release-management

name	release-management
description	Manage IT releases — release planning, packaging, testing gates, deployment windows, communication, and post-release validation. TRIGGER when: user says /release-management, needs to plan a release, or asks about release coordination and deployment management.
argument-hint	[release or deployment to plan]
user-invocable	true

Release Management

Process

Step 1: Define Release Scope

Element	Details
Release ID	Unique identifier
Type	Major / Minor / Patch / Emergency
Components	Applications, infrastructure, config changes
Dependencies	Cross-team or external dependencies
Risk level	High / Medium / Low

Step 2: Plan Release

Phase	Duration	Activities
Planning	1-2 weeks	Scope, dependencies, risk assessment
Build	Per sprint	Development, unit testing
Testing	1-2 weeks	Integration, regression, UAT
Staging	1-3 days	Pre-production deployment, smoke tests
Production	Scheduled window	Deployment, validation
Hypercare	1-7 days	Enhanced monitoring, rapid response

Step 3: Define Testing Gates

Gate	Criteria	Owner
Code complete	All features merged, no blockers	Dev lead
QA signoff	Test plan executed, no P1/P2 bugs	QA lead
Security scan	No critical/high vulnerabilities	Security
Performance	Meets SLA benchmarks	Performance team
UAT	Business stakeholder approval	Product owner

Step 4: Schedule Deployment

Factor	Consideration
Window	Low-traffic period, team availability
Duration	Estimated deployment time + buffer
Rollback	Maximum time before rollback decision
Communication	Stakeholder notification schedule
On-call	Support team coverage during and after

Step 5: Execute Release

Step	Action	Verification
1	Pre-deployment checklist complete	Signoff
2	Deploy to production	Deployment success
3	Smoke tests	Critical paths working
4	Monitor dashboards	No anomalies
5	Notify stakeholders	Confirmation sent
6	Begin hypercare	Enhanced monitoring active

Step 6: Post-Release Review

Question	Answer
Did the release go as planned?
Were there any issues?
What could improve next time?
Are all success criteria met?

Output Format

## Release Plan: [ID]
### Scope: [components and changes]
### Schedule: [timeline with gates]
### Risk: [assessment and mitigations]
### Communication: [notification plan]

Quality Checklist

• All testing gates passed
• Rollback plan documented and tested
• Communication sent to stakeholders
• Deployment window confirmed
• Monitoring enhanced for hypercare
• Post-release review scheduled

Edge Cases

• For emergency releases, use abbreviated process with post-hoc review
• For zero-downtime requirements, use blue-green or canary deployments
• If multiple teams coordinate, assign a release manager as single point