Relution Signet Customer Hub

App Release Workflow

Under Settings → App Release Workflow, the steps an app version must go through before reaching the Release status can be defined. The process applies to versions in the Review status. Without an active process, any user with the Owner or Reviewer permission on the app can release a version directly. In the default app permissions, the organization’s App Reviewer system group is entered as Reviewer.

Creating Release Steps

A release process consists of any number of freely sortable steps. Each step supports the following settings:

  • Name and Description
  • Type:
    • Standard – a regular release step.
    • Arrange go live date – adds a date-arrangement step to the version (see below).
  • Responsible person or group: If none is set, the app owner is automatically responsible. If a user entered as responsible is deleted, responsibility passes to the organization’s Appstore Manager group.
  • Enforce this step: When enabled, the version must go through this step. As long as this step or a later step is enforced, the version cannot be moved directly from Review to Release. App owners with the Appstore Manager role, which administrators have automatically, are exempt.
  • Conditions: A step can be restricted to specific apps (For certain apps), app types (Native, Public, Weblink), platforms (iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, tvOS), Price types (Paid/Free), specific App operations (Create/Update), or exclusively to requested apps (Only requested apps). If specific apps are selected, the app type, platform, price type and Only requested apps conditions no longer apply. If Only requested apps is enabled, the app type selection no longer applies.

If the last release step is deleted, the release process is deactivated automatically.

Release with an Active Process

When the release process is active, every version in the Review status is assigned to the first matching step. Only the responsible person or the members of the responsible group, as well as app owners, can approve the current step. After approval, the version moves to the next matching step.

Once the last step has been approved, the version is published and receives the Release status. If a Go Live date in the future is set for the version, it is published automatically on that date.

For native apps, a preferred date can be entered in the Go Live date field for versions in the Development or Review status. While a step of type Arrange go live date is in progress, the date cannot be changed.

Arrange Go Live Date

If the process includes a step of type Arrange go live date, the uploader and the responsible person jointly propose a release date in the app’s version detail view. Once both sides have agreed, the date is adopted as the Go Live date. If further steps follow in the process, the version first goes through them. After the process is complete, it is published automatically on the agreed date.

Enabling/Disabling the Process

The entire release process can be enabled or disabled via the 3-dot menu:

  • Enable Workflow: All versions in the Review status are moved into the first matching release step. If a version was already in a step before, its release history is restored. Enabling is only possible once at least one step has been created.
  • Disable Workflow: Owners and reviewers of the app, and therefore by default also the members of the App Reviewer group, can release versions directly again.

Providing a Native App in the Relution App Store

Relution supports the provision of native apps and installation packages, for example IPA, PKG, DMG, APK, MSIX, MSIXBUNDLE, APPX, APPXBUNDLE, MSI and EXE files. This also allows different versions of an app, such as developer or test versions, to be provided specifically and tested in advance.

Under Apps → App Store, the Native app source is chosen via Add and confirmed with Next.

The desired installation package is uploaded via Select.

Once the installation package has been uploaded, the form is opened via Add details. In the General section, the Release status is selected in the Release status field. The status name appears as a tooltip on the respective icon. The Release status is only available to app owners. A version created directly in the Release status does not go through a release process.

Apps with the Release status can be downloaded by all authorized users via the Relution App Store.

This area also shows the version name as well as the creation and modification date of the app.

Finally, the entries are applied via Save in the upper right corner.

After saving, an overview of the stored app is displayed. Among other things, it shows the platform for which the app is available as well as further information and settings.

The Relution App Store also shows the type of app and the platform for which it is provided.

Providing a Developer or Test Version to Specific Users

If a further version of the same app – for example a developer or test version – is to be provided only to specific users, it is created in the Review status.

The desired app is opened in the Relution App Store and a new version is created via Add new version.

The new version is then uploaded as a native app as described above. In the General section, the Review status is selected in the Release status field and the changes are saved.

As a result, the version is not visible to regular App Store users. Review versions are only visible to persons with the Owner, Reviewer or Developer permission on the app, and to administrators. The access always applies to all review versions of the app, not to a single version.

Access via the App Permissions

Individual testers are given access specifically via the app itself: In the app’s Settings tab, the person is entered under Reviewer or Developer in the Permissions section via Users and Groups. As a Developer, the person sees review versions but cannot release them. However, they can edit review and development versions and delete the app. The Permissions section is available to app owners.

Access via the App Reviewer Group

Alternatively, the user is added to the organization’s App Reviewer system group. To do so, the user is opened under Users → Users, and the Manage groups button is selected in the Groups & Permissions section. The group is assigned there. Its name begins with the organization name. If the organization is called “Support”, for example, the group is named Support App Reviewer.

Members of this group are entered as Reviewer in the default app permissions. They therefore see the review versions of all apps whose permissions contain the group. If a template for the default permissions is active under Settings → App Store, this only applies if the group is included in it (App Store Default Permissions →).

Users without any of these permissions only see versions with the Release status. Users with access to review versions additionally see the Review area in the top bar of the Relution App Store.

See also Processing App Requests → for reviewing requested apps afterward.