Creating Release Packages

You should create a release package when you are ready to begin configuring the deployment details for a release. You can create release packages by submitting to the release packages project. If using release trains, you can create a release package directly from a release train.

By default release packages are standalone, but they can be designated as parent or child packages. See Designating Release Packages as Parents and Adding Child Release Packages.

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least one active deployment path.

To create a release package:

1. Depending on whether you are using release trains, open the release packages project submit form in one of the following ways:

   • In Work Center, select a release train, and in its Overview tab, click Create Release Package.

   • In Work Center, click +New and select your release packages project.

     (By default, the Release Packages project is used to store release packages.)

2. Fill out the required fields and any desired optional fields.
   Tip:

   • Enter the version of the release package in the Title or Description so that you can later report on and compare release package versions through standard SBM reports.
   • In the Overview section, in the Use Task Template field, select a task template from which to copy deployment tasks.
   • In the Options section, you can select custom column items for add and display of deployment units and requests.
   • In the Options section, you can select whether or not to bypass the Deployed and Deployment Complete states. By default, the release package process flow bypasses the Deployed state. If you want to have users manually transition to either of these states, you can set that option to No.
3. Click Submit.

   This places the release package in the Acceptance state.

   Note: You can instead click Save as Draft, which places the release package in the Construction state, where it must be configured before delivering it to the release engineering team for acceptance.
4. Configure and manage the release package using the tabs that appear in the form.

Required Fields

The required fields when you create a release package are as follows:

• Title
• Description
• Release Type: Select the release type, such as Emergency, Major, or Minor. The release type filters the deployment paths available to this release package.
• Deployment Path: Specify the deployment path for this release package. You must select the release type first, because deployment paths are filtered by release type. Only active deployment paths appear for selection.
• Release Manager

Tabs

The tabs available from a release package once it is created are as follows:

• Deployment Path: View the deployment path for this release package, including detailed deployment history for each environment in the path.

  Deployment paths are typically created and maintained by Administrators. For information on creating and activating deployment paths, refer to Creating and Designing Deployment Paths

• Deployment Units: View deployment units for this release package. Refer to Adding Deployment Units.
• Deployment Tasks: View and add deployment tasks for this release package. Refer to Adding Deployment Tasks.
• Requests: Select requests to associate with this release package.
• Notes/Attachments: View notes and attachments that have been added to the item through the Serena Work Center More option and related email correspondence.
• History: View the history of the release package item.