Debate on Change - Moving a Server - change or nor change?

[dsemeniuk]

Current debate at work:

There is a cart that hold a bunch of servers that they want to move over to create more space.

In order to do this they need to shutdown the servers, unplug them, move the cart over, (a few feet), and then plug them back in and restart them.

Does this warrant an RFC or is this considered just normal operations? This would be done hopefully off hours as well.

Thoughts?

[CoolCat]

I would believe this action justifies a change request , couple of questions to consider when the RFC is presented:
1) Are they plugging the network and power points into the same ports?
2) How many users are impacted during the move
....
....

What happens if the servers are moved but don't come up again?
What happens if while the servers are being moved someone accidently drops and damages the server (Just some "DA" scenarios )

A view to move servers a couple of feet may be simple but there needs to focus on a few more aspects...

[ARoll]

Yes this would be a change, and more than likely a Standard Change in my book.
_________________
Adam
Practitioner - Release and Control
Blue Badge

"Not every change is an improvement, but every improvement requires a change"

[dboylan]

I love this type of question because it shows how interrelated all the ITIL processes are. The answer to this boils down to "What is the definition of an ITIL Change?"

The answer I stick to is: A Change is change in status or attribute of a Configuration Item.

Many organizations will answer that they don't have a CMDB so they can't easily apply this criteria. I disagree. Would you consider "a bunch of servers" within the scope of a relatively mature CMDB? I think that we can all answer yes to that question. So the item being affected would be within scope. Will the Change affect its Status or an Attribute?

I don't know if you would track the location of the servers as an attribute in a CMDB. I know many data centers who keep track of their servers' raised floor coordinates in their inventory, but I don't think I would want to track that as an attribute in a CMDB. Mostly because it does little to support any of the other ITIL processes.

But taking the server from a Production state to an Off-line state would definitely be a change in Status.

So yes, according to my definition of what an ITIL Change is, this should be recorded in Change Management. Could it be a Standard Change? Since it is really just a change from Production to Off-line, and then back to Production, yes.

Don

[UKVIKING]

It is a change

and i have additional questions

why are a 'bunch of servers' not racked in a cabinet and controlled... why are they on a mobile cart?

If there is insufficient space....then the change risk and impact should address this

this is also facilities/data center concern
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

Change Management is POWER & CONTROL. /....evil laughter