CHANGE AND RELEASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20080065680A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Moon, Carroll W., Baxter, Gary J., Pallini, Susan, Applegate, Thomas D., Myerson, Neal R.
• Application Number:
  US11/531,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065680A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management

Abstract

A change and release management process tool allows storing change and release records in a common record schema. A database may be used to store change and release records. The tool provides a unified tracking and reporting system. Reports are provided at various aspects of the process. The technology facilitates best practices in change and release management.

Claims

1. A method for managing changes to a computing environment, comprising:

organizing the computing environment into a logical representation characterized by groups of elements sharing at least one common characteristic;

recording changes to elements in the computing environment in terms of a change to at least one group of elements; and

storing each change in a common record format including an association of the change with other groups of elements affected by the change.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the common record format includes at least one of a risk category of the change, an urgency of the change, the services affected by the change, the stream affected by the change, the domain of the change, a target start date, and a target end date.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the common record format includes at least one of an expected server downtime, an expected service downtime and/or an expected database downtime.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the common record format includes at least one of an actual server downtime, an actual service downtime and/or an actual database downtime.

5. The method of claim 3 further including the step of reporting on at least one of expected versus actual server downtime, service downtime and/or database downtime.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording includes creating a change request by providing a set of required data in the common record format.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of recording further includes adding release data to the common record format for a change request.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of outputting one or more views of a collection of change records to a user interface in an order defined by a change management process.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the collection of views includes at least one of a changes requested view, a changes approved initially view, a changes approved for deployment view, a changes in post implementation review view, a changes complete view and/or a changes rejected view.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording includes creating a change request by providing a set of required data in the common record format.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of outputting includes providing at least one of a changes requested view, a changes approved initially view, a changes approved for deployment view, a changes in post implementation review view, a changes complete view and/or a changes rejected view.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of recording includes updating the change request by following one or more decisions by the change management process.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of recording further includes adding release data to the common record format for a change request.

10. A method for managing changes to a computing environment, comprising:

providing a common schema for storing a change and release data associated with one or more elements in the computing environment;

recording changes to elements in the computing environment in terms of a change to at least one group of elements; and

outputting one or more views of a collection of changes to a user interface in an order defined by a change management process.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the common record format includes at least one of a risk category of the change, a type of change, a requester of the change, an urgency of the change, an indicator of services affected by the change, an indicator of a stream affected by the change, an indicator of a domain of the change, a target start date, a target end date, an expected server downtime, an expected service downtime and/or an expected database downtime.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the common record format includes at least one of an actual server downtime, an actual service downtime and/or an actual database downtime.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of outputting further includes outputting a report detailing at least one of expected versus actual server downtime, service downtime and/or database downtime.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

providing an input interface including a common schema for storing change and release data associated with one or more elements in the computing environment;

receiving one or more data records recording changes to elements in the computing environment in terms of a change to at least one group of elements; and

outputting one or more views of a collection of changes to a user interface in an order defined by a change management process.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the step of outputting includes providing at least one of a changes requested view, a changes approved initially view, a changes approved for deployment view, a changes in post implementation review view, a changes complete view and/or a changes rejected view.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving a change request including a set of required data in the common record format and receiving release data in the common record format for a change request.