Microspeak: Escrow

5 days ago

Release management selects an escrow build before product release, which undergoes testing to meet quality targets.
Escrow is defined as the phase before RTM milestone completion where the product is observed without changes to ensure it meets release criteria.
If a severe bug is found, an escrow reset occurs: the bug is fixed, a new build is produced, and the cycle repeats.
The bug bar is used to assess whether a problem requires a product change, balancing factors like frequency, user impact, severity, and workarounds.
Eventually, if the escrow period passes without resets, the escrow build is released to manufacturing.
Bug fixes during escrow carry risks of introducing new bugs, making the bug bar crucial for evaluating whether to apply fixes.
The concept of escrow and bug bars applies even to individual developers, not just large teams, due to the inherent risks of changes late in the release cycle.

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