User Story Dependency

ReleaseOwl includes a User Story Dependency Check as part of the validation process. This feature ensures that user stories follow the correct execution sequence during deployments — helping avoid conflicts, blockers, or missed dependencies.

To enable this functionality:

1. Define the Landscape Stages (e.g., DEV → QA → PROD).

2. Map each stage to its corresponding target system using Landscape Stage System Mapping.

3. Navigate to the Release Pipeline and open the relevant stage containing the Validation Task.

4. In the task configuration, enable User Story Dependency Check.

1. The Validation Report includes a User Story Dependency Check tab, which displays the status as either Success or Failure based on the sequence validation of dependent user stories.

Managing User Story Dependencies

To add or remove dependent user stories:

1. Open the desired user story and click on the Dependencies option.

1. Click the + Add button to add dependencies.

1. Select the required project and active sprint.

1. Check the checkbox next to the user story ID(s) you want to add as dependencies.

1. Click Add to confirm the selection.

1. Click the Save button to apply the changes.

Note: Dependencies cannot be added to user stories that are in In-Progress status.

User Story Dependency Validation Rules in the Validation Task

The Validation Task has been enhanced to handle various scenarios involving user story dependencies based on Landscape Stage Mapping and project relationships. Below are the key validation rules and the corresponding exception behaviors:

1. Multiple Target Stages for the Same System (Declared in Landscape Stage Mapping)

• If multiple target stages are mapped to the same system for a given landscape:

• The Validation Task expects the dependent user story to be deployed in all mapped target system.

• If the deployment is missing in any one of the target systems, the validation fails.

  

1. Dependent User Story in a Different Project (No Landscape Stage Mapping)

• If the dependent user story belongs to a different project and no Landscape Stage Mapping is defined:

• The Validation Task throws an exception, as it cannot determine the corresponding target system or stage to validate the dependency.

1. Dependent User Story in the Same Project (No Landscape Stage Mapping)

• If the dependent user story belongs to the same project and no Landscape Stage Mapping is defined:

• The current target stage is used to validate whether the dependent user story has already been deployed.

• No exception is raised in this case, even without a defined landscape stage mapping.

Cyclic Dependency

When managing user story dependencies in ReleaseOwl, it is important to maintain a clear and logical order of execution between user stories. One common validation error that users may encounter is related to cyclic dependencies. A cyclic dependency occurs when user stories depend on each other in a circular fashion. For example:

• User Story A depends on User Story B

• User Story B (directly or indirectly) depends on User Story A.

When you attempt to add a dependency that results in a cyclic relationship, ReleaseOwl throws an error and blocks the dependency creation.