^ [[3.3 The PM2-Agile Model]] # 3.3.3 Releases A Release is the **result of the incremental process applied throughout several iterations**, as the team releases the solution as a **viable product** (or a Minimum Viable Product) that is **ready to be used by the stakeholders**. Depending on the solution being built, **additional levels of formalism and validation may be required**. By default, the incremental process, based on the **continuous exposure of Work Items** and the **demonstrated** and **validated Iteration results**, enables a solid Release. Nevertheless, ==specific requirements may require additional validation steps to ensure that the Release is indeed fully compliant with the agreed Definition of Done==. When developing **more complex solutions**, the process of releasing may require some **additional preparation and some extra activities (training users, fixing a critical bug**, etc.). This additional effort may be ==planned as part of an iteration called a Transition Iteration==. The main purpose is to ensure a successful solution deployment into the production environment, enabling future exposure to the community of users. **Within a Transition Iteration**, the team is essentially **focused in guarantying a smooth transition of the solution**. For example, the team may decide that no new features are to be further developed and other activities that also add value to the product are carried out instead. An **Agile team may also be split into two sub-teams that work together in parallel**. ==One team may work on release activities while the other one is developing new features for a follow-on release, for instance==. **Typical activities** that occur during a Transition Iteration include: - fixing a critical or **major defect**; - **documenting** various aspects of the system (e.g. support and user documentation); - performing additional functional, performance, load, system and integration **testing**; - **training** support personnel and end users; - **updating** the **Development** Plan and/or the **Deployment Plan**. One Transition Iteration may not be enough to perform all the necessary activities. **A Transition Iteration has some different activities, but it doesn't mean that it is planned differently**. It remains an iteration and as such, it should be ==carried out just like a regular one (proper ceremonies, Iteration Planning with a Work Items List, etc.==) Next: [[3.4 The PM2-Agile Mindsets]]