RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md

📋 Release Checklist Template

🚀 Pre-Release Preparation

Code Quality & Testing

• All CI/CD checks pass
• Test coverage > 80%
• No security vulnerabilities detected
• Performance benchmarks met
• All tests pass locally
• Integration tests completed

Trading-Specific Validation

• Strategy backtesting passed
• Risk limits validated
• Model performance acceptable
• Compliance checks passed
• Position limits enforced
• Drawdown limits verified

Documentation

• README.md updated
• API documentation current
• Changelog prepared
• Migration notes (if needed)
• Release notes drafted
• User guide updated

Infrastructure

• Docker image builds successfully
• Docker Hub credentials configured
• Environment variables documented
• Configuration files updated
• Dependencies reviewed

🔍 Release Validation

Automated Checks

• Quality assurance pipeline passed
• Security scan completed
• Performance tests passed
• Backtesting validation successful
• Docker build successful
• Documentation generation completed

Manual Verification

• Code review completed (2+ reviewers)
• Trading expert approval received
• Risk management review completed
• Security review completed
• Performance review completed

Pre-Deployment Testing

• Staging environment deployment successful
• Smoke tests passed
• Integration tests passed
• Performance tests passed
• User acceptance testing completed

🏷️ Release Process

Version Management

• Version number updated
• Changelog updated
• Release notes finalized
• Tag created with proper message
• Branch protection rules verified

Release Creation

# Create release branch
git checkout -b release/v1.2.0

# Update version files
# Update CHANGELOG.md
# Update documentation

# Commit changes
git add .
git commit -m "chore: prepare release v1.2.0"

# Create tag
git tag -a v1.2.0 -m "Release v1.2.0: Enhanced risk management"

# Push tag (triggers release workflow)
git push origin v1.2.0

Post-Release Verification

• Release workflow completed successfully
• Docker image pushed to Docker Hub
• Documentation deployed
• Release notes published
• Notifications sent

🚨 Critical Trading Checks

Risk Management

• Maximum position size: 100 shares
• Maximum portfolio allocation: 5%
• Maximum drawdown: 5%
• Stop-loss orders configured
• Take-profit orders configured

Strategy Validation

• Minimum Sharpe ratio: 0.5
• Maximum volatility: 20%
• Minimum backtesting period: 6 months
• Strategy logic verified
• Performance metrics acceptable

Compliance

• Regulatory compliance verified
• Risk limits enforced
• Audit trail maintained
• Trading permissions verified
• API rate limits respected

📊 Performance Monitoring

Pre-Release Metrics

• Strategy execution time < 100ms
• Memory usage < 1GB
• CPU usage < 80%
• API response time < 500ms
• Error rate < 0.1%

Post-Release Monitoring (24h)

• Error rate monitoring
• Performance tracking
• User feedback collection
• System health monitoring
• Trading performance validation

🔧 Emergency Procedures

Rollback Plan

• Previous version identified
• Rollback procedure documented
• Rollback team notified
• Rollback timeline established
• Communication plan prepared

Critical Issues Response

• Stop trading immediately
• Assess impact and scope
• Apply emergency fix
• Deploy hotfix
• Notify stakeholders
• Document incident

📢 Communication

Internal Notifications

• Development team notified
• Trading team notified
• Operations team notified
• Management notified
• Support team briefed

External Communications

• Release announcement prepared
• User documentation updated
• API documentation updated
• Community notifications sent
• Support tickets updated

✅ Release Completion

Final Verification

• All automated checks passed
• Manual verification completed
• Performance monitoring active
• Error tracking configured
• User feedback channels open

Post-Release Activities

• Monitor system for 24 hours
• Collect user feedback
• Address any issues promptly
• Update release notes if needed
• Plan next release cycle

📈 Success Metrics

Quality Metrics

• Zero critical bugs in first 24h
• Performance maintained
• User satisfaction > 4.5/5
• System uptime > 99.9%

Trading Metrics

• Strategy performance > benchmark
• Risk compliance: 100%
• Error rate < 0.1%
• Execution time < 100ms

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🎯 Release Checklist Usage

For Major Releases (vX.0.0)

• Complete ALL checklist items
• Require trading expert approval
• Perform extensive testing
• Include migration guide

For Minor Releases (vX.Y.0)

• Complete core checklist items
• Require code review
• Perform standard testing
• Update documentation

For Patch Releases (vX.Y.Z)

• Complete essential checklist items
• Quick review by maintainer
• Regression testing
• Update release notes

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Note: This checklist is specifically designed for algorithmic trading systems where code quality directly impacts financial performance and risk management. Always prioritize safety and compliance over speed.