Context

Configuration Management is a fundamental information technology (IT) process because it supports all other IT processes by providing accurate information about their configurations and relationships.

Change and Configuration Management accomplishes this critical task by identifying, controlling, maintaining, and verifying the versions of configuration items (CIs) within a logical model of the infrastructure.

IBM® Accelerator for Service Management for Change and Configuration Management is a services offering that provides well-defined processes, guides, skills, and implementation procedures that are required in the execution of configuration management.

This change and configuration management service product provides an effective and efficient customer-specific solution at a reduced cost percent of the cost of a non-accelerator solution. This solution consists of fully ITIL®-aligned Change and Configuration Management processes, role implementation, customized respected vendor products, and a well-designed out roll out methodology.

Details

The IBM accelerator for Change and Configuration Management services enables fast roll out because it contains a completely prebuilt set of customer deliverables and workshop materials, all of which can be easily customized.

Change and Configuration Management identifies, records and reports on IT components, including all versions, constituent components, and relationships. Items that should be under the control of Change and Configuration Management include hardware, software, and all associated documentation.

The Change and Configuration Management Database (CCMDB) should hold the relationships between all system components, including incidents, problems, known errors, changes, and releases. The CMDB also contains information about incidents, known errors and problems, and corporate data about employees, suppliers, locations, and business units.

Offering components and deliverables

The key deliverables of the offering are two process references that document each aspect of the processes to the operational level. The documents include high-level and detailed process flows, tasks, activities, inputs, outputs, key performance indicators (KPIs), role definitions, role mappings, and reference data. Examples include incident priority, impact, urgency, status codes and status transitions, and resolution target levels. These process references thoroughly document the role definitions and role mappings that allow for both the implementation of these processes in an operational environment and the relationship to the organization in question.

The main documents included in the IBM Accelerator solution are:

• Solution overview
• Solution installation guide
• Solution configuration guide
• Procedure guides (user guides)
• Predefined code
• Predefined reports
• Training material 

In addition to the base toolsets, the deliverables and services provided by the IBM Accelerator solution include:

• Project plan
• Organization Considerations Planning workshop
• Base code validation procedures
• Maintenance activity review
• Technical support procedure
• Model training plan
• Completed personalization worksheet
• Organization change management considerations
• Personalization collection workshop
• Bill of materials
• Model organization communication plan
• Customized code
• Personalized code installation
• Solution architecture
• Solution document
• Teach the teacher training workshop
• Technical support

For the deployment of the solution, a predefined project plan defines the tasks, schedule, milestones, and assigned resources. This project plan is tailored to your engagement at the beginning of the project. A sample excerpt of the project plan is shown in the table.

1. Acceptance from client

2. Solution validation

2.1 Prepare configuration management solution validation workshop

2.2 Facilitate configuration management solution validation workshops

2.3 Review configuration management solution validation findings

3. Organizational considerations

3.1 Prepare for organizational configuration management readiness planning workshop

The IBM Accelerator roll out methodology deployment flow is shown in the diagram. The activities in yellow are customer led, the blue are IBM led, and those in green indicate a joint effort. Although the activities in blue are IBM led, customer participation and support is required.

The roll out process focuses on the four major workshops:

1. Solution Validation Workshop (2 days): This workshop introduces the customer to the IBM Accelerator for Service Management services offering Change and Configuration Management solution. During the workshop, the IBM consultant presents all aspects of the process and the accompanying documentation, conducts a solution walk-through to illustrate the different process execution paths, and provides an introduction to the solution's personalization opportunities.

At the end of the workshop, the core team has a complete understanding of the solution and the customization options to fine-tune the solution to meet customer-specific requirements.

2. Organization Considerations Planning Workshop (1/2 day): This workshop describes the roles required to effectively use the IBM Accelerator for Service Management services offering Change and Configuration Management solution. It examines the tools to help implement organizational changes to support the solution, and reviews organizational change issues and considerations.

At the end of the workshop, the core team and the executives have a complete understanding of the predefined roles, their responsibilities in implementing the solution, and the impact this solution will have on the existing organizational structure.

3. Personalization Data Collection Workshop (2 days): This workshop is for collecting the personalization information required to complete the IBM Accelerator for Service Management services offering Change and Configuration Management solution.

At the end of the workshop, every fine-tunable parameter is clearly defined to match a customer specific environment. This configuration is then used in the Solution Personalization phase to create the environment.

4. Solution Training Workshop (2 days): The teach-the-teacher workshop provides additional education to the (customer) project core team using the material that will be used to train the users of the Change and Configuration Management solution.

At the end of the workshop, the core team has the skills to offer training workshops to their user community within the customer's organization.

Obtaining more information

See attached document for details on this accelerator Accelerator Tivoli® Chg&Config Mgmt.pdf

For additional information, contact your IBM Global Services representative or visit these Web pages:

• IBM ITIL Accelerator Solutions
• How IBM supports ITIL and provides ITIL-based capabilities and solutions
• Infrastructure Resource Management