1st Edition

IT Release Management A Hands-on Guide

By Dave Howard Copyright 2012
    344 Pages 26 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    When implemented correctly, release management can help ensure that quality is integrated throughout the development, implementation, and delivery of services, applications, and infrastructure. This holistic, total cost of ownership approach allows for higher levels of system availability, is more cost effective to maintain, and increases overall stability, maintainability, and reliability.

    Filled with practical insights, IT Release Management: A Hands-on Guide clearly illustrates the effective implementation of a release process in the real world. It examines the similarities and differences of release management and project management to clear up any confusion there might be about the two complementary processes. Shedding light on the day-to-day challenges that need to be overcome to ensure success, it details the how-to’s of effective implementation—including what to implement, how to do it, and when to do it.

    This complete resource includes a detailed model for executing a release management process, as well as numerous templates, diagrams, and role and responsibility charts to help kick start implementation efforts in your organization. Addressing the all-important cultural aspects, it explains how to sell the benefits of release management to all levels of your organization, how to overcome objections, and how to determine organizational readiness. Emphasizing the need to measure performance, it explains how to develop effective performance metrics and supplies many helpful examples of effective productivity measures.

    When it comes to implementation, what works in one organization doesn’t necessarily work in another. This accessible guide provides you with the tools to build on your practical knowledge and effectively implement a release management practice custom tailored to your organization.

    INTRODUCTION

    Overview
    What Is Release Management
    Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL®)
    Service Management
    Financial Benefits
    Release Management and Project Management
    Organizational Readiness
    Practical Application
    Baseline and Metrics

    Basic Concepts
    Objective and Mission
    Release Policy and Procedures
    Release Procedures
    Roles and Responsibilities
    Release Lifecycle
    Definitive Media Library
    Measures and Metrics
    Release Management Activities
    Developmental Relationships
    Operational Considerations/Total Cost of Ownership

    Release Management and Project Management: Kissing Cousins
    Differences
    Similarities and Complementary Likeness
    Release Plan and Project Plan
    Tying It Together
    Software/System Development Lifecycle (SDLC) vs. the Release Lifecycle (RLC)
    Alignment Pyramid

    Release Management Is Not Just for Software Development
    Holistic Approach
    Release Management and the Infrastructure
    New Environment Request Process

    The Release Lifecycle
    Benefits
    Implementation Considerations
    The Release Lifecycle
    Initiation Phase
    Release Configuration and Build Phase
    New Environment Request (NER) Phase
    Quality Assurance Phase
    Operational Readiness Phase
    Implementation Phase
    Post-Implementation Phase
    Using the RLC

    Release Measures and Metrics
    Setting the Baseline
    Value of Measurement
    Components of Metrics
    Measurement and Metrics

    Selling Release Management
    Organizational Readiness
    Executive Buy-In
    Return on Investment
    Release Management and the Business

    Appendix A:
    Release Policy
    Appendix B: RACI Matrix
    Appendix C: Release Deliverables Checklist
    Appendix D: Master Test Plan
    Appendix E: New Environment Request Form (NERF)
    Appendix F: Infrastructure Design Document (IDD)
    Appendix G: Security Risk Assessment
    Appendix H: Functional Specifications
    Appendix I: Operational Readiness Testing Manual (ORT)
    Appendix J: Support and Escalation Turnover Document
    Appendix K: Master Training Plan
    Appendix L: Service Level Agreement
    Appendix M: IT Service Continuity and Recovery Plan
    Appendix N: Post-Implementation Review
    Index

    Each chapter concludes with a "Concept Review"

    Biography

    Dave Howard is the national business technology manager for Toyota Financial Services.