Release Notes Overview

About this page:  Outlines current release notes layout. 

Release notes provide FOLIO libraries and hosting providers important details about a release. It allows libraries and hosting providers to prepare for migrations to FOLIO and upgrades from one release to another. Release notes provide: 

• Migration instructions and details 
• Release upgrade instructions and details  
• Known issues 
• Permissions (new and deprecated)
• Highlight new apps and/or major features 
• Release presentations 

Random thoughts: Imagine being asked to put a jigsaw puzzle together without all the pieces. Well incomplete release notes mean that folks do not have all the pieces for a release. Or think of your team's release dev as a gift; the release notes is the bow that makes the gift complete. You see what I am getting at....

Who is responsible for updating release notes? PO/Team development lead/Solution Architect are responsible for updating release notes.

Release notes are critical and should be added as soon as possible so that libraries and hosting providers have as much time as possible to review notes and prepare. Starting with Poppy, release notes deadlines have been added to release timeline. Poppy final release notes deadline is October 13 2023. 

Current release notes layout 

See Poppy release notes

Section 1: Notes on functionality > PO release presentations

• Product owner post any PO Release Presentations
• Product owner must include links to any slide decks and recordings

Section 2: Important Upgrade Considerations > Changes and Required Actions 

• This section outlines all changes that require special consideration for customers in production.  Configuration changes may be needed to prevent operational interruptions.  See checklist for guidelines on how to fill this out.
• PO and/or Dev lead must complete this section and should include any critical changes and or required migration/upgrade actions for hosting providers. 

Section 3: Important Upgrade Considerations > New apps

• Please post high level details regarding any new app.  Include a link to any presentation or documentation that you think would be helpful. 

Section 4: Important Upgrade Considerations > Removed apps

• Please list the removed app with a brief explanation for why it has been removed. 

Section 5: Important Upgrade Considerations > Permission updates table

• Post details regarding new/deprecated permissions

Section 6: Known issue

• Add any known issue that will not be addressed for the release 
  • You can add to table OR apply a JIRA label for the issue to show in JIRA list.
  • JIRA label > known-issue-<<release name>>

Section 7: Notes on functionality table 

• A table that describes functionality that might not be included in ppt (see Section 1)? 

Section 8: Post-Release Hotfixes

• JIRA filters of CSP issues. Handled by Oleksii. 

Section 9: New Features

• JIRA filters of New features. Handled by Oleksii. 

Section 10: New Features by Epic (Sub-Project)

• JIRA filter created by Oleksii

Section 11: Closed Bugs

• JIRA filter created by Oleksii

Section 12: All Closed Bugs and Stories

• JIRA filter created by Oleksii

Section 13: Remaining Open Bugs at Time of Release 

• JIRA filter created by Oleksii

POs should 

• Update release notes once a feature and/or issue is set to PO Review. 
• Include any previous release notes that still relate to the release
• Ask SM to coordinate time for devs to add release notes throughout the release
• If no SM, PO should remind devs to add release notes throughout the release 
• Add a label to track known issues for a release 
• Add a label for features/issues that require a release note 
• Beware of any updates/migrations that may result in significant service disruption or results in significant changes to data (i.e. MARC - FOLIO mapping rules changes)
• Please remember to update release notes if required for a Critical service patch (CSP) 

Best practices (please add a best practice or tip)