Running the Endgame

Each iteration closes with an endgame.

Duties of the endgame champion

Proactive communication is key to a smooth and successful endgame.

• Update iteration plan issue with the endgame schedule (see template below and potentially last month's schedule)
  • Ensure each plan item is linked to a test item
• Discuss the endgame schedule in Monday's planning call
  • Find an endgame buddy in the other lab
  • Remind people to update their testing availability and platform(s) in the call and release channel
• Ensure each test item has meaningful content
• Assign test items to testers (usually platform specific) using the testplan tool; ensure fair distribution across testers
• Communicate test assignments in the release Slack channel by posting the test item queries (example query)
• Communicate end of day progress in the release Slack channel by communicating
  • the number of issues filed
  • the number of test items not yet completed (example query)
  • number of issues to be verified
• Assign owners to checklist items for each day (if not owned by the endgame master)
• Track progress on test items and checklist items
• Adjust schedule, particularly the publishing dates, based on defects found, fixes made, holidays, vacations, etc.

Schedule Template

https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/wiki/Endgame-Template

OS Test Availability

Update the OS test availability here

Recovery Build

We release one or more recovery builds with a handful of critical fixes and translation updates a few days after a release. The candidate fixes are reviewed by the development team and are assigned to a recovery milestone. We want to be restrictive about the included candidates. The mindset is "we will lose users if we do not include the fix". Here are some examples:

• data loss
• a regression that users complain loudly about in issues or Twitter
• a significant performance regression
• an issue that impacts many users as indicated by telemetry data
• an embarrassing UI glitch
• critical security fixes (see Patch Tuesday Release Endgame Template below)
• an issue that impacts extensions or is an API regression

Schedule Template

• https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/wiki/Endgame-Recovery-Template
• https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-internalbacklog/wiki/MSRC-Patch-Tuesday-Release-Endgame-Template/