What is release management?
Release management is a systematic approach to managing software development and delivery, ensuring that new releases are vetted and ready for production. It involves planning, scheduling, and controlling the movement of releases to test and live environments. The goal is to reduce risks and improve the quality of software releases.
This process often requires collaboration between development, operations, and quality assurance teams. Release management aims to streamline deployment, minimize disruptions, and ensure that each release meets business requirements and quality standards.
This is part of a series of articles about software deployment.
Release management versus change management: What is the difference?
Release management and change management are both crucial components of IT service management, but they serve different purposes and processes.
Release management focuses on the coordination and deployment of new software releases. It includes the planning, design, build, configuration, and testing of hardware and software to create a release package that can be tested and deployed to production. The primary objective of release management is to ensure that new software or updates are delivered smoothly, with minimal disruption and maximum reliability. It deals with the broader scope of preparing a complete package for deployment.
Change management is concerned with controlling the change lifecycle, enabling beneficial changes to computing systems with minimal disruption to IT services. It involves logging, assessing, approving, and reviewing changes before implementation. Change management aims to ensure that standardized methods and procedures are used for efficient and prompt handling of all changes, minimizing the impact on service quality.
Change management typically focuses on individual changes to services and infrastructure rather than the rollout of complete new software versions, but the deployment of a new version of software on IT infrastructure could also be managed as a change.
Objectives and benefits of release management
Release management has several key objectives aimed at improving the software delivery process:
- Minimize risk: Release management helps identify and mitigate potential issues before they impact production by thoroughly planning, testing, and coordinating releases.
- Enhance quality: Ensuring that releases are rigorously tested and reviewed improves the quality of software delivered to end-users.
- Streamline processes: Establishing standardized release procedures helps streamline deployment processes, making them more efficient and predictable.
- Improve collaboration: Facilitating communication and collaboration between development, operations, and quality assurance teams ensures that all stakeholders are aligned and informed.
- Maintain compliance: Ensuring that all releases comply with regulatory requirements and internal policies helps to avoid legal and financial repercussions.
- Enable continuous improvement: Post-deployment reviews and feedback loops enable teams to learn from each release, continuously improving the process and product.
Benefits of effective release management include:
- Reduced downtime: By minimizing disruptions during deployment, release management helps to maintain system availability and performance.
- Increased user satisfaction: Delivering high-quality, reliable software enhances the user experience and satisfaction.
- Cost savings: Efficient release processes reduce the time and resources needed for deployment, leading to cost savings.
- Enhanced agility: Well-managed releases allow organizations to respond more quickly to market demands and changes, providing a competitive advantage.
The 7-step release management process
1. Request
The request stage starts the release management process. It involves identifying and documenting the need for a new release or update. This request can originate from various sources, such as user feedback, market demands, or internal improvement needs. Proper documentation and approval are critical to ensure the request aligns with business objectives and resource availability.
Once a request is approved, it moves into the planning phase. This transition ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the upcoming changes and can start preparing for the next steps. Clear communication and documentation at this stage help to set proper expectations and reduce misunderstandings later in the process.
2. Plan
The plan phase involves detailed preparation for the release. This includes defining the scope, resources required, timeline, and risk assessment. Effective planning ensures that all aspects of the release are covered and potential issues are identified early. Creating a plan is vital for aligning team efforts and ensuring the release process runs smoothly.
Additionally, the planning phase includes setting milestones and checkpoints to monitor progress. These checkpoints allow teams to assess their status and make necessary adjustments, ensuring the release stays on track. Planning helps mitigate risks and prepares the team for a successful deployment.
3. Design and build
The design and build phase is where the actual development of the release takes place. This phase involves creating and assembling the required software components. During this phase, developers and engineers work according to the specifications laid out in the planning stage. Regular reviews and feedback sessions ensure the build aligns with the desired outcomes.
Continuous integration and version control practices are often employed to manage code changes effectively. These practices help maintain the integrity of the codebase and facilitate smooth progress throughout the build phase. Proper design and build practices reduce the likelihood of issues during later stages of the release process.
4. Testing and acceptance
Testing is a critical part of the release management process. This phase ensures that the new software meets quality and performance standards before it is deployed to the production environment. Various types of testing, including unit, integration, and user acceptance testing, are conducted to identify and fix defects. Thorough testing helps ensure the release functions as intended under different conditions.
The testing phase may also involve performance and security assessments to validate the software’s robustness and security posture. Effective testing practices help to minimize risks associated with defects and issues in the production environment. Successful testing provides confidence in the software’s reliability and readiness for deployment.
5. Pre-deployment, preparation, and training
The pre-deployment phase is crucial for ensuring the deployment process is seamless and the organization is fully prepared for the new release. This phase involves finalizing the deployment plan, preparing the production environment, and conducting thorough reviews to make sure everything is ready for the release.
Preparation includes setting up the necessary infrastructure, verifying that all dependencies are in place, and ensuring backup and rollback procedures are ready. This step also involves final checks to confirm that the deployment plan aligns with the previously established scope, timelines, and resources.
In addition to technical preparations, this phase includes training the relevant teams and end-users. Training ensures that everyone involved understands the new features, functionalities, and changes introduced by the release. It also helps prevent post-deployment issues by equipping teams with the knowledge to manage and support the new release effectively.
6. Deployment
The deployment phase involves moving the new release from the testing environment to the production environment. This phase requires careful coordination and execution to minimize disruptions. Deployment can be performed using various strategies, such as blue-green deployments, canary releases, or rolling updates, depending on the organization’s requirements and infrastructure.
Successful deployment requires comprehensive planning and preparation. Each deployment step must be meticulously followed, and rollback plans should be in place in case of any issues. Effective communication with stakeholders and users during deployment helps manage expectations and ensures a smooth transition.
7. Post-deployment and getting feedback
Once the deployment is complete, the focus shifts to monitoring the release and gathering feedback. The post-deployment phase is critical for identifying issues that escaped testing and ensuring that the release operates as expected in the production environment.
This phase involves continuous monitoring of the system’s performance and stability. Any issues that arise are logged, prioritized, and addressed promptly to minimize user impact. It’s also essential to evaluate the success of the deployment by comparing the outcomes against the initial objectives and metrics defined in the planning phase.
Feedback is collected from end-users, stakeholders, and internal teams to assess the effectiveness of the release. This feedback helps identify areas for improvement in future releases and can guide post-deployment support efforts. Engaging with users during this phase ensures that their concerns are heard and addressed, fostering a positive relationship and paving the way for smoother future releases.
Finally, a post-deployment review or retrospective is often conducted to analyze what went well, what could have been done better, and to document lessons learned. This review helps refine the release management process, making it more efficient and effective over time.
Steve Fenton is a Principal DevEx Researcher at Octopus Deploy and a 7-time Microsoft MVP with more than two decades of experience in software delivery.
Release management success indicators
Successful features with successful delivery
One of the primary indicators of successful release management is the successful delivery of features that meet user needs and business objectives. This means that the features deployed not only work as intended but also provide the value that was anticipated during the planning phase.
Measuring the success of these features involves assessing user satisfaction, adoption rates, and the overall impact on business processes. When features are delivered on time, with minimal defects, and generate positive outcomes, it reflects the effectiveness of the release management process.
Clarity of process and communication
Transparent processes and effective communication are critical to the success of release management. This includes well-documented workflows, roles, and responsibilities, and open communication channels among all stakeholders.
Clarity in the process ensures that everyone understands their tasks, timelines, and expectations, reducing the likelihood of errors or delays. Effective communication also ensures that issues are promptly identified and addressed, keeping the release on track and aligned with business goals.
Shorter lead times
Reducing the lead time from development to deployment is a key indicator of a mature and efficient release management process. Shorter lead times mean software can be delivered to users more quickly, allowing organizations to respond faster to market changes and customer needs. This requires streamlined processes, automation, and effective collaboration between teams.
Achieving shorter lead times without compromising quality is a vital sign that the release management process is well-optimized.
Frequent feedback
Frequent feedback loops are essential for continuous improvement in release management. This involves gathering input after deployment and throughout the entire release cycle—from planning to post-deployment.
Regular feedback from users, stakeholders, and team members allows adjustments to be made in real time, improving the quality of the release and ensuring it meets the required standards. Incorporating feedback into future releases also helps in refining processes, leading to more successful outcomes over time.
Better compliance and audits
Effective release management also improves compliance with internal policies and external regulations. This includes maintaining accurate documentation, ensuring all releases meet security and legal requirements, and being prepared for audits.
A strong release management process minimizes non-compliance risk, which can lead to legal issues, financial penalties, and reputational damage. Success in this area is often measured by the ease and success of audits, and the organization’s ability to demonstrate compliance with relevant standards.
Release management best practices
Automate your pipeline
Automation plays a vital role in modern release management. Automating repetitive tasks such as code builds, testing, and deployments reduces the potential for human error and accelerates the release process. DevOps tools can help streamline these tasks by integrating with the deployment pipeline and providing consistent, repeatable processes.
Beyond reducing errors, automation enhances efficiency and allows teams to focus on more complex, value-added tasks. Automating your pipeline ensures that each step is performed consistently, improving reliability and predictability in the release process. Adopting automation technologies is a driver for successful and scalable release management.
Learn more in our detailed guide to the software deployment pipeline.
Keep the staging environment updated
Maintaining an updated staging environment is critical for reliable release management. The staging environment should closely mirror the production environment to test and validate releases accurately. Keeping this environment current helps identify potential issues before deployment, reducing risks associated with discrepancies.
Regular updates to the staging environment ensure it reflects the latest production configurations and dependencies. This practice allows teams to perform comprehensive testing and address any issues related to environmental differences. An up-to-date staging environment ensures a smooth and successful release process.
Implement rollback strategies
Having rollback strategies in place is essential for managing potential issues during deployment. Rollback plans allow teams to revert to previous stable states quickly if a release encounters significant problems. Effective rollback strategies help minimize downtime and mitigate the impact on users, ensuring business continuity.
Different rollback strategies, such as blue/green deployments, feature toggles, and canary releases, provide flexibility in managing rollbacks. Implementing these strategies requires thorough planning and testing to ensure they can be executed smoothly when needed. Proper rollback mechanisms increase the resilience and reliability of the release management process.
Adopt semantic versioning
Semantic versioning is a standardized method of versioning releases to clearly convey the extent and impact of changes. Under this system, version numbers reflect major, minor, and patch changes, providing transparency and consistency. Adopting semantic versioning helps stakeholders understand the nature of each release and set appropriate expectations.
Semantic versioning facilitates better communication among development teams, users, and stakeholders. This practice ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding the significance and scope of changes. Standardized versioning is crucial for maintaining organized and predictable release management.
Limit the impact on your users
An essential goal in release management is minimizing the impact on users. Strategies such as blue/green deployments, canary releases, and feature toggles help achieve this by limiting exposure to new changes. These approaches allow for gradual rollouts and controlled testing, reducing the risk of widespread issues.
Effective communication with users about upcoming changes and potential impacts is also essential. Keeping users informed helps manage expectations and reduce frustration. Prioritizing user experience and minimizing disruptions during releases contribute to higher satisfaction and trust in the software development process.
Improving release management with Octopus
Octopus solves any automation challenges you have for deployments, bringing repeatable, reliable, and robust deployments to your release management process. Features such as IT service management (ITSM) approvals, deployment freezes, and release scheduling can increase coordination around release management.
You can read more about Octopus Deploy’s features or try it out for yourself with a free trial.
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