Product Documentation
Abstract
This document defines the scope of the Change Management Process for the Analytics Cloud Managed Service products including Master Data Management (MDM) and Information Server Enterprise Edition (IIS EE) where IBM is managing the cloud service for the Client, the goal of this material is to define the roles and responsibilities by both IBM and the Client(s) involved in the change control process for the IBM managed cloud service.
Content
Why Change Request?
Clients expect their environment to be compliant with IBM security policies and external compliance regulations. IBM adheres to the change request process to keep our Client’s systems safe and highly available. The approval process moves quickly once the change request is submitted with relevant, detailed content.
This policy should ensure effective change management within the Analytics Cloud Managed Service environments.
Exceptions
When is a change request not necessary?
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Cleaning of old files.
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Cleaning of log files.
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User management. (Access Control changes are considered separately from the general Change Control process)
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Collecting statistical data in a non-disruptive and non-performance impacting manner.
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Restarting a service or daemon based on a ticket raised by the Client.
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Implementation of disaster recovery processes or emergency related activities required to restore services. The Clients will be notified upon recovery and stabilization of the service. Example of such failures include, but not limited to, hardware (disk, NIC, power) failures.
Change Request Sources
The following are examples of change request sources:
Analytics Cloud Managed Service initiated patch and/or upgrades.
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Operating System upgrade
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Network / Security upgrade
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Product enhancements
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HW upgrade
Analytics Cloud Managed Service issue resolution activities that result in a change being made
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Initially reported by Client
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Discovered by the IBM Ops team (including via automated environment monitoring)
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Proactively identified maintenance by the Analytics Cloud Managed Service team
Client initiated change requests
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Application customization
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Architecture customization
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HW additions
Change Request classification (characteristics)
The Change Requests can be broadly classified based upon Scope and Impact characteristics.
1. Scope
a. Within the scope – As per the Cloud Service agreement.
b. Out of the scope – Outside the contractual boundaries of the Cloud Service Agreement. This type of change requires resolution through the Cloud Services Agreement change process before it can be acted upon.
2. Impact to the Cloud service.
a. Disruptive – requiring a maintenance window
b. Non-Disruptive – not requiring a maintenance window. May have a minor impact to the service such as a small performance degradation.
Change Request Types
| Type | When to use | Reviewers and Approvers |
| Normal | 1. Routine Patches and Maintenance 2. Applicable to disruptive and non-disruptive | 1. Reviewer - SME of the product 2. Approver – Analytics Cloud Managed Service Support Operations Manager |
| Expedited | 1. Defined as a proactive maintenance to avoid potential outages / issues with the application or operating system 2. Applicable to disruptive and non-disruptive | 1. Reviewer - SME of the product 2. Approver – Analytics Cloud Managed Service Support Operations Manager |
| Emergency | 1. Any emergency patch install requirement 2. Applicable to disruptive and non-disruptive | 1. Reviewer - SME of the product 2. Approver – Analytics Cloud Managed Service support Operations Manager |
Please see Appendix A: Client Specific Change Request Approvers for the list of Change Request approvers.
Overall Change Process
2. A change request in a managed Cloud environment require the authorization of the Analytics Cloud Managed Service platform’s project manager, operations manager and the security and compliance manager.
3. It is Analytics Cloud Managed Service team’s responsibility to inform and explain to the Client any change activities prior to execution of change activities. Analytics Cloud Managed Service will validate with the Client what changes are planned within all managed Cloud environments.
4. For all planned changes to the environment, a Change Plan document will be provided to the Client describing the overall change plan associated with the planned change activities.
5. The Client will be given the opportunity to approve the Change Plan prior to the beginning of the change activities to their Cloud environments.
6. If the Client does not agree or approve recommended changes, an exception will be escalated to the IBM and Client account/project teams for resolution.
7. The IBM Cloud Service Coordinator is tasked as the primary interface point for securing all necessary Client approvals for activities. Any changes to Client personnel and/or approval processes should be communicated to the IBM Cloud Service Coordinator (CSC) to insure IBM’s compliance with Client processes.
8. Any changes that require “out of scope” (enhancement or additional process) work will need to be addressed through the appropriate Cloud Service Agreement change control process before proceeding further.
Creating a Change Request and Plan
2. Respective Product SMEs will document an associated change plan as part of the change request.
3. In the event of the need to make a change to the environment, the Product SME and/or Service Engineer assigned to the change will create a change plan based on the ticket raised by the Client or the internal request.
4. As part of the development of the change plan, the Product SME, SRE and Operations Manager must define the time lines for each activity including the detailed steps to be followed while performing the change request.
5. The start and end dates of any proposed maintenance windows must be included in the change plan.
6. Change plans will include a definition of all IBM test activities required to insure successful implementation of the change.
7. IBM Change Plan Test processes will also include the ability for Clients to run their own verification tests of the results of the change activities. Analytics Cloud Managed Service team will incorporate the results of Clients test activities into the overall flow of the Change Plan.
8. In the event of the failure of change activities, a Back-out plan is required to insure the effective recovery of the environment to a pre-change activity state.
Change Request Reviews
2. Assigned Service Engineer must send the change request and plan to the Analytics Cloud Managed Service Operations Manager for approval.
3. If required, a Change Control Plan (CCP) document will be generated for communication and approval of the change plan by the Client
4. The Change Control Plan document will be provided to the Client via the SalesForce ticket and/or Client specified Box folder.
5. The CSC will work with the Client to insure the Client has all relevant information required for their review/approval.
6. Upon Client approval, the CSC will coordinate the actual scheduling of the CCP with the IBM Cloud Operations team.
7. All the above processes should be completed before the specified start date in the change plan.
Change Plan Implementation
2. If any deviations in the change request/plan, must be communicated to the product SME and obtain approval from the operations manager.
3. On successful implementation, product SME will test the application and validate.
4. Once the change is completed successfully, the assigned service engineer will test the application and also inform the Client about the changes in the application.
5. Client will then have the ability/window to test any required aspects of the service effected by the change request,
6. At the end of their testing, Client will inform IBM of their results.
7. Upon successful completion of all testing, the service engineer will mark the change request as closed and close the corresponding Service Request or Ticket.
Failed Change Request
2. Cause analysis and a CCP Results Report will be prepared for the issue to avoid repetition of the issue in the future.
3. Once failure has been confirmed (with no immediate remediation steps), Change Request Back-out Plan will be enacted, and the Client will be notified of failure and status of the environment post implementation of Backout plan.
Change Process Flow Chart
Responsibilities
| Task | Responsible Team |
| Informing the Client about the change request | Cloud Services Coordinator |
| Producing the test results to Client (If required) | Analytics Cloud Managed Service Team |
| Approval for implementation | Cloud Services Coordinator |
| Responsible for raising the change request | Analytics Cloud Managed Service Team |
| Reviewing the change request | Client & SME |
| Approval for downtime requirement | Client |
| Final approval authority | Analytics Cloud Managed Service Support Operations Manager |
| Implementing the change request | Analytics Cloud Managed Service Team |
| Verification of application/s | Analytics Cloud Managed Service Team |
| Verification completion communication | Cloud Services Coordinator |
| Closing the change request | Analytics Cloud Managed Service Team |
Appendix A: Example: Client Change Request Approvers
| Type | Reviewers and Approvers |
| ALL | List of all Client approvers to be provided by client at start of service. |
Appendix B: Example: Analytics Cloud Managed Service Approver Categories
| Components & Actors | |||
| Component | Approvers | Reviewers | Service Engineers |
| Approval from the following authority is required. All approvals must be in place before the Change Window starts. Note : Any one person's approval is sufficient | Following reviewers must review and Certify/Approve our change request before the approving authority. | Following are the Service Engineers to raise and execute change requests: | |
| Individual offering component categories | Operations Mgr / Client | Individual component SRE lead | Individual component SRE |
Appendix C: Example: Analytics Cloud Managed Service Change Request Plan
Reference Information
| Required Information | Details |
| Change Overview Description | |
| Change Complexity | (e.g. High, Moderate, Low) |
| Change Urgency | (e.g. High, Normal, Low) |
| Why is this Change required? | (i.e. filled in if change is initiated by IBM) |
| If this is a solution to a known problem, is the RCA complete? | (Yes/No, If Yes, RCA reference will be included) |
| Privacy Concerns/Impact | |
| Services affected | |
| Secondary Services potentially impacted | |
| Description of potential Service impacts | |
| Time/Date of Maint Window | |
| Duration of Service Impact | |
| Identified Risks | |
| Impact if this change fails |
Detailed Description of Change
Pre-change environment activities:
| Services | Preparation Required | Responsible | Description of Preparation Tasks |
Change and initial test activities:
| # | Task | Responsible | Start Time | End Time |
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| Decision point: Compete procedure or rollback |
| Success | |
| Rollback | |
| Responsible for Rollback Decision | |
| Latest Rollback start time | |
| Rollback scenario successfully tested? |
Roll back activities:
| # | Task | Responsible | Start Time | End Time |
| 1 |
Post Change Activities:
| # | Task | Responsible | Start Time | End Time |
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| Decision point: Compete procedure or rollback |
Data Access:
Schedule, Team and Escalation Details
End Date/Time:
IBM Change Team:
| Responsibility | Name | Contact Details |
| Principal Engineer performing change | ||
| Engineer performing peer review | ||
| Application SME to verify change |
Customer Test Team:
| Responsibility | Name | Contact Details |
| Principal Test Lead: | ||
| Application SME to verify change |
Escalation Details:
| Level | Name | Contact Details |
| 1 | IBM SalesForce | Ticket interface |
| 2 |
Client Approvals & Contacts:
| Required Information | Details |
| Client Approver | |
| Client Technical Reviewer | |
| Communications list | |
| Communications Type |
Publication Number
Related Information
Document Location
Worldwide
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Document Information
Modified date:
28 February 2019
UID
ibm10874428