change vs release - what's the difference?!
TRANSCRIPT
Pink Elephant – Translating Knowledge into Results
Change vs Release – what’s the difference?!
Presented by: Peter Hubbard
Pink Elephant EMEA Ltd
Think Differently. Think Pink
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Introduction – Peter Hubbard
Senior ITSM Consultant
Worked in ITSM for almost 15 years
Regular speaker at industry events
Worked in all sorts of organisations, large and small.
Finds his job quite fun.
City of London
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited 3
The situation in the wild
“Change? Release? What's the difference?.”
Common Characteristics:
Its not clear what the difference is between a Change and a
Release
The line between a Major Change and a Release is blurred
Its not clear when to work with Release Management as opposed
to Change Management
Change Management exists but Release is seen as a duplication
of effort
Continual issues between Project and Operational Management
on the hand over of new Services
Projects being delayed at the last minute by Change Management
withholding authorisation
Services Released to the users without operational support
knowing that they exist
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
There is near universal confusion at the ‘sharp end’
about WHAT the difference is between Change and
Release Management!
Change Management
To respond to the
customer’s changing
business requirements
while maximising value
and reducing incidents,
disruption and re-work
Release Management
Deploy releases into
production and establish
effective use of the
service in order to deliver
value to the customer and
be able to handover to
service operations
The hole that we dug for ourselves
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
A Generic Process Model
Process Control
Processowner
Processdocumentation
Processfeedback
Processobjectives
Process Enablers
Processresources
Processcapabilities
TriggersProcess
Processinputs
Processoutputs
Work instructions
ProceduresImprovements
Roles
Includingprocess reports& reviews
Processpolicy
Activities Metrics
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
A new Service?
A Software Update?
A collection of software patches?
A big Change?
The Problem: What is a Release?
One or more changes to an IT servicethat are built, tested and deployed together.
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ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited 7
So whats a change?
“Any non pre approved modification, maintenance or monitoring activity taking place on an in scope item”
Examples of Changes for IT Services could include:-
• Server installations• Network router modifications• Server application patching• Changes to SLAs• Removal of hardware on an in scope item• Break/fix to an in scope item
DOES FIXING AN INCIDENT REQUIRE A CHANGE?
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Change Management Scope
The scope of Change Management should include
changes to all architectures, processes, tools, metrics
and documentation, as well as changes to IT services
and other configuration items.
Service Level Agreements?
Server hardware?
Server based software?
Network kit?
Firewalls?
Which environments? Live? Dev? Test?
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited 9
Sample Change Scope – Making it real
Item Example Items
Services Email Service
Internet Service
Servers Physical Servers
Logical / Virtual Servers
Data Centre Environmental
Infrastructure
Air Conditioning Units
UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supplies)
Network Infrastructure Firewalls
Routers
Switches
Office Locations Sheffield Site
Nottingham Site
Software on an in scope item Customer Relationship Management Software
MS Exchange Server
Service Level Agreements Service Desk SLA
Supplier Contracts 3rd party Support Contract
Groups of 25 or more PCs Changes that are projected to affect more than 25 Pcs at a time.
Multi Function Printers This the large scale printers and not individual inkjets.
Software Builds / Images Documented Software Builds for PCs
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Incident = Alligator Bite
Incident Management = Band Aid
Problem = Alligator
Problem Management = Alligator Shooting
Change Management = Fence around the swamp
Standard Change = Hole in the fence too small for
Alligators
Release Management = Gate in the fence
Project = Alligator's nest of eggs
Production Handover = Hatching Time
Cowboy Tech = Alligator Farmer
Change vs Release:- Explained
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
My opinion – 2 types of Release
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Release Management has two major types of activity
One TimeUnderpinning the release of a new service, or major system upgrade (This is evolving into a defined discipline called Service Introduction)
OngoingMaking sure that standardised processes are followed for the ongoing updates and patches of an existing service (i.e. Managing the Quarterly Release activities)
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Releases are S.E.P.s
Things I wish someone had told the technical teams
manager…
1) Telling Change Management on Friday that a new service is
being rolled out on Monday is not helpful.
2) If there are errors in the software that are known to the
developers at go live please tell us about them. Not all
surprises are pleasant ones.
3) Simply assuming that operational staff know how to look
after your custom developed application is carrying optimism
too far.
4) Your workload may be reduced when you release the new
service, but operations workload has just gotten larger. Help
please!
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Releases are S.E.P.s
Things I wish someone had told the Release
manager…
We have been working towards this for over a year. Its too late
to throw your toys out of the pram the day before!
The business is expecting this service and will notice if its not
delivered on time.
The project office / my technical team is not a new innovation,
you knew where we were, why wait to the last minute to
object?!
I don't have time to produce dozens of documents at this late
stage!
Stop making my job harder. I just want to do what I am
employed to do!
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Release policy – making S.E.P into OP!
1) A Release must be raised at least 3 months before
the final go live date.
2) All Known Errors must be formally accepted by
Problem Management no later than 2 weeks before go
live
3) Training must be provided to designated
operational support staff no later than 2 weeks before
go live
4) A period of Early Life Support is mandatory for all
Projects. This period will not be less than 4 weeks
after go live and is part of the project lifespan
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Release Management is growing up!
15
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
If the process cannot
be broken, it will be
shattered.
New change & release
type - unplanned
Tips from the trenches
Tip
Plan for the process
to be broken!
This process is in place
to protect the
organisation.
They are the shields
Who is only person
allowed to drop the
shields?
© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Change & Release Categories
Unplanned For instances where a change requires implementation urgently, but
does not meet the definition of an Emergency change, it may be
included as an ‘Unplanned Change’ and follow the same process.
In addition to the Emergency Change Process characteristics an
unplanned change must:-
Be authorised by the relevant team manager
However an unplanned change should be reviewed upon
implementation by the Change Manager to ascertain
1) Any unanticipated side effects.
2) Why the Change was unplanned.
This information should be presented to the Head of IT Operations
and fed back to the authorising team manager, along with any
disruption or additional costs incurred due to the unplanned change
being implemented.
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
Keep Releases visible – discuss them at CAB
Make it very clear under what conditions Release
Management should be activated.
When a project starts?
On a set basis?
Change Management MUST have final go / no go
approval in ALL cases
Merge your Release Calendar with your FSC for a
holistic view of all anticipated changes to services
Make sure Project Management is aware of Release
process and policy.
Talk to program management
Make small hand out cards of the Release policy highlights
Release & Change: Some tips...
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
How do you know what good Change and Release
Management looks like?
Change Management
If you reach the end of the day
and nothing is on fire, no
services crash and the building is
still standing YOU WIN!
Congratulations…tomorrow is a
whole new game
Release Management
If Project Management and
Operational Support are still
talking to each other, the
Release went live on time and
did what it was supposed to do
without breaking anything
else…YOU WIN…next release
please….
So what does success look like?
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
No more alligators thank you!
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© Pink Elephant, 2014. All Rights Reserved.
ITIL® is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited
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