Creating Releases

How to create, edit, and manage releases through the lifecycle

Creating a New Release

Any team member can create a release by clicking New Release in the sidebar. The create release form adapts based on the selected template.

Required Fields

• Environment — Target deployment environment (Production, Staging, etc.)
• Team — The team responsible for this release
• Project — The Jira project the service belongs to
• Work Type — The type of release (Release Request, Emergency, etc.)
• Application/Service Name — Name of the service being released
• Release Version — Version identifier (e.g., v2.4.0)
• Planned Release Date — When the release is scheduled

Optional Fields

• Rollback Version — Previous version to rollback to if needed
• Release Summary — Rich text description of changes, features, and fixes
• Linked Tickets — Related Jira tickets grouped by category
• Approvers — Select approvers for each approval level
• Custom Fields — Any additional fields defined in the template

Save as Draft vs Submit

You have two options when creating a release:

• Save as Draft — Creates the Jira ticket in Draft status. You can edit it later and submit when ready. Drafts don't require all fields to be filled.
• Submit — Creates the ticket and moves it to Planned status. All required fields must be filled. If the planned date falls in a freeze window, an exception reason is required.

What Happens When You Create a Release

1. A Jira ticket is created in the configured RMC project with a rich description
2. Labels are applied: release label, team label, project label
3. Governance data is stored as an entity property on the Jira ticket
4. The ticket is transitioned to Draft or Planned status
5. If freeze window applies, a Freeze Exception approval level is injected
6. Approval chain is initialized with designated approvers at each level

Freeze Window Handling

If the planned release date falls within an active freeze window:

• If the freeze window allows exceptions: you must provide an exception reason. Quick-select options are available (e.g., "Customer-critical release", "Urgent security fix").
• If the freeze window does not allow exceptions: the release cannot be submitted for that date. Choose a different date.

Release Lifecycle

After creation, the release progresses through these states:

1. Draft — Initial state, can be edited freely
2. Planned — Submitted, ready for approval request
3. Approval Pending — Approval requested, waiting for approvers
4. Approved — All levels approved
5. Ready for Deployment — Approved and marked ready
6. Deployment In Progress — Currently being deployed
7. Released — Successfully released (terminal)

At any point, a release can be Cancelled or Rolled Back (with a mandatory reason).

Requesting Approval

After submitting a release (status: Planned), click Request Approval on the confirmation page or from the Release Registry. You can add an optional note for approvers. The release moves to Approval Pending and approvers are notified via their My Approvals queue.

Editing a Release

Releases can be edited in Draft, Planned, or Correction Requested states. Find the release in the Release Registry and click Edit. Changes are saved to the Jira ticket and governance data.