Planning

Planning involves mapping out a detailed and structured plan to execute the proposed release. The plan must include the following details:

Impact details	Record the impact the release might have on specific business services and users. Decide if the customers should be informed of any downtime or connectivity issues the release might cause.
Rollout plan	Provide detailed and structured descriptions of how the process must be implemented, specifying whether the release must be implemented in phases or all at once.
Backout plan	Analyze the potential failures and record a detailed plan of how to mitigate them and how to cancel the release in case of any unusual circumstances.
Checklist	Create a list of activities that must be done before the release request can progress into the next stage.

 

To add and view all these details,

1. Go to Releases.
   
2. Choose all or a specific customer from the drop-down in the header.
   
3. Go to the details page of the required release.
   
4. Click Planning on the left pane.
   

The following tabs are displayed on the canvas:

1. Details
   
2. Downtime
   
3. Tasks
   
4. Notes
   
5. Approvals
   
6. Status comments
   

 

Details 

Add impact details, rollout plans, backout plans, and create checklists for the release deployment. To do that,

1. Click + Add in the relevant section.
   
2. Draft a structured plan in the rich text area.
   
3. Include required attachments, if any.
   

 

Downtime 

In this tab, you can define possible downtime for the release. To do that,

1. Click Add Downtime.
   
2. Fill out the form and click Save.
   

*Mandatory

Description *	Describe the downtime
Downtime Type	Select a downtime type. You can create new downtime types under Setup > Customization > Helpdesk > Downtime Type.
Services Affected	Specify the services that may get affected by the downtime.
CIs Involved	Specify the CIs involved in the downtime.
Associated Changes	The changes associated with the release will be listed for selection. Select the relevant changes for the new downtime.
Scheduled Start	Specify the downtime schedule using the calendar icon.
Scheduled End

 

You should now see the downtime scheduled for the release, as shown:

Tasks 

Add, edit, organize, delete, pick up, trigger, and close release tasks, assign owners to the unassigned tasks, and configure task dependencies. Learn more.

Notes 

Provide planning-related additional information. You can also add planning notes via conversations.

Approvals 

Define approvers for various approval levels required to complete the planning processes. Learn more.

Status Comments 

View all planning status comments provided in the release form.

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