1. Release Types

• Standard: low-risk, repeatable, preapproved procedure.
• Normal: planned change requiring review and scheduled deployment.
• Major: broad impact, architectural change, migration, or significant user disruption.
• Emergency: urgent change needed to restore service or reduce active risk.

2. Required Release Record

Every release must identify scope, owner, affected services, dependencies, risk, test evidence, communication plan, deployment steps, backup status, rollback method, verification checks, and approval.

3. Readiness Gates

• Acceptance criteria met
• Security and authorization reviewed
• Accessibility and mobile behavior checked
• Data migration and integration reconciliation tested
• Backup and rollback confirmed
• Documentation and support materials updated
• Monitoring and ownership active

4. Deployment

Deploy during an appropriate window based on risk and organizational events. Avoid unnecessary high-risk releases during conference-critical periods, registration deadlines, elections, major campaigns, or known vendor maintenance.

5. Verification

After release, verify public rendering, authentication, forms, transactions, integrations, scheduled tasks, permissions, analytics, error logs, and performance. Record the result and any variance from plan.

6. Rollback

Rollback is required when security, data integrity, essential transactions, or critical user journeys are impaired and a timely forward fix is not lower risk. Preserve evidence before reversal where possible.

7. Emergency Changes

Emergency changes require the minimum necessary scope, real-time documentation, authorized approval, immediate verification, and a retrospective review after stabilization.

8. Release Cadence

Bundle routine improvements into predictable releases. Separate high-risk migrations from unrelated changes. Maintain a visible roadmap and release history.

9. Closure

A release closes only after production verification, monitoring review, documentation completion, stakeholder communication, and assignment of any follow-up work.