preapproved changes

procman · Newbie Joined: Nov 18, 2009 Posts: 9

Are preapproved Changes being used by anyone? and if so for what types of Change activities? ie regularly scheduled activities like security patching, vulnerability scanning etc.

Diarmid · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

Think of pre-approved changes as being activities involving changes that can be effectively controlled and expedited without recourse to the general change management process which involves a certain amount of investigation and assessment and requires a planning process before applying the changes.

These will be things for which you have comprehensive procedures in place that to describe the how and what and for whom and by whom and when and that ensure the change element is fully managed to conform to the policies and needs of your organization.

Logically they will be things that you do many times (else why go to the bother of developing bespoke procedures for them?) and that have well understood impacts and effects on the infrastructure, the services and the customers/users.

I don't think anyone should go about looking for candidates to set up as pre-approved changes, but rather that activities that meet the criteria should scream out to be handled in this way as part of service improvement.
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"Method goes far to prevent trouble in business: for it makes the task easy, hinders confusion, saves abundance of time, and instructs those that have business depending, both what to do and what to hope."
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UKVIKING · Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:18 pm Post subject:

To add to Diarmid's

If there is a change that went to the board six times (say) in a month where the exact piece of work is done over and over etc
where the risk and impact are known
where the back out and back up plans are known
where there is a documented process procedures work instructions on what to do

then the board may decide... We are tired of seeing this one.. this is now a std change as long as everythign remains the same
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John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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

Murphysbone · Newbie Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 13 Location: Newbury

Similar approach to others here, I work for a Global Mobile Comms company, approx 50% of all changes made are Standard or Pre Approved.

If it can be proven that a particular RFC has been applied on three previous occasions, has been incident free, does not cause a service outage, is considered low or no risk, and the deployment steps will always be the same. Then these can be submitted to the CAB for consideration. If approved, that chnage is then templated within the Service Management tool and can be then be selected and used via it's UID

Examples include...

Physical site surveys
Extension of DB file systems
creation of new filesystems
Security patches
Hot swap components
Maintenance work on resilient clusters (no critical systems)

Could go on as there are literally 1000's, We/I actually look for likely candidates as it saves the change and support teams significant resource overhead as it is the most efficient use of the actual change process. Allows us much more focus on Major changes.

Cheers.

procman · Newbie Joined: Nov 18, 2009 Posts: 9

Murphysbone, you mention security patches as an example of an activity which might qualify as a preapproved Change. What about regularly run /automated vulnerability scans?

I am curious to know whether others would agree with the list provided by Murphysbone or have other examples. Our Change Management processes do not allow for preapproved Changes at this time and I am attempting to understand what is being done by other organizations regarding this issue. thanks

UKVIKING · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject:

procman

a scan does not change anything

it is a operational task
_________________
John Hardesty
ITSM Manager's Certificate (Red Badge)

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

Diarmid · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject:

Murphysbone · Newbie Joined: Jul 24, 2008 Posts: 13 Location: Newbury

Procman, The Company I work for has many defined pre approved changes, however as mentioned by Diarmid, they really must fit in with your own industry/change strategy/risk assesment.

I work in the mobile telecoms world so we do vast numbers of highly technical change, we therefore select as many low risk changes to be of Pre Approved status as we can. This is to see the wood for the trees sometimes.

If a PA change is subsequently found to be the cause of an incident, then that status is revoked pending further review.

procman · Newbie Joined: Nov 18, 2009 Posts: 9

Thank you all. I think I have my answer. Preapproved Changes are allowed in most organizations however what and how they are implemented is organization specific based on individual requirement. The answer I was looking for is that the use of them is an option and there is no 'control' within ITIL which states that they can not be used if they are a fit for a particular situation.

procman · Newbie Joined: Nov 18, 2009 Posts: 9

Thank you all. I think I have my answer. Preapproved Changes are allowed in most organizations however what and how they are implemented is organization specific based on individual requirement. The answer I was looking for is that the use of them is an option and there is no 'control' within ITIL which states that they can not be used if they are a fit for a particular situation.

Diarmid · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject:

S_B · Newbie Joined: Dec 02, 2009 Posts: 9

I guess my first post didn’t make it up.. oh well.. 2nd try.

I have a question! With your pre approved or standard changes, how do you link them to the original pre approved change?

Said changes are given Pre/Stnd approval, you still give them a change number (id, etc... whatever), they don’t go to CAB, but still, Do you hunt down the original number, or just log and approve (cause as CM you know best) Wink

DYbeach · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:12 am Post subject:

S_B
think templates.
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DYbeach
ITIL V3 Release, Control & Validation,
ITIL V3 Operation SUpport & Analysis
PMI CAPM (R)

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act." George Orwell

S_B · Newbie Joined: Dec 02, 2009 Posts: 9

Mmmm templates....

Do you still give it a unique id or just a flow on .1, .2, .3 + so on number.

Maybe cause i lock my templates i am causing myself heartache.

DYbeach · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject:

Can't give a generic answer, sorry. My guess is it would depend on the tool.
_________________
DYbeach
ITIL V3 Release, Control & Validation,
ITIL V3 Operation SUpport & Analysis
PMI CAPM (R)

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act." George Orwell


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