Release Strategy

This document describes the B1 Usability Package release strategy and how you should read the version number of the B1 Usability Package.

Release strategy

The B1 Usability Package release strategy is normally tied to SAP’s release of major version updates of the SAP Business One Product.

The Release Cycle

The release cycle goes through 5 steps in a 24 months’ time period:

1. Planning: When a major release is announced by SAP planning of the next version begins by studying the roadmaps of SAP Business One, evaluating the latest version and looking at needed changes.
2. RampUp: With the release of the upcoming version a beta-version of B1UP is released if needed (See below for details of this process)
3. Release: Shortly after the SAP Business One product shipment, the new B1UP version will be ready for download and its new functionality is introduced. Previous version is discontinued to get new functionality.
4. B1UP Updates: Once every quarter of a year a minor release of B1UP will be released. This will include new functionality and extensions to existing functionality. 
5. B1UP Patches: In the period between two major releases roughly one time each month a patch for the current version will be shipped. Such updates will only contain bug-fixes to existing functionality.

SAP Business One RampUp and Beta versions
During a SBO RampUp, depending on the SBO-client changes, a Beta version of the B1 Usability Package might be needed. When the rampup is released the B1UP Team will through tests determine if a Beta is needed or the current version can act as the beta.
Examples:
- During the SBO2005A RampUp, is was quickly discovered that, due to changes, version 1 of the B1UP was not able to run on this release, so in order to accommodate the people participating in RampUp a beta-version of B1UP 2 was created.
- During the SBO2007A RampUp, no major problems were found during the test of using version 2 on the RampUp version, and therefore it was decided not to release a special Beta for 3.0, and let version 2 work in both SBO2005 and 2007.

NB: A BETA VERSION WILL ALWAYS BE RECOGNIZED BY THE WORD BETA IN THE DOWNLOADED FILENAME

NB: PEOPLE USING BETA VERSIONS OF B1UP MIGHT NEED UNINSTALL AND ADDITIONAL TWEAKS WHEN THE FINAL VERSION IS RELEASED, COMPARE TO NORMAL UPGRADES.

Version numbering

Take a look at this sample of a version number:

3.0.4.0

Major release number

This number is the main version number of the B1 Usability Package. B1UP follows a release cycle that is linked to the SAP Business One major releases.

Major versions of B1UP will mostly contain changes to core product code to deal with the new SBO client and B1UP structural changes (Examples: .Net Framework version change and the a new license system).

The B1UP Team will always try to make the transition between major versions as smooth as possible, but you should be aware that smaller tweaks might be needed.

Minor release number
A minor release of the B1UP happens quarterly even when the SAP Business One version has not changed. Minor release focus mainly on enhancing the existing functionality with new features and new modules.

Incremental release number
This number is the release number that normally will change for new release and symbolize the planned monthly update. Such a build normally consists of bug-fixes (and in rare occasions minor new functionality to the existing modules of the add-on, but not new modules).
Incremental builds are planned to be released at the end of each month of the year.

Hotfix/Special Build Number
The final digit in the version number will in scheduled releases always be 0 but is used for 2 purposes:

1. Should the unfortunate event happen in a scheduled release, a critical error is found; a hot fix build will be issued. Such a built will not end on 0 but 1, 2, 3 and so on if needed.
   
   
2. A few customers have special builds of the B1UP and they will always have versions that don’t end on 0.

Release_Strategy.pdf