From Kanban board can you create a release and have it be unreleased?

[Ryan Hinz]

I want to build a release based on what is ready for release off the kanban board.  But I have noticed it auto releases the release.  Is there a way for the Release created from the Kanban board to stay unreleased...especially since i am defining a future date?

[ChalkyNZ]

Agree, wish I could do that.  I do release & then unrelease.  Kinda silly but good enough for my needs.  Other option is the Archive a release function - you could use that for ‘really really released and done’. 

[Jack Brickey]

I’m a bit confused. The Release ‘button’ on the Kanban releases whatever is in the far-right column (done). Once you perform the action it releases. The Kanban doesn’t automatically release anything. 

[Ryan Hinz]

What I want to do is have the final column be what is ready for a release.  We have a change management process that I need to follow so I will be submitting a change approval for the release.  Once approved then we would release the release. Does that make sense?

[Jack Brickey]

It sounds like you wish to control what issues will actually be released. For example, lets say you currently have 50 items in the Done column but you only want to include 43 in the release. Is that your requirement?

Assuming so and given that the "Release" button will always release all issues in the right-most column you should do the following:

1. Update your workflow to have another status, e.g. "Release Candidate" that has a status category of Done.
2. Update you kanban to include this status column just to the left of the Done, e.g. To Do | In Progress | Release Candidate | Done
3. Per your process the review board will decide which issues transition from Release Candidate to Done. Then when ready to release click the Release button.

Those issues in Release Candidate status will remain until you decide to release. You can also restrict who can move from RC to Done. Note, a variant of this would be to add a "Release" or "Approved" status after Done and make "Release" the right-most.

[Ryan Hinz]

I would release all 50 items, i just need to create a release with all the items, then submit a change approval request for the release, then release the items to production, and then I can mark the items/release as "Released".  Creating a release from the Kanban board is assuming the items have been released and just marks the release as "Released" and then i have to go back and make sure i unrelease the release so I can go get approval for those items first.

Does that make sense?

[Ryan Hinz]

I wish if i selected a future release date it would recognize the release is not "Released" yet.

[Jack Brickey]

The Release button is a 'now' action. You might consider a automation plugin or scripting plugin and write some code to run the "Release" function based upon a date field. Might be possible but I have never attempted personally.

Again, from your description it seems to me that your internal process is:

1. complete the work
2. assess the change for release
3. once approved mark for release
4. release

So my approach would be as I previously mentioned - update my workflow to align w/ my process.

[Ryan Hinz]

OK, thank you.