Changing the default lifecycle

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If you change the default lifecycle being used by a large number of configuration items (CIs), the user interface can lock up. This happens if the current status of a large number of configuration items is being changed.

Before you begin

Part of planning your approach to managing configuration items (CIs) is designing the lifecycles that you will use for them, including which lifecycle will be the default. You should design and implement these lifecycles before you promote large numbers of CIs in your production environment. If you have already promoted large numbers of CIs, and you decide to change your default CI lifecycle, follow the steps listed here for your scenario. These scenarios assume that you have a large number of CIs in the default state of the default lifecycle.

About this task

Scenario 1. The default state in the old default lifecycle is also the default state in the new default lifecycle. In this case, the CIs using the default state will not receive new values. You can change the default lifecycle without causing a problem, and no further action is needed.

Scenario 2. The default state in the old lifecycle exists in the new lifecycle, but it is not the default state in the new lifecycle. When you create the new lifecycle and make it the default lifecycle, CIs using the default lifecycle will remain in their current state, because that state exists in the new lifecycle. To move the CIs to the new default state, re-promote the CIs. Use background promotion to avoid tying up the user interface.

Scenario 3. The default state in the old lifecycle does not exist in the new lifecycle. In this case, if you simply change the default lifecycle, all the CIs using the default state in the old default lifecycle will receive a new status value, which is the default state in the new lifecycle. Applying this change to thousands of CIs can cause the product to hang. To avoid this problem, follow these steps:

Procedure

  1. Create the new lifecycle and include the state that is the default state in the old lifecycle, even though you do not plan to use that state.
  2. Make the new lifecycle the default lifecycle. The CIs will retain their current state, because that state exists in the new lifecycle.
  3. Re-promote the CIs. They will change to the default state of the new lifecycle.
  4. Edit the new default lifecycle and delete the state that was the default state in the old lifecycle.

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