What is ITIL Release Management?

Release Management is critical in today’s fast-paced IT environment, where organisations constantly deliver new software and systems features, updates, and fixes.Exploring specialised areas such as ITIL Knowledge Management alongside Release Management is essential. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Release Management is an essential process that includes planning, scheduling, coordinating, and controlling the movement of releases from development to production while minimising risks and maximising value. This involves synergies with other ITIL processes such as ITIL Capacity Management, ensuring seamless and optimized release deployments

Read this blog to learn ITIL Release Management - the method of organising, planning, and designing of ITIL Service Management, upgrades, and releases into the operational environment, along with an understanding of ITIL Problem Management roles and responsibilities. Whether you are an experienced IT professional or are new to this concept, this blog will give you a thorough understanding of this critical ITIL process and its importance in today’s IT landscape. Whether you are an experienced IT professional or new to this concept, this blog will give you a thorough understanding of ITIL 4 Key Concepts critical and its importance in today’s IT landscape.

Table of Contents

1) What is Release Management in ITIL?    

2) Release Management Process  

3) ITIL Release Management best practices  

4) Roles and Responsibilities in Release Management  

5) How to measure the success of Release Management  

6) Conclusion  

What is Release Management in ITIL?  

One of the popular processes in the ITIL V4 Processes and Framework under the Service Transition section is Release Management. Based on ITIL Advantages and Disadvantages, this framework ensures a systematic and controlled implementation, reducing risks and minimizing potential disruptions to the IT environment. It is defined as planning and managing the rollout of IT releases, services and updates to the production environment.   

It plays a crucial role in connecting the project activities to the productions of the project teams and the users, making it a key area to focus on for those considering "what next after ITIL 4 Foundation."  As a vital element along the ITIL certification path, The principles outlined in ITIL 4 Guiding Principles significantly influence Release Management by providing a structured approach to changes, testing, and deployment. Integrating ITIL 4 DPI principles, fosters a seamless transfer of knowledge and resources for optimal operational support. ITIL 4 Demand Management plays a key role in optimising resource allocation during the transition of new features or components into operational support.

Why is Release Management necessary?

There are plenty of cases where companies lose money, users and credibility when expected timelines for software updates or releases aren’t met. This is where Release Management comes in. Its primary objective is to optimise the deployment of IT services and updates to the live environment. When it comes to ITSM vs ITIL, Release management is about planning, scheduling and controlling the deployment process or the “release” of IT services.

Release Management Process  

There are seven steps in the Release Management Process, and different companies might have slightly different processes based on their team, project size and requirements. However, these seven steps are essential and the most common process.



 

Release Request

This is the first step of Release Management which entails identifying or recognising the need for new product updates or new features. The request for changes needs to go through a predetermined channel within the ITIL 4 Service Value System, and the need for the new feature is evaluated for its “value” to the end user. It will be evaluated based on the cost, feasibility and need. However, only the ones that get the request approved to move on to the next stage of the process.

Release Plan

The planning stage is about creating and setting up a system and overall structure that the release will follow. A planned structure will help the team have a proper roadmap to follow and to adhere to, which also intersects with considerations within ITIL Asset Management.

During this stage, the Release Manager collaborates with other stakeholders, such as IT development teams, business units, and customers, to plan and prioritise releases based on business requirements and strategic goals. This includes defining the scope and establishing goals, milestones, and responsibilities. It also includes setting timelines and allocating resources required for successful release implementation. The Release Manager must ensure that the team has a comprehensive overview of the entire project and is aware of their roles and responsibilities to reach the final goal.   

Release Development

The development stage entails the actual process of designing and building the release components, including software applications, configurations, and documentation. This stage aims to issue work orders and purchase requests so that the release components can be developed in-house or bought from outside vendors. When the development is done, the release components are ready to go into the testing phase.

Release Testing

At this stage, the release components are thoroughly tested in various environments, including development, testing, and staging, to identify and correct any defects or issues. This includes, among other things, functional testing, integration testing, performance testing, security testing, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). This stage is about extensive testing, quality assurance (QA), and validation of the release components to ensure they meet the defined requirements and are ready for deployment.

Release Deployment

The release components are deployed into the live environment after passing all the required tests and meeting the defined quality criteria. The Release Manager ensures that the release is deployed per the defined schedule and plans and works with various teams, such as operations, infrastructure, and support. This process aims to ensure a smooth deployment with minimal impact on the live environment and users.

Release Review

Following the deployment of the release, a review is performed to measure the success and to identify any issues or lessons learned. This stage entails reviewing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), customer feedback, and incident reports to assess the effectiveness of the release and identify areas for future improvements.

The Release Manager and other stakeholders assess the release’s performance and impact on the live environment, business operations, and customer satisfaction, and any lessons learned are recorded for future projects. This feedback is used to continuously improve the Release Management process and ensure that releases are delivered with high quality and the least risk.

Release Closure

At this stage, the release is closed, and relevant documentation is updated once it has been successfully deployed and reviewed. This includes making changes to release notes, configuration records, and knowledge articles to reflect the changes.

It also involves conducting a final review of the entire process to capture and document any learning, best practices, and recommendations for future projects. The Release Manager ensures that all related activities, such as communication, documentation, and reporting, are completed, and the release is formally closed. 

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ITIL Release Management best practices  

Even though Release Management may not seem too complicated, it may get complex in practice. Here are some best practices your organisation can employ to avoid falling into traps.  

Flexibility

No one plan can be used everywhere. Every project is different, and there is a need to constantly learn and adjust the plan. What works for one project or build might not work for the other. For example, a certain change could need much more development time because of its complexity, while some other projects might need more time in the testing phase. It is essential to understand that each project is different, and the plans need to be tailored according to the needs of each project.   

Define and adhere to a standardised release management process 

A well-defined and documented ITIL Release Management process is critical for ensuring consistency and repeatability in Release Management. This includes clearly defining roles and responsibilities, creating standardised templates and documentation, and adhering to a structured release lifecycle.

The ITIL Service Lifecycle must have clearly defined stages or processes (like explained above). The process can differ slightly for your organisation, but the basic steps of planning, development, testing and review remain the same. Adhering to a standardised process helps reduce risks and errors and enables smooth and efficient release management. Similarly, in ITIL Change Management, following structured processes aids in minimising risks and ensuring effective handling of changes within the IT environment.

Setup proper release policies and guidelines

Clarifying release policies and guidelines ensures they are consistent with the organisation’s overall IT strategy, business objectives, and regulatory requirements. This includes defining release windows, defining the criteria, specifying release approval processes, and establishing documentation, testing, and validation guidelines. Clear policies and guidelines aid in the maintenance of consistency, transparency, and compliance in release management.   

Use automation 

Software development is not easy, and there are a lot of things involved in it. Automation can replace repetitive, error-prone tasks, allowing the team to complete the tasks faster and reduce the error that may creep in.   

Continuous improvement

Capturing and applying lessons learned from each release process aids in identifying the areas for improvement in the future. ITIL incident management is responsible for Analysing the reviews, customer feedback, incident management reports, and other relevant feedback and using it to update release templates, documentation, and processes is part of this. Applying the learned lessons helps continuously improve the release management process, lower risks, and improve quality and effectiveness 

Minimise user impact

The software update must be done quickly to ensure the user is unaffected. You must strive to remove all bugs and vulnerabilities before the code goes into production. 

Focus on communication and visibility

Transparency in communication is very crucial to improve the release management process. There must be a central dashboard where the entire process is visible with real-time insights, available resources and statutes. 

Shift Security Left 

A growing number of organisations are integrating security into the software development process. This involves testing the code earlier and testing it often before the project enters the testing phase. By doing this, the chances of security issues creeping in decrease, and it also saves cost. Security is the primary focus here, and this can help build a cybersecurity culture where all team members prioritise security with this practice.   

Enable strict access control

This also addresses security like shifting left. An organisation can reduce the risk of security breaches by tightening access control and keeping track of all human and non-human identities who can access and control the environment. To achieve this control, consider creating a robust Identity Access Management (IAM). 

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Roles of a Release Manager

A Release Manager is a person who is responsible for planning and controlling the "releases" and their movement to test and live environments. The manager has to ensure the integrity of the live environment is intact and that correct components are released.

They are typically IT professionals with specialised skills and experience with the relevant tools, processes and tools to enable efficient release activities. that aligns with expertise sought in ITIL Careers. They also work with business leaders, IT team leaders and operations staff to ensure an efficient release process.

The release manager is also responsible for evaluating the release process's risk and complexity level. This evaluation is done to ensure that the right level of work and the right team is employed to carry out the release objective without compromising the ongoing business processes. 

How to measure the success of Release Management  

You can use the following indicators to determine whether your release management was successful. 

Deployment meets timelines

Ask yourself if the release was launched by the established or planned deadline. Check whether all the individual tasks were completed on time. 

Deployment fits budget constraints

Check if the complete project and release were completed within the budget.  

Users are unaffected

Determine whether the current users can continue using the product or service without interruption. Also, determine whether your new and existing users are satisfied or not.   

Conclusion  

In today's dynamic IT environment, ITIL Release Management is a critical process that ensures successful and efficient release deployments. ITIL Certification Renewal stands as a testament to your commitment to staying current with industry standards and practices. By following these best practices, organisations can achieve efficient and successful releases that minimise risks and maximise value to the end users. For professionals engaged in implementing release management processes, exploring ITIL Interview Questions can offer valuable perspectives.

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