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This document compares the release process being designed for IS&T (releaseball) with documented standards for IT service delivery.

Base Model

  • In ITIL, your release should be integrated with an overall release policy and the process for updating and managing your service portfolio during the work flow. Releaseball accomplishes this. (Klosterboer)
  • In ITIL, release should include update of a "definitive media library" as part of the release work flow. (Visible Ops, Klosterboer)
  • Consider five size categories for all IT projects: Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large.
    • Our conception is mostly based on project length (time) and a vague concept of complexity. So far, not meshing with ITIL or Six Sigma. More to come.
    • "Size" in Six Sigma appears to relate to the complexity-as-risk and impact on the end-user community.
  • The Size Category determines the release processes that must be followed, normally called "work flows." That is the sole purpose of this tool.
  • Determine sizing score by considering a concrete set sizing criteria, or decompositions. (ed. Decomposition of Risk, PMBoK – sml)

Phases

"Each release adds incremental function to the overall service and represents a separately deployed part of the service." (Klosterboer)

  • ITIL, Agile, and other theories all recommend strongly encouraging more frequent but smaller, simpler releases.
  • Our process achieves that but does not set policy for what a "phase" is, which essentially breaks the process.
  • A "phase" is only a phase if it can result, on its own, in a discrete improvement to the product or service.
  • A project "phase" must end in a release. It is not just a discrete unit of work. This is a "release unit."

Decompositions

Human Resources

Take the quality that invokes the highest score.

Score

Man Years

Project Members

Skills Gap/Consulting

1

<= 0.25

1

None

2

0.25 - 0.5

2

< 10% Consulting or Attrition Risk*

3

0.5 - 1

3 - 5

10-25% Consulting or Attrition Risk

4

1-2

6-10

25-75% Consulting or Attrition Risk

5

> 2

> 10

Approaching 100% Outsourced

*Attrition Risk is risk of individual flight, pending budget reduction/downsize, or single points of failure. 

Release Complexity

A release can contain more than one of these. Consider only parts of the service subject to change. Take the quality that grants the highest score.

Score

Software Application

Data

Integration

1

minor patch or security release, no end-user function affected

single schema

self-contained, single end-user transaction

2

major patch, "dot release" that effects end-user behavior

single database, multiple schemas

system of record, affects data feeds to warehouse

3

full application upgrade, new user functionality

external link or feed relationship to other system of record

service allows for real-time update of share enterprise data

4

operating-system upgrade as distributed release or affecting many underlying services

multiple external links or feed relationships

real time integration service, loss of service ends business productivity

5

packaged release of operating system, multicomponent or multi-transactional system

multiple production database servers changed

real-time integration service, requires client applications to refactor

Community Impact

Score

Impact

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

End Notes

(ed. to become properly formatted end notes later. sml)

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