Planning

Planning

Map out a detailed plan to execute the proposed change. The change management team can plan the change goals and guidelines, decide how to implement the change, add the change impact details, develop a rollout plan and backout plan, and create check lists to implement the change.

The following tabs are displayed in this stage:
  1. Details: Displays the following sections that analyze the change:
Section
Explanation
Impact Details
Record the impact of the change on the business.
Rollout Plan
Explain how the change process will be implemented.
Backout Plan
 
Create contingency plans in case a change fails. Include details on how to cancel the change or minimize potential impact.
Checklist
List activities to do before the change request can progress to the next stage.
Info
You can also fill additional fields configured for the stage. Depending on your change role and permissions, you can spot-edit the additional fields. 
  1. Schedule: Plan the time to release the change and schedule service downtime that might occur when the change is implemented. You can also fill additional fields configured for the stage. Depending on your change role and permissions, you can spot-edit the fields.
  2. Tasks: You can add and manage tasks in this stage.
  3. Associations: Link requests that initiated the change and the associated problems.
    1. Click Attach beside Requests that Initiated Change/Associated Problems.
    2. Choose the customer from the filter in the header.
    3. Select the request/problems and click Associate.
Info
For a customer, you can associate requests and problems created only within the customer and the MSP Customer. For the MSP Customer, you can associate requests and problems from the MSP Customer and any other customer. 
  1. Approvals: Track the approval levels associated with the Planning stage.
Info
If no approval is added for the Planning stage, the Approvals tab will not be visible for this stage after the change moves to the next stage.
  1. Status Comments: View the status transitions of the change in this stage, along with the comments added during the transitions.

 

Add Release and Downtime Schedule 

Under Planning > Schedule > Release Schedule, enter the scheduled start and end dates of the release stage of the change.
 
You can also add the probable downtime this change request may cause:
  1. Click Add Downtime.
  2. Provide a description explaining the downtime details. This field is mandatory.
  3. Select the downtime type from the drop-down.
  4. Specify the services affected by the downtime.
  5. Specify the CIs involved in the downtime.
  6. Provide the scheduled start and end time of the downtime.
  7. Click Save.

 

The downtime added will also be displayed in the Downtime tab under the Release stage.
 
When there's an overlap between different downtime schedules within a change, the CI owners and managers will be notified based on the mapping between the CIs Involved. 

 

Freeze/Maintenance Windows 

To view freeze windows that match and conflict with the release/downtime schedule, click Freeze Windows. The conflicting schedules are marked in red.

To view maintenance windows that match the release/downtime schedule, click Maintenance Windows.



While editing the start and end times of the release/downtime schedule, an alert will be triggered if the release/downtime schedule is not within the maintenance window schedule. In such cases, use the Scheduler to plan conflict-free schedules.

 

Notify Release/Downtime Schedule Conflict with Freeze Window

You will be notified with details of scheduled freeze windows that conflict with the release/downtime schedule when you add or edit the start and end times of release/downtime schedules. To proceed, click Ignore and Save.

 

Notify Release/Downtime Schedule Conflict with Maintenance Window
After verifying the freeze window conflict, a pop-up will appear if release/downtime schedules do not match the maintenance window. To proceed, click Ignore and Save.


Info
 If a release/downtime schedule of a change conflicts with a freeze window and is not rescheduled before the change enters the freeze period, the change will be frozen. During the freeze period, only SDChangeManager can edit the change's stage and status .

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