Creating or copying a release

Build managers create a release when their team is ready to work on a new product. If a team was working on a new version of a product, the build manager probably copies a release, which is described in the next example.

About this task

The build manager for a component development shop releases several component baselines many times a week. After a version of the component is released, the build manager must create the next release so work can begin on it immediately. On Monday morning, the build manager releases the siriusCore/4.3.25-006 component and needs the team to begin work on siriusCore/4.3.25-007 Monday afternoon.

The build manager copies the siriusCore/4.3.25-006 release. (The Copy Release dialog box pre-populates the release field with siriusCore/4.3.25-007.) The team is notified that the new siriusCore/4.3.25-007 release is ready; the team can perform a Refresh Choices operation to get the new release value and begin working.

If your team develops more than one release of an application concurrently, they support parallel releases.

For example, one team might work on new features for release toolkit/3.0 of the toolkit application while another team works on bug fixes for release toolkit/2.1.

Support parallel releases by creating one integration build management project hierarchy and one system test build management project hierarchy for each unique release combination.

Procedure

  1. Click the Task menu, point to New, and choose Release.
  2. In the he Create Release dialog box, modify the following fields, as necessary:
    • Baseline Release

      If you are creating a release, you can set the baseline release. If you are copying a release, you can change the baseline release that is displayed automatically based on the release you are copying from.

      The baseline release provides a safety net for baseline selection. You can use the baseline release when defining the baseline search order in a process rule.

      For example, the baseline for the Insulated Development purpose is the latest Integration Testing baseline that has the same release as the project. If that does not exist, then the latest baseline from the baseline release is used.

      To be more specific, the baseline release for CM 6.5 is CM 6.4 SP1. If integration testing baselines are not yet available for CM 6.5, then a 6.5 insulated development project would pick up the latest CM 6.4 SP1 baseline.

    • Name

      Choose the component name from the list box or type one in (for example, editor). If you are creating a release, type the component release (for example, 3.2_patch). If you are copying a release, you can use the component release based on the release you are copying or you can type a new one.

      The component release must contain 32 characters or fewer.

    • Description

      A description gives a short explanation about the release.

    • Parallel Restrictions

      Parallel restrictions dictate how a team working on this release uses parallel versions. If you are copying a release, the values from the release you are copying are displayed in the box.

      You can set the following parallel restrictions:

      * Allow both parallel check out and check in

      * Allow parallel check out, but disallow parallel check in

      * Disallow both parallel check out and check in

      If you do not choose a setting, then the default, Allow parallel check out, but disallow parallel check in, is used.

  3. Add the process for this release, as required.

    A process groups process rules into a named set that are designed to work together.

    Be default, each process contains the process rules that you can use for a release. The following are the built-in processes, process rules, and purposes:

    Process Process Rule Purpose
    standard Collaborative Development

    Custom Development

    Insulated Development

    Integration Testing

    Shared Development

    System Testing

    Visible Development

    Collaborative Development

    Custom Development

    Insulated Development

    Integration Testing

    Shared Development

    System Testing

    Visible Development

    distributed Custom Development

    Insulated Development

    Local Collaborative Development

    Local Integration Testing

    Master Integration Testing

    Shared Development

    System Testing

    Visible Development

    Custom Development

    Insulated Development

    Collaborative Development

    Integration Testing

    Master Integration Testing

    Shared Development

    System Testing

    Visible Development

    Add to the process rules choices by clicking Select Process. The Select Process dialog box shows the available processes. Choose the appropriate process and click OK.

    If you are copying a release, then you can use the process rule that was part of the previous release. (The set of process rules defines the purposes that available when a user copies a project for that release.)

    Alternatively, if you copy a process with several process rules, you can remove process rules that you do not need.


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