Creating and Copying Release Trains

You should create a release train when you are ready to request approval for or begin scoping and scheduling the release of one of more application releases. You can create a release train before or after you create the application releases that will belong to it.

Prerequisites: Ensure you have set up the minimum objects required before you try to create a release train. Refer to Creating Release Elements.

To create a release train:

Click +New.
Search for the project that will store your release train, and then select the project to open a Submit form. (By default, the Release Trains project is used to store release trains.)
Fill out the required fields and any optional fields and then click Submit.
Configure and manage the release train using the tabs that appear in the form.

Required Fields

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

Title
Release Manager
Purpose
Dates: Specify the dates for the release train stages, including Start, Scoping, Construction Complete, QA Complete, and End Date

Optional Fields

Optional fields include:

Release Engineers
Status: Select a color code that indicates the release status, such as Green, Amber, or Red.
Train Approval Required: Specify whether approval is required for the release train to enter the Scoping stage.
Dev Approval Required: Specify whether approval is required for the release train to enter QA after construction is complete.

Note: Executive approval is set to required by default; this can be changed only by customizing Release Manager.

Tabs

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

Application Releases: View the list of application releases associated with this release train.
Schedule: View the release train stage schedule. This is specified during the creation or update of a release train.
Milestones: Specify the dates that major aspects of the release should be complete.
Stage Gates: Specify exit criteria for each of the stage gates.
Approvals: View and take action on Release Approvals.
Turnovers: View information on turnovers associated with this release train.
Requirements/Development: View all business requests and development tasks associated with all application releases in this release train.
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 train item.

Copying Release Trains

To ease the release train setup process, you can create a release train and copy it to create new release trains, modifying the information as needed for the new trains. If you plan to use more than one type of release train, consider setting up a standard release train of each type that you plan to use so that release managers can then copy them and complete their configuration more quickly.

Information that you may want to set up ahead of time so that it can be copied to various release trains includes:

Release manager and release engineers
Milestones
Stage gate exit criteria
Train approval levels and approvers

During a release train copy, release managers select new start and end dates. Dates for stage gates and milestones automatically adjust relative to the new train stage dates. Dates can be adjusted manually as needed.

To copy a release train, select the Make a copy link located on the More drop-down list on an existing release train.

Note: The release train copy does not copy the associated objects, such application releases and turnovers. These must be added to the newly copied trains.

Related Topics

About Release Trains

Creating Release Types

Creating Approval Items