Releasing the application encompasses the logistics of deploying the application into production.  This may be a phased approach starting with pilot users running over an extended period of time or it may be a simple single push to an existing production server.  In many cases it includes not only moving binaries to a server but also training plans, maintenance plans, and other support artifacts.

The release activity combines the packaged deliverables from construction as verified during testing.  Many organizations will require checks and balances for compliance before any changes are made to a production environment.  Once released, new applications are supported through the maintenance activity.

Sub Activities

Although most organizations will have some variants, release activities typically include the following:

• Ensuring that the release candidate has met all quality criteria.
• Ensuring that the business has approved the release candidate.
• Communicating the change window to the user community.
• Deploying the change to the target environment.
• Validating the application in the target environment.
• Rolling back any changes if validation fails.
• Communicating completion of the release.