[Building Sakai] Draft 2.7.0 release schedule

[Anthony Whyte]

I've added the calendar plugin to the release management space in  
Confluence and laid out a draft release schedule for the upcoming  
Sakai 2.7.0 release (see links below).  The plan is a tentative one  
but assumes the generation of six QA tags (beta/rc) starting on  
Thursday,  21 January, 2009 and released every other Thursday  
thereafter until we judge that sakai-2.7.0 is ready for public release  
(tentative release date: 22 April).  If necessary the schedule  
outlined below will be adjusted should circumstances require it.

For me a critical determinant of whether or not we can keep to the  
schedule below involves transitioning successfully from beta tags to  
release candidates.  Alan Berg has proposed that the transition occur  
only after the following conditions are met:

Beta -> rc transition
1. elimination of all blockers
2. no unassigned critical issues

We should discuss the above criteria (as well as other proposals).  At  
a minimum, I'd like to see a fall in the number of issues lodged  
against successive beta tags before we decide to cut a release  
candidate; however, tracking changes in the defect rate may prove  
challenging.

Tentative schedule (Jan-Feb: beta tags, March-April: rc tags)

21 Jan: sakai-2.7.0-b01
4 Feb: sakai-2.7.0-b02
17 Feb: Properties files string freeze (e.g., i18N)
18 Feb: sakai-2.7.0-b03
4 March sakai-2.7.0-* (beta/rc)
18 March sakai-2.7.0-* (beta/rc)
1 April sakai-2.7.0-* (beta/rc)
15-19 April  sakai-2.7.0 tag/binaries prep
22 April sakai-2.7.0 release

Indie Projects should consider synchronizing their beta/rc candidates  
with the above schedule whenever schedule.

If anyone objects to the draft schedule above please do not hesitate  
to reply to this email.

Cheers,

Anthony

_____________________

Release Management (RM) Space (click "calendar tab or view events panel)
http://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/REL/Release+Management+Working+Group

RM Calendar
http://confluence.sakaiproject.org/display/REL/Release+Management+Calendar