Task: Understand Release And Deployment Management Requirements

As the first step, it is important is to understand the commitments made to the customer, and the current state with respect to Release And Deployment Management. The Release Manager, along with the Engagement Manager, must analyze the contract and the Service Governance Plan(SGP) to understand the scope and Client expectations with respect to Release And Deployment Management. In addition, the Release Manager must study the existing strategy and policy adopted by the Client (or incumbent) for Release And Deployment Management. The Release Manager must also obtain an understanding of the different types or classifications of releases, deployment models, frequency of the releases, windows for the deploying the release, etc.

The Release Manager should obtain the procedures and methods currently employed (by the Client or incumbent) for release and deployment. This would also include tools used, triggers for a release, configuration management process for the release, naming conventions for release components, back out plans, support provided post release, etc. These can be reused as needed while developing procedures for Release And Deployment Management in the engagement.

The Release Manager must obtain clarity on the agreed measurements (in terms of Service Level Agreements (SLA), Key Performance Indicators (KPI) etc.) for Release And Deployment Management and understand how they should be defined, monitored and reported. Risks and issues pertaining to Release And Deployment Management should also be identified. The Release Manager must also review and clarify any other agreements or obligations made to the Client from Release And Deployment Management perspective.