groups automatically apply the Team Lead to the Groups and require additional Technician and User assignments.
Select the Default Deploy Group
The Group Name can be edited and the Available Technicians and Selected Technicians fields are now accessible. As a Deployment Group Type, this group of Users will be available for assignment for Deployment Tasks created as part of a Release Workflow.
Rename the Group, if relevant
Move the relevant Users between the Available and Selected boxes
The Users displayed in the Available Technicians list have been assigned the Deployment Process in their User Information screen.
Select Save
Edit the assigned Users in the Manager and Release Groups
The default Manager Group will be automatically applied to all Approval States of the Release Workflow. The Release Group of Technician Users will be automatically applied to all non-approval States of associated Release Workflows. These assignments can be edited within the States tab.
Create additional Manager, Release or Deployment Groups, if relevant
Click Next
The system moves to the States tab to display the list of Workflows associated with the Team, and the list of States included in the selected Workflow.
Select a State link to amend the assigned Work Group
Assign the relevant Group of Users to the Workflow State
Click Save and continue to adjust all the relevant assignments
Click Save
Click Done.
The Release & Deployment Team is fully configured.
To remove a User from a State or Group, with the tab in Edit mode:
Click on the State or Group Name hyperlink to display the list of available and assigned Technicians
Remove and add Technicians, as required
Select Save.
To remove a User from a Team:
In the User tab, click Users
The User Information screen appears.
Click on the name of the User
Select the Team tab
Click on Edit
The Remove button is displayed.
Select the checkbox to the left of the Team
Click Remove.
If the User is not the only person assigned to an escalation layer of the selected Team, the User will be successfully removed from the Team.