Change Management/Change Control

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Change Management/Change Control:

Ensures standardized methods are used for all changes. A change is an event that results in a new status of one or more configuration items (CIs), and which is approved by management, is cost-effective, enhances business process changes (fixes) – all with a minimum risk to IT infrastructure.

Change Management Goals:

Minimal disruption of services
Reduction in back-out activities
Economic use of resources involved in the change

Service Asset and Configuration Management

Maintaining information about configuration items required to deliver an IT service. Processes include:

Change Management Types:

Identification
Planning
Change Control
Change Management
Release Management
Maintenance

Release and deployment management

Distribution of software and hardware, including license controls across the entire IT infrastructure and protection of the live environment and its services through the use of formal procedures and checks.

Goals of release management include:

  • Planning the rollout of software
  • Designing and implementing procedures for the distribution and installation of changes to IT systems
  • Effectively communicating and managing expectations of the customer during the planning and rollout of new releases
  • Controlling the distribution and installation of changes to IT system.

Release categories include:

  • Major software releases and major hardware upgrades, normally containing large amounts of new functionality, some of which may make intervening fixes to problems redundant. A major upgrade or release usually supersedes all preceding minor upgrades, releases and emergency fixes.
  • Minor software releases and hardware upgrades, normally containing small enhancements and fixes, some of which may have already been issued as emergency fixes. A minor upgrade or release usually supersedes all preceding emergency fixes.
  • Emergency software and hardware fixes, normally containing the corrections to a small number of known problems.

Types of release units:

  • Delta release - a release of only that part of the software which has been changed. For example, security patches.
  • Full release - the entire software program is deployed—for example, a new version of an existing application.
  • Packaged release - a combination of many changes—for example, an operating system image which also contains specific applications.

Types of Changes

Standard Change
Normal Change
Urgent/Emergency Change
Last modified April 27, 2020