Course: ITIL Practitioner - Release Management

Duration
A three-day intensive, interactive course.
Who should attend this course?
Service Management professionals who are working within a Release Management environment as a practitioner, or those wishing to gain a qualification within this specific area of Service Management.

Prerequisites
Delegates must hold the Service Management Foundation certificate and should ideally have at least one years experience working within Release Management.

Description
This 3-day event equips the IT Service Management professional with the skills to understand, sell, implement and manage a Release Management process.

It follows the ISEB syllabus for Release Management Practitioner and includes assignments and tests to enable delegates to develop new skills and to assess their progress. It completes with a formal examination, leading to a recognised qualification.

Structure
The event is designed to present the information in memorable, manageable segments, with opportunity throughout for delegates to test their understanding and raise and discuss issues of particular concern.  Practical sessions will allow delegates to develop their understanding as a group.

Course Documentation
Each delegate will receive a bound handout of the presentation slides with notes and clean copies of templates and other supporting material.

Qualification
ISEB Practitioner Certificate in Release Management.

Course Content
Planning and implementation of the Release process
Establishing and managing the Definitive Software Library (DSL) and the Definitive Hardware Store (DHS) together with the defining and implementing release policies and mechanisms.
Defining and implementing effective schedules and release planning processes.
Monitoring and reporting on the metrics of Release Management, and reviewing the effectiveness of the process.
Appreciating and understanding the scope of the Release Management process together with its interfaces to, and dependencies on, the other Service Management processes.
Detailed syllabus
 
Examination
Inclusive of fee.  The course completes with a one and a quarter hour written assignment (essay style) and a one hour closed-book multiple-choice paper consisting of 25 questions. The questions will be based on a Case Study and a set of discipline specific appendices to the Case Study.

The Case Study will be the same across all disciplines and is also the same as the one used by candidates in completion of their in-course assignment.  Delegates must achieve a minimum of 50% in each exam, and a combined overall total of 65%.

I. Planning
Planning to implement Release Management and Release lifecycles
Setting the objectives and scope of Release Management
Understanding the potential costs, benefits and problems
Understanding support, tools and techniques for Release Management
Roles and responsibilities in Release Management

II. Release policies and mechanisms
Establishing and managing the Definitive Software Library (DSL)
Establishing and managing the Definitive Hardware Store (DHS)
Designing and implementing quality assurance checks for the DSL and DHS
Defining and implementing release policies and mechanisms.
Emergency releases
Release mechanisms (Full, Delta and Package)

III. The Release lifecycle, scheduling and implementation
Developing and implementing build, test, distribution and implementation processes Producing and managing release plans and schedules
Liaising with Change Management on the scheduling of releases and changes
Maintaining the DSL/DHS

IV. Build, Test and Implementation
Ensuring that authorised releases are properly built
Ensuring that authorised releases are independently tested
Ensuring that authorised releases have back-out plans
Co-ordinating and implementing releases
Backing-out failed releases

V. Monitor and Report
Conducting Release reviews
Identifying and reporting on the metrics of the release process
Understanding the need for, and methods of, auditing process compliance
Reviewing the Release Management processes

VI. Interfaces and Dependencies
Defining and documenting the dependencies of Release Management on the other Service Management processes and information
Implementing interfaces with other Service Management processes and tools
Understanding the relationships with quality, project and development methodologies
(ISO9000, DSDM, SSADM, PRINCE2)