Cycle Lifecycle

Every cycle moves through a defined lifecycle from creation to completion. Understanding the states and transitions helps you manage delivery checkpoints effectively.

Lifecycle states

Status indicators

On the cycles timeline and detail page header, a small icon appears before each cycle name. The shape reflects the lifecycle state; for Active cycles it also shows execution progress as a filled arc inside the ring.

The adjacent status badge and row progress ring still show the state name and execution breakdown; the indicator is a quick visual cue at a glance.

Starting a cycle

Click Start cycle on an Upcoming cycle (from the detail page header or the timeline row menu). A dialog asks you to confirm the start date — the cycle’s planned start date is pre-filled when set, otherwise today’s date. Click Start cycle in the dialog to confirm.

Once started:

• The cycle moves to the Active state.
• The start date is recorded and locked — it cannot be changed afterwards.
• The Start cycle button is replaced by Close cycle.

Start date is permanent. On the detail page About card, the start date appears read-only with a lock icon once the cycle is Active or Completed. Choose the date carefully when starting — only the end date remains editable.

Closing a cycle

Click Close cycle on an Active cycle (from the detail page header or the timeline row menu). A confirmation dialog summarises execution progress — how many scoped cases were executed, the pass rate, and whether any runs still have unfinished cases.

If unfinished runs remain and at least one Upcoming cycle exists, the dialog offers to move unfinished runs to an upcoming cycle. The option is checked by default and the earliest upcoming cycle is pre-selected. Uncheck the box to close without reassigning runs.

Only open runs with remaining cases are rolled over — finished or already-closed runs stay on the cycle you are closing.

Once closed:

• The cycle moves to the Completed state.
• It remains visible on the cycles timeline in chronological order.
• Any rolled-over runs are reassigned to the target upcoming cycle.

Past due

Past due is not a separate lifecycle state — it is a visual indicator. An amber Past due badge appears on any cycle that:

• Has an end date that has passed, and
• Is not yet completed (still Upcoming or Active).

Closing or extending the end date of the cycle removes the Past due badge.

Reopening a cycle

Click Reopen cycle on a Completed cycle (from the detail page header, the timeline row menu, or the breadcrumb ··· menu). The cycle moves back to Active immediately — its end date is cleared and execution can resume.

Reopening preserves all linked runs, explorations, and results. Nothing is deleted or detached.

Start date stays locked. Reopening does not unlock the start date. The cycle keeps the original start date recorded when it was first started. (A cycle that has no start date recorded gets today’s stamped on it as it reopens.)

A sub-cycle cannot be reopened while its parent is Completed. Closing a parent completes everything beneath it, so this is easy to walk into: you close a release, then want one sub-cycle back. Reopen cycle is still offered on the child and the row flips to Active for a moment, but the change is refused and reverts, with the message “A completed cycle can only be grouped under another completed cycle.” Reopen the parent first, then the child.

Lifecycle summary

The full lifecycle flow:

  UPCOMING  —(Start)—>  ACTIVE  —(Close)—>  COMPLETED
                                              ↑                    |
                                              +—(Reopen)——————————+