B
C
CMSG
Change,Configuration and
Release Management
Ed McMahon
Chair, CMSG
October 2001
The only Constant is
Change
B
C
CMSG
CMSG: Aims and Objectives
• To be the voice of CM in the UK
• To promote the disciplines of Change,
Configuration and Release Management
• To actively pursue the establishment of
standards
• To introduce ISEB approved education and
examinations…..
• WHY?
B
C
CMSG
BSI PD0005
Service Management framework
Service Design & Management Processes
Security
Management
Service Level Management
Capacity
Management
Service Reporting
Availability
& Service
Continuity
Control Processes
Financial
Management
Configuration Management
Release
Processes
Change Management
Resolution Processes
Release
Management
Incident Management
Problem Management
Automation
Relationship
Processes
Business
Relationship
Management
Supplier
Management
B
C
CMSG
Projects & PRINCE
Change
Control
Organisation
Plans
Configuration
Management
Quality in a
project
environment
Controls
Management
of Risk
Stages
Source:
OGC’s PRINCE ®
methodology
PRINCE is a registered
trademark of OGC
B
C
CMSG
Why?
•
•
•
•
Related processes with a direct impact on Quality
Essential disciplines that must be planned for and
Implemented early in the Lifecycle
Provides key information and input to
– Project Management
– Testing
– Quality Management
– Audit and Verification.
B
C
CMSG
Accomplishing these Objectives?
• Day events and seminars
• Running introductory sessions on the
disciplines
• Presentations at other SIGS
• Introduction of an education syllabus
• Linking with ITIL and the ISM Levels.
B
C
CMSG
Problems and Issues
•
•
•
•
Time. Committee work is voluntary
Money. Group is self financing.
Position. Not seen by industry OR
Seen but not recognised as effective.
B
C
CMSG
What is required? - Discussion
point.
• Higher Profile
• Semi-dedicated resource from BCS to
support volunteers
• Financial support from BCS
• A higher profile from BCS itself.
• BCS promotion of the SIGS
B
C
CMSG
What can we do ourselves?
•
•
•
•
•
Make the group more attractive.
Appeal to a wider audience.
Appeal to a Management audience.
Present solutions as well as awareness
Promote ISEB qualifications in recognised
disciplines - Train practitioners
• Promote appropriate ISM Level within
organisations.
B
C
CMSG
Easier to Sell?
Name Change
• From Configuration Management to
• Change, Release and Configuration
Management.
• Long and heated arguments: against and for
• Esoteric arguments - not commercial.
B
C
CMSG
Education
• Proposed Courses and syllabus for two levels
– Essential: Target BCS ISM Level 3 for Change, Configuration
& Release Management
• 2 days, 14 hours, 1 hour exam
– ISEB Business Systems Development: Certificate in
Change, Configuration & Release Management
Essentials
– Intermediate/Practitioners: Target BCS ISM Level 4-5 for
Asset & Configuration Management
• 3-4 days, 20 hours, 2 Assignments, 1 hour exam
– ISEB Certificate in Change, Configuration & Release
Management Intermediate/Practitioners
B
C
CMSG
Management Awareness
Assessments :
BS
15000
Standard
Achieve this
Conformance
PD0005
Capability &
Maturity
ITIL
In-house procedures
ITIL Best Practice & Standards Links
Manager’s
Overview
Process
Definition
Solutions
B
C
CMSG
Structure, Relationships and
Content
Change, Configuration and Release
Management
B
C
CMSG
ITIL Version 2 Service Support
Configuration Mgt.
The Service Desk
-identifies impact &
updates records
Release Mgt.
Incident Mgt.
-logs & resolves incidents
-controls release of
software & hardware to
implement the change
Problem Mgt.
Change Mgt.
-identifies root cause
& minimises effect
- assesses &
authorises change
B
C
CMSG
Change Management - Activities
Manage
Requests For Change
Approve & schedule
changes
Change
Management
Review all
implemented
changes
Oversee change
building, testing
and
implementation
B
C
CMSG
RFCs & Configuration Management
Initial
Change Request
Configuration Management
Assess Impact & Proposal
C
M
D
B
Software CI
to be changed
Related
Operating CI
Related
Training CI
Related
Hardware CI
Combined
Change Request
Change Procedure
Raise RFC
CMDB
Manage,
monitor,
report,
chase,
RFCs
Assess
Impact
Identify CIs
Approve
Release CIs
Implement
Update CIs
Post Impl.
Review
Close RFC
Audit CIs
CMDB
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Management Objectives
• Enabling control by monitoring and maintaining
information on:
– Resources and configurations needed to deliver projects,
systems and services
– Configuration Item (CI) status and history
– CI relationships
• Providing information on the infrastructure for all
other processes & Programme/IT/IS Management
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Management activities
Management
information
Identification &
Naming
Verification &
Audit
Configuration
Management
Control
Need to be planned!
Status
Accounting
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Control
Configuration Control is responsible for the way
in which we put our projects and systems
together. It allows us to assign and associate a
series of selected elements to form a Release
Unit or Release Package (i.e. Set)
Pre-grouped elements formed into identifiable
packages are what we move through the life
cycle.
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Control Procedures
Depend on Configuration Item Type:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Check-out/Check-in
Impact Analysis
Versioning
Move/Copy/Build
Baselining - packages, systems & environments
Environment Restore
System/Package/Change Backout/restore
Security
B
C
CMSG
Build
• Inputs must be from controlled library or repository
• Identify environment, inputs, outputs and build tools
• Identify dependencies to permit rebuilding later on &
order!
IN
OUT
Build Tools &
Clean Environment
Built
Environment
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Management
Categories include
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Programmes/Projects
Services
Systems
Hardware
Software
Documentation
Environment
People
Data
Items you want to control are called Configuration Items (CIs)
Data about all the CIs are held in the Configuration
Management System or Database (CMDB)
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Item (CI)
A Configuration Item
• Is needed to deliver a
system/product/service
• Is uniquely identifiable
• Is subject to change
• Can be managed
A Configuration Item
• Belongs to a CI category
• Has relationships
• Has descriptive attributes
• Changes status over time
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Item (CI) Attributes
Name
CI
number
Category
Description
Security
Own
attributes
Version
Euro
Size/Capacity
Supplier
Support
Group
Status
Owner
Location
B
C
CMSG
CIs - scope and detail
Service
Environment
D
E
T
A
I
L
Hardware
Software
Documentation
People
resources
Network
printer
Local
printer
PC
Bundled
s/w
No break
power
VDU
Keyboard
CPU
DBMS
SLA
SCOPE
W.P.
E-mail
B
C
CMSG
Web World - What to Control?
Multimedia
Layout
Databases
HTML4
ASP
Images
Servers
Editors
Java
Plugins
Formats
XML
VRML
CGI
URL
SMIL
HTML Tag List
Perl
Design
JavaScript Tools
Cascading
Protocols
Style Sheets
Virtual Library
Software
Icons
Flash
Tutorials
Navigation Domains
Security
UNIX
DHTML Browsers
Graphics
Open Source
B
C
CMSG
Role of Status Accounting
What have we
Configured?
OK, I’ll Get
the pictures
I’m doing a release,
take the baselines
for me please.
Recorded
Baselines
B
C
CMSG
Configuration Audit
‘As Built’ Baseline Records
Live Infrastructure
App. Server
‘As Built’
Appl. Server
‘Live’
NT Server
‘As Built’
NT Server
‘Live’
Audit Tools &
Scripts
Desktop
‘As Built’
Desktop
‘Live’
Perform audit
• Log exceptions
• Notify exceptions
• Investigate exceptions
• Follow up & resolve
B
C
CMSG
RFC - Scope and Contents
Hardware
Change
Sponsor &
Originator
Software
What, Why,
When
CIs
SLA
Documentation
etc..
Environment
Justification
Change
Request
(RFC)
etc..
Change
Advisory Board
(if appropriate)
Service
impact
Category
Priority
Resource
Estimates
B
C
CMSG
Change Management Process
Manage
Implement
RFC
Preparation
Categorise
Prioritise
Authorise
Plan
Build
Refusal
CAB
Test
Backout
Approve
Release
Implementation
Review
Refusal
B
C
CMSG
ITIL Version 2 Release Management
Development
Environment
Release
Policy
Release
Planning
Design,
develop,
build,
configure
release
Controlled Test
Environment
Fit for
Purpose
Roll-out
Testing &
Planning
Release
Acceptance
Live
Environment
Comms.,
Preparation
& Training
Distribution
&
Installation
Configuration Management Database
and Definitive Software Library
B
C
CMSG
Release Management Objectives
• Deliver systems that are correctly configured and
built first time e.g. 99% of target
• Repeatable, consistent process that is cost effective,
responsive and flexible
• Everyone knows what is happening & when
• Accurate updates are fed back to configuration
management
• Can do OFTEN & QUICKLY!
• Maintain quality
B
C
CMSG
Platform & Cultural Challenges
Mainframes
Internet
Network
Computer
B2B
Systems
Mobiles
Release
management
Laptops
Compact Disks
Client/server
Personal
computers
Balancing control of corporate, regulated systems with end
user flexibility across platforms
B
C
CMSG
Release Policy
1. Roles &
Responsibilities
2. Levels of
Authority
8. Business critical
times & risks
7. Emergency
change
Release
policy
3. Identification
& Packaging
4. Release
unit - full/delta
6. Release
frequency
5. Release
numbering
B
C
CMSG
Release Management Best Practices
• Designer/developer should design for change, configuration &
release management
• Release management should offer advice & info.
– Standards, identification, tools, techniques
– Release, build and back-out procedures
– Re-use of standard procedures & CIs from CM system
– Automate installation routines if sensible
– Automated one-off jobs need equivalent back-out routines
– Design software distribution so that the integrity of software is
OK during handling, packaging, delivery & AUTOMATE!
B
C
CMSG
Release & Roll-Out
Definitive Software
Library
CI records
Release
Record
CM
System
Build New
Release
Test New
Release
Distribute
release
B
C
CMSG
Release Planning - Why?
• What is to be released and to
where?
• Who is responsible for what?
• How it will be done?
• How do we know it has worked?
B
C
CMSG
Release Planning
• Release contents & schedule
• Roll-out planning
– Phasing over time and by geographical location,
business unit and customers
– Site surveys/audits
– Obtaining quotes for new hardware, software or
installation services
• Quality plan
• Back-out plans
• Acceptance criteria
B
C
CMSG
What Does It Mean?
Part 3 - Making it Work.
B
C
CMSG
The Brave New World
• No central computer, no single network
• A changing environment where anyone can
publish information or read it
• Information is on any server
• And we need to be able to trust our business
partners, suppliers, and customers engaging
in e-commerce!
B
C
CMSG
WWW By 2003
• More than 500 million users
• Dominant growth in Europe where 60% of Web users
will live & work
• No. of devices will be more than 700 million
• B2B will be 90% of all internet traffic & B2B ecommerce may be $7 trillion
• Related IT services opportunity is estimated at just
under $1 trillion
B2B value chain
B
C
CMSG
World-wide prototype to B2B
DEV
TEST
LIVE
• Support more data, applications , processes across
enterprises
• Separate information and services (logical) from
infrastructure (physical)
• Use remote services (internal & external)
• Re-engineered IT infrastructure for maximum costeffectiveness and reliability
B
C
CMSG
Business Programme Challenges
• Short Lead Time to Market
– Fast & clear decision making and risk analysis
• Ever More Complex Technical Systems
– Need to manage variants and dependencies
– Needs clear ownership through the lifecycle
• High demand for Deliverables from Organisation and
Staff
– Need to know ‘true’ status
B
C
CMSG
Start with Change Management
• Keep It Sufficiently Simple
– Appoint Change Manager
– Document Scope
– Establish Communications
• Base it upon
– Business Continuity
– Necessity but Risk of Change
• Ignore Content for now
• Appoint a Change Manager
B
C
CMSG
Appoint Change Manager
• Use BCS Industry Structure Model
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Senior appointment
Business AND IT knowledge
Expert Communicator
Programme and Project knowledge
Service Management knowledge
Risk Management experience
People person
Process Person - Process is everything
B
C
CMSG
Change Manager
Process Manager
Manage Change and
Risk
Quality
Parameters &
Key Performance
Indicators
- Establish interfaces/ links with
all areas, projects, programmes,
service & support
- Identify Interface Impacts for
Business Impact
Change
Manager & Team
(& all staff)
Change Manager
Change Administrator
- Defines scope and process
- Operates process
- Manages data and records
- Interface & communicator
- Sets targets & measures
- Reduce Incidents
- Manage risk of change
- Process reviews
- Efficiency & effectiveness
reviews
- Manages improvement cycle
- Evolve sub-processes
- Measure change & effect
B
C
CMSG
Possible Problems
•
•
•
•
•
•
Systems overload easily
Circumvention of procedures
Excessive over-ruling for strategic expedience
Suppliers
Over-zealousness can lead to analysis-paralysis
Unclear responsibilities and definitions
B
C
CMSG
Possible Problems
• Establishing depth and breadth
• Interfaces to other systems where CI information is
stored
• Data collection and maintenance of accuracy
• Roles and responsibilities in distributed, client/server
environments
• Establishing owners for CIs
• Over-ambitious schedules and scope
• Management commitment to importance of
Configuration Management as a foundation block
B
C
CMSG
Potential Benefits
• Increased productivity of customers and IT staff
• Less adverse impact of changes on services
• Ability to absorb a higher level of error-free change helps speed to
market & quality of service
• Better up-front assessment of the cost and business impact of proposed
changes
• Reduction in the number of disruptive changes
• Reduction in the number of failed changes
• Valuable management information
B
C
CMSG
Potential Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improves asset management
Reduces risks from changes
Leads to more effective user support
Improves security against malicious changes
Facilitates compliance with legal obligations
Supports budget process
Facilitates service level management, better planning & design
Improves capability to identify, improve, inspect, deliver, operate,
repair & upgrade
• Provides accurate information & configuration history
• Increased Quality
• Facilitates Learning and Knowledge based organisations
B
C
CMSG
How - Define the Method & Process
Change & Release Management throughout the life cycle
Validation
Requirements
Rework
Verification Activities
- Release Package
& Signoff
- Configuration Audit
- Change Management
Audit
- Test and Quality
Audit
Test
Conditions
& Cases
Test
Execution
Business
Acceptance
Testing
Lifecycle Checkpoint
System
design
Component
design and build
The V-Model Method
& Process
Large System
Testing
Unit Test
B
C
CMSG
Analyse Current
• What Processes are currently specified and used?
• What Tools are in place?
• How many production and development problems are
caused by change and release issues?
• What are the costs associated with the above?
• How much time is spent waiting/wasted?
B
C
CMSG
Analyse Current
• Identify where current practices would need to
change
• Specify roles & responsibilities
• Identify training requirements; tools and process
• Create a Cost Benefit Analysis Model
• Identify likely tools and general costs
• Identify pilot project/release and implementation
milestones
B
C
CMSG
A Learning Organisation
• That can work practically with the Process
• Can deliver fast but with quality
• Can deliver fast but with control
– Protecting the assets of the future
• Learns and reuses from the past
• Identifies Risks & Prioritises Change
B
C
CMSG
Organisation
Project Management
Aims, Objectives, Financial, Quality, Principles & Policies
Business Risk
Management
Development
Management
Risk & Issues DB
Requirements
Catalogue
Business Priority,
Commercial &
Technical Analysis
of Change.
Design Products
Build Products
Implementation
Products
Quality & Verification
Management
Change Management
Release Management
Configuration Management
Test Management
Audit
Management
B
C
CMSG
Remember Quality
e.g. EFQM Business Excellence Model
Enablers 50%
Results 50%
People
Management
9%
Leadership
10%
Policy &
Strategy
8%
Partnership
& Resources
9%
People
Satisfaction
9%
Processes
14%
Customer
Satisfaction
20%
Impact on
Society
6%
Innovation and Learning
Business
Results
15%
B
C
CMSG
To be successful ……
Avoid bureacracy
Processes
Technology
People
Invest in processes
+ people + tools