Functions and Processes in Service Transition

Change Management
Introduction

• To resolve a problem, action need to be taken to make changes to the affect IT component
• The change be in the form of replacing a CI or changing certain setting of a CI
• A changeto solve a problem can result in new problemcoming up when implemented. Thus,
  
  change has to be analyzed and properly planned

Example

• For the printer example, the change maybe to replace the toner or if it is network
  
  printer and problem is related to the switch with the printer is connected to

• However, we cannot just replace the switch immediately as the switch might be used
  
  for other purposes by other users and the new switch might not work if configured
  
  wrongly

• We need to plan for a suitable time and know what to do if the change is not
  
  successful

Responsibility

• The responsibility of the Change Management process is

• Coordinatethe activities related to a change (e.g. plan the activities to be
  
  carried)

• to minimize the impactof change-relatedincidents and improve day-to-day
  
  operations (e.g. ensure that the change will not impact the normal operation)

Terminology

• Change–an action that results in a new status for one or more IT infrastructure
  
  configuration items

• Types of changes

• Standard change (e.g. change that are common and pre-approvedsuch as user
  
  password, relocation of PC)

• Urgent Change(e.g. change due to unexpected problem that requires immediate
  
  action)

• Request for Change (RFC)

• Forward Schedule of Changes –contains details of all changes approved for
  
  implementation (e.g. Date, downtime)

• Projected Service Availability (PSA) –A document containing details of changes to
  
  agreed SLA and service availability due to the activities planned in the forward schedule of
  
  changes (FSC)

• Change Advisory Board (CAB) –A group of people who have decision authority on whether
  
  or not a proposed change could be implemented

• Change Advisory Board Emergency Committee (CAB/EC) –Part of the CAB that handles
  
  emergency change requests

• Management Board –When a MAJOR change decision is to be made, Management Board has to
  
  approve before passing back to the CAB

Responsibility and activities

• Filtering changes -to make decision whether to accept or reject the Request for
  
  change received

• Classification -prioritize and categorize

• Change approval –assess the impact, authorize and schedule

• Coordination of tasks such as building the hw/sw, test, implement and post
  
  implementation review

Filtering

• RFC must include data to make an assessment

• Reason for change

• CI that is to be changed

• Submitter should be notified when change is accepted

• After a change is accepted, it cannot be implemented yet as it has to be further
  
  evaluated and get authorization by higher management (change manager/ CAB)

Classification

• Determine of priority of the problem

• Impact

• Urgency

• Done by change manager

• Categorization of the impact of the change and who has to authorize

• Minor (Change Manager)

• Significant (CAB)

• Major (Management)

• Urgent (CAB/EC)

Coordination

• The change management only COORDINATESand DOES NOT do the actual testingand
  
  implementation as it is usually done by the Release Management.

• Things to coordinates:

• building or purchasingnew product/software

• Testingthe modified or new product

• Ensure there is a back-out plan

• Monitor the Implement the changein the live environment

• Post implementation review to check if the implementation is
  
  successful

Back-out plan

• Sometimes the activities carried out to implement the change do not work out due
  
  to

• The implemented change does not work as expected

• The implemented change resulted in other problem

• It is important to know what steps to do if a change does not work as
  
  expected

• The purposeof back-out plan is to have a plan developed beforehand to state the
  
  things to do if anything goes wrong

Advantages

• Fewer cases of fail implementation that require back-out as there are testing
  
  done

• Increase productivity due to less downtime incurred during implementation

Source by : OGC