Adding value as a CM guru
Your job is to analyze the current way that releases are put together and then come up with a new process (or set of procedures) that results in the Release being created correctly - each and every time. Essentially, you need to think of how you can make it IMPOSSIBLE to make a mistake. I have done this job many times. I learned how to do Release Management from reading about the design of the cockpit of a plane. Pilot instruments are designed in a way that mistakes (due to pilot error) are very unlikely or almost impossible. Given that many pilots must work long hours under conditions that would cause anyone to feel fatigued - the instruments must be very carefully (ergonomically) designed.

My Release Management Procedures
Currently, I am learning the new Microsoft Power Shell and Visual Studio's C#/.net structure for automating deployment of ASP.NET applications. I always start by creating a short checklist (usually seven steps) that includes checking out the source code (into a sandbox) based upon a tag or version label. Then I build the entire release from scratch and automate the packaging and creation of an installation script. My scripts require that you follow my checklist and watch the screen - hitting enter after checking for messages. I don't usually try to make this process completely unattended - I just try to make it IMPOSSIBLE to make a mistake. This is MY cockpit and no pilot will ever misread the controls!

Learning new technologies
I have worked a lot with Unix, Ant/Maven/CruiseControl with applications in Java, C and C++. Now I am switching gears and learning the .net framework and C#. It is very common for CM gurus to have work across many platforms and also to learn new technologies constantly. That is part of the job and you should try to be as hands-on and technical as possible if you want to stay in demand and on top of the CM profession (trust me a REALLY great place to be right now).

What's your experience?
Please share your own experiences with creating new Release Management experiences. I always like to spread best practices and that means that we should all show good corporate citizenship by sharing our experiences with what works and what doesn't. Good CM adds value to organization and helps the entire industry work a little better. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Bob Aiello is the Editor-in-Chief for CM Crossroads and a Software Engineer specializing in Software Process Improvement including Software Configuration and Release Management. Mr. Aiello has over 25 years experience as a technical manager in several top NYC Financial Services firms where he had had company-wide responsibility for CM, often providing hands-on technical support for enterprise Source Code Management tools, SOX/Cobit compliance, build engineering, continuous integration and automated application deployment. Bob is the Vice Chair of the IEEE 828 Standards working group (CM Planning) and was recently elected to the IEEE Software and Systems Engineering Standards Committee (S2ESC) Management Board. He is a long standing member of the Steering Committee of the NYC Software Process Improvement Network (CitySPIN), where he serves as the chair of the CM SIG. Mr. Aiello holds a Masters in Industrial Psychology from NYU and a B.S. in Computer Science and Math from Hofstra University. You may contact Mr. Aiello at raiello@acm.org or link with him at http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobaiello

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