8.2 Release Request

The purpose of a release request is to document what is released from the configuration management library, and to whom. A release request forms the interface between the controlled library (the configuration management library) and the surrounding world. The person responsible for configuration management or the librarian should use it as the basis for releasing configuration items for usage. The relationship is shown in Figure 8-4.

Figure 8-4. Release Request in Context

Medium

A release request may be a form, either paper based or electronic. An electronic release request may be communicated as e-mail. Release requests are, however, often communicated by word of mouth. This is acceptable if the metadata registers to whom the item has been released (for items where such registration is necessary).

Content

A release request should contain these data elements:

• Configuration item concerned

• Dated signature(s) by requester or requesters

• If desired, dated signature by the person responsible

• Reason for release request

• Delivery medium and/or destination

The first three items are the same as for the approved item described above.

Reason

It might in some cases, but far from all, be useful to register why release has taken place. Often, the use made of the item will be implied in who the requester is.

Delivery Medium and/or Destination

This indicates the way a given configuration item is to be delivered (a paper copy, burned on a CD, or copied onto a specific area on a specific computer).

Stock Control

For physical configuration itemsas opposed to electronic ones, which can be copied endlessly without damaging the originalconfiguration management may overlap with stock control. Stock control implies, among other things, controlling the number of copies delivered and at one's disposal. In such cases, the interfaces must be agreed on. This means that one must decide whether release should take place via stock controlwhich is then reported to configuration managementor vice versa.

Examples

This section contains two examples of release requestsone for a configuration management system with a low degree of formalism and one for a high degree of formalism. As with item approvals , a simple library tool may serve this function for systems of the lowest formality .

Low Degree of Formalism

Figure 8-5 shows an e-mail used as registration of a release request. The recipient is a central account associated with the system (here System1). All project members may access the account, and e- mails may be sorted by sender, date, or subject to produce various overviews of the information. Entering additional information in the text field may be required, as appropriate.

Figure 8-5. Mail Message Used as Release Registration

High Degree of Formalism

Figure 8-6 shows a Release Request Form. It may be used for registering to whom a configuration item has been released, and why, how, and when.

Figure 8-6. Release Request FormHigh Degree of Formalism