Change Management in Multi-Domain Environments

• US 20110082920A1
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pasquale, Liliana, Wassermann, Bruno, Ludwig, Heiko, Laredo, Jim A., Bhattacharya, Kamal
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing

Abstract

Method, server, and computer product are provided to implement change management across domains. Memory is included for storing a program. A processor is functionally coupled to the memory and is responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program. The processor is operative to announce planned changes for a configuration item to interested outside domains, and the configuration item is in an inside domain. Open subscription is provided to the interested outside domains such that the interested outside domains can subscribe to the subscription as participants. A change instance is created or the configuration item in the inside domain. Change progress of the change instance is reported for the configuration item to the participants of the interested outside domains. State progress notifications are distributed to the participants of the change. The change instance is executed to make planned changes to the configuration item.

Claims

1. A server configured to implement change management across domains, comprising:

memory for storing a program; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and operative to;

announce planned changes for one or more configuration items to interested outside domains, the configuration items being in an inside domain;

provide open subscription to the interested outside domains such that the interested outside domains can subscribe as participants to notifications on changes referring to corresponding configuration items of interest;

create a change instance for the configuration items in the inside domain; and

report change progress of the change instance for the configuration items to the participants of the interested outside domains.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to:

distribute state progress notifications to the participants of the change;

execute the change instance to make planned changes to configuration items.

cause a computer in the interested outside domains to receive notifications of the planned changes for the configuration items; and

enable the computer to join a subscription in a change coordination for the configuration items.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to maintain a table of externalized configuration items that can be accessed by the interested outside domains.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to classify the participants of the interested outside domains for the planned changes as informative participants;

and

wherein the informative participants are enabled to follow a change process of the planned changes without influencing the panned changes.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to classify the participants of the interested outside domains for the planned changes as consultative participants;

and

wherein the consultative participants are enabled to provide feedback about a change process.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein in response to the feedback from the consultative participants, the processor is operative to receive verification of the planned changes, an amount of time that was required to implement necessary changes by the consultative participants, and whether the planned change to the configuration item is an acceptable proposal.

8. The server of claim 6, wherein in response to the feedback from the consultative participants, the processor is operative to aggregate data of the feedback over time.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to classify the participants of the interested outside domains for the planned changes as co-authorizing participants;

and

wherein the processor is operative to enable the co-authorizing participants to influence a change process through the co-authorizing participants'"'"' authorization vote.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is operative to allow the authorization vote of the co-authorizing participants to vote to reject the planned changes or accept the planned changes during an authorization phase.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to classify the participants of the interested outside domains for the planned changes as co-verifying participants;

and

wherein the processor is operative to enable co-verifying participants to influence a change process through the co-authorizing participants'"'"' verification vote during verification phase.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the processor is operative to allow the verification vote of the co-authorizing participants to accept the planned changes or to revert the planned changes for the configuration item.

13. The server of claim 1, wherein the inside domain is different from the interested outside domains;

wherein the configuration item is managed by the inside domain and other configuration items are managed by the interested outside domains; and

wherein the other configuration items managed by the interested outside domains are dependent upon the configuration item of the inside domain.

5. (canceled)

14. A method for implementing change management across domains on a computer, the domains being owned and managed by different entities, comprising;

announcing, by a computer, planned changes for one or more configuration items to interested outside domains, the configuration items being in an inside domain;

providing, by the computer, open subscription to the interested outside domains such that the interested outside domains can subscribe to the subscription as participants;

creating, by the computer, a change instance for the configuration items in the inside domain;

reporting, by the computer, change progress of the change instance for the configuration items to the participants of the interested outside domains; and

executing, by the computer, the change instance to make planned changes to configuration items.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising causing another computer in the interested outside domains to receive notifications of the planned changes for the configuration items;

and

enabling the other computer to join a subscription in a change coordination for the configuration items.

16. The method of claim 14, maintaining a table of externalized configuration items that can be accessed by the interested outside domains.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising classifying the participants of the interested outside domains for the planned changes as at least one of:

informative participants being enabled to follow a change process of the planned changes without influencing the panned changes;

consultative participants being enabled to provide feedback about the change process;

co-authorizing participants being enabled to influence the change process through the co-authorizing participants'"'"' authorization vote; and

co-verifying participants being enabled to influence the change process through the co-authorizing participants'"'"' verification vote during verification phase.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein in response to receiving the authorization vote, the authorization vote of the co-authorizing participants is allowed to reject the planned changes or accept the planned changes during an authorization phase.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein in response to receiving the verification vote, the verification vote of the co-authorizing participants is allowed to accept the planned changes or revert the planned changes for the configuration items.

20. A computer program product, tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for implementing change management across domains being owned and managed by different entities, comprising:

announcing planned changes for one or more configuration items to interested outside domains, the configuration items being in an inside domain;

providing open subscription to the interested outside domains such that the interested outside domains can subscribe to the subscription as participants;

creating a change instance for the configuration items in the inside domain;

reporting change progress of the change instance for the configuration items to the participants of the interested outside domains; and

executing the change instance to make planned changes to configuration items.