Interpretation of Software Deployment

[davidc]

Hi,
According to ITIL, can anyone clarify something definitely for me please.

Software distribution, so transmitting new code (packaged or not) to a number of targets, to me is deployment under ITIL.

If, however, the deployment is via a process of promoting code to a back end in the live environment which is then instantly visible (yet not actually distributed to end user clients), is this deemed as deployment under ITIL?

In addition, are both deemed as 'releases' under ITIL?

Many thanks in advance for any advice given

[UKVIKING]

DavidC

My first question to you is

Why do you think it is NOT a deployment activity if you update from a back end in a live environment ?

[davidc]

UKVIKING - thanks for your response. To answer your question:
I see a back end change as a blanket change on one target. There is therefore little debate as to how it is promoted ie. you wouldn’t need to consider how it is rolled out, eg big bang or phased, push or pull. So it feels as if it is more like a back end configuration change rather than client installation activity (which I see as being software deployment).

[UKVIKING]

DavidC

You need to change your view of Software Deployment to include a lot more than client installation.

I work as a Release Manager where the application suite is Oracle eBusiness, IBM Websphere and and Siebel as well as smaller application and database servers

All customised code for Oracle, Websphere, Siebel and the smaller applications make same changes to the application - usually from the back end

So oracle package files, mass data updates are all considered software deployments

So are database or application patches as well as operating system patches and upgrades

All of these have to be done via Change & Release Management as well as via a software development lifecycle