Release for a product

A release groups all the tasks (projects, epics, stories, enhancements, defects, problems, incidents, and so on) planned for a specific version of a product or service.

A release is divided into a series of phases. During each phase, a defined list of tasks, approval processes, and policies must be fulfilled.

A defined release process ensures that the work items in releases are built, tested, and are ready for deployment. Digital Product Release provides two different processes that help you execute your releases—timeline-oriented and stage-oriented.

Timeline-oriented release process

Timeline-oriented process is suitable for creating releases that have fixed deadlines and follow a strict schedule.

This process helps you prioritize tasks, allocate resources, and track progress against the timeline so you can make adjustments as needed to stay on track. Use this release process to:

• Set clear deadlines for each stage of your deployment, so you can plan and execute your rollout smoothly.
• Keep your team on track by defining clear goals, so you can manage your resources effectively.
• Track your progress against key dates, and adjust your plans as needed to stay on schedule.

The following is the general flow that a timeline-oriented release goes through:

• The flow starts with the first phase in the Pending state, which is the default state. The state of the phase moves to In Progress when it starts on the planned start date.
• When all tasks are done and policies are compliant, the phase ends automatically on its planned end date. The phase state updates to the Completed state.
• After the current phase is completed, the next phase moves to the In Progress state. Only one phase can be in progress at a given time.
• When all phases in the release are completed, the release moves to the Review state.
• When the review of the release is completed, the release moves to the Completed state.

Stage-oriented release process

Stage-oriented process is suitable for creating releases that prioritize completing objectives and features over following a strict timeline.

Certain products are not constrained by a specific time frame for how long they should remain in a particular phase. Releases for those products can follow the stage-oriented release process. This process focuses on making sure the product is ready to be released, rather than following a strict schedule or phase.

You can finish a release as soon as the product meets the set criteria, instead of waiting for a specific timeline or phase to end. However, you must ensure that all aspects of the release, including development, testing, and quality assurance, are done well to keep the product high quality.

Use this release process to:

• Set priorities for features and goals, instead of deadlines, so that you can adjust your plans throughout the development process.
• Restart the release from any of the previous phases to adjust goals and features based on testing results and user feedback.
• Track your progress by ensuring features are completed and the goals are met for a high-quality result.

The following is the general flow that a stage-oriented release goes through:

• The flow starts with the first phase in the Pending state, which is the default state. The state of the phase moves to In Progress when you manually start it.
• When the all tasks are completed and all policies are compliant or compliant with exceptions for the current phase, it automatically moves to the Completed state.
• After the current phase is completed, the next phase moves to the In Progress state. Only one phase can be in progress at a given time.
• If you encounter any issues at any point, you can restart from a previously completed phase. That phase and later phases are reset, including tasks and policy status.
• When all phases in the release are completed, the release moves to the Review state.
• When the review of the release is completed, the release moves to the Completed state.

Single product release

A single product release enables you to release one product at a time. This release approach can be useful for smaller or less complicated products, as it makes the release process more focused and easier to manage. For more information, see Work on a timeline-oriented release for a single product and Work on a stage-oriented release for a single product.

Multi-product release

A multi-product release enables you to release different products at the same time. You can do this by including several individual releases for each product, all tied to a main release. You manage the phases and release readiness from the main release and track the collective progress. However, you can set the scope, track approvals, and run policies for each individual product release. This release approach differs from release bundles, where you monitor the progress of multiple releases together but manage them independently. For more information, see Work on a timeline-oriented release for multiple products and Work on a stage-oriented release for multiple products.

System properties to control the release processes

The following system properties control initiating automated actions during different stages during the release process.

• sn_dpr.stage_workflow_auto_transition
• sn_dpr.auto_transition_release_to_review
• sn_dpr.auto_transition_release_to_completed

For more information about these properties, see Digital Product Release properties.

Related concepts

• Managing a timeline-oriented release
• Managing a stage-oriented release
• Managing multiple releases through release bundles

Related tasks

• Create a release for a product