Creating a release

Use this task to create a new release in the Releases application. When you create a release, you specify several attributes that define the type and scope of the release, its classification, the configuration items (CIs) that are the source and targets of the release, and other information that helps define the release. Information that you specify when you define a release is displayed for the release in release lists.

About this task

You might create a release in response to a request that was submitted through the Process Requests application. More commonly, releases are created to handle needed changes in the data center, or to deploy planned software or hardware updates. A release that is submitted through Process Requests has all of the values that were supplied by the requestor; you can modify or supplement these values.

To create a release, perform the following steps:

1. If you have not already done so, click Open menu > Release > Releases to go to the Releases application.
2. Click the New Release icon.

   The new release receives an automatically assigned number. You can change this number by typing a new number in the Release field; if you assign a number that is already associated with another record, an error message is displayed.

   Each required field is marked with a red asterisk. It is recommended, however, that you fill in the non-required fields that are documented in the steps that follow.

3. In the Summary field, type a brief description of the release. Make the summary as clear as possible, so that other users can obtain needed information about the release.

   If, in addition to the brief summary, you can supply a longer description of the release in the Long Description field.

4. In the Release Type field, select a value that best defines the type of this release. For more information, see the "Release Types" topic.
5. In the Release Scope field, and click the value that best defines the scope of this release.
6. In the Classification field, select Classify, and select the Classification value that best defines an overall category for this release.

   Depending on the classification that you specify, additional information, or extended attributes, might be added to the release. For example, if you select the PMREL_SOFTWARE/CIAPPSOFTWARE classification, the APPSOFTWARECIPKG attribute is added for specifying an application software CI for deployment. Additional attributes are displayed in the Specifications tab, where you can fill in the attributes. Classification attributes help you capture information that is necessary for efficiently carrying out a release.

7. Check Under Flow Control to ensure that the release tasks are performed in the correct order and at the correct time. This box is checked by default.
8. To process a release for a customer, you specify customer information. Use these guidelines for specifying a customer:
   • You can select the customer in the Customer field. After you do so, the available classifications are filtered to display only those classifications that are valid for the customer. No CI, asset, or location values are brought in when you select a customer, because customers have multiple CIs, assets, and locations.
   • Rather than selecting the customer in the Customer field, you can specify a CI that is primarily associated with a customer. If you do so, the Customer field is populated with that customer.
   • You can also specify an asset that is primarily associated with a customer. Doing so brings in the customer if no customer-specific CI has been specified.
   • Similarly, if no customer-specific CI or asset is specified, you can specify a location that is primarily associated with the customer. Doing so brings in the customer.
   • The system looks first at the CI, second at the asset, and third at the location before bringing in a customer.
   • If you add a customer to a record, and then discover that the customer was added in error, you must remove the customer.
   • When you associate a customer with a release, the association is saved before you save the release, and is retained even if you do not save the release. If this occurs, simply edit the release and remove the customer association.
9. Enter other information on the page as needed. For example, you can specify source CIs in the Source CIs section; target CIs in the Target CIs section; and dates in the Dates section. However, because these specifications generally require some investigation and analysis, they are usually assigned as separate tasks in the release work plan.
10. If you have response plans defined for releases in your environment, you can select the Apply Response Plan action after specifying a few initial values for the release. The most appropriate response plan is selected and applied.
11. Click Save icon to save your release. The new release is displayed in lists of releases with a Progress value of OPEN, and can be reviewed and edited.