Relating unavailable CIs and changes

Typically, change requests occur because a CI needs to be upgraded (such as an operating system) or needs repair (such as a server). Using BMC Change Management, you can relate unavailable CIs (also known as outage records) to their related change request. By relating an unavailable CI record to a change request, you can track its history, and the costs related to changes to the CI.

To relate an unavailable CI to a change request

1. Open a change request, and then click the Relationships tab.
   If unavailable CIs are related to the change request, they appear in the Relationships table.
2. From the Request Type list, select CI Unavailability, and then click Search.
3. In the CI Unavailability Search form, enter search parameters to filter the CI relationships shown, and then click Search.
   The quick search buttons enable you to easily filter CI unavailability with different criteria:
   • All unavailability
   • All scheduled unavailability
   • All unscheduled unavailability
4. Select an unavailable record from the list.
5. From the Relationship Type list, select Related to, and then click Relate.
   The following actions occur:
   • Messages alert you that the CI has been automatically related to the change.
   • The CI Relationships Search form closes.
   • The unavailable CI and its related CI record appear in the Relationships table.
6. If needed, you can broadcast the CI unavailability.
   For more information, see Performing additional functions with CI unavailability.

To relate a change request to a CI with unavailability

1. Open a change request, and then click Relationships tab.
   The Relationships tab shows the requests that you can relate to the change.
2. From the Request Type field, select Configuration Item, and then click Search.
3. On the CI Relationships Search form, complete the search criteria tabs with the relevant information, and then click Search.
4. In the Relationship Type field, select the type to relate with the change request, for example, Related to.
5. (Optional) Click Explore CI to view a CI and its relationship in the BMC Atrium Explorer.
6. Click Relate with Unavailability.
   If the CI has open unavailability entries created against it, the CI Unavailability Exist dialog box appears.
7. Enter the unavailability settings (for example, Scheduled Full and the scheduled start and end dates), and then click Save.
   For information about filling out this dialog box, see To relate an unavailable CI to a change request.
8. Close the CI Relationships Search dialog box.
   The CI Unavailability request type appears in the Relationships table.

To create CI unavailability where other CI unavailability already exists

1. Select the associated Configuration Item from the Relationships table.
2. From the Quick Actions menu, select Create New CI Unavailability, and then click Execute.

3. Perform one of the following procedures.

   Procedure	Steps
   If the CI has open unavailability entries created against it, the Existing Configuration Item Unavailability dialog box appears.	Perform one of the following actions: Click Create New to define an unavailability entry. You are then prompted to define the configuration item unavailability, for example, unscheduled full unavailability type, start and end dates, and so on. Select an entry from the table, and then click Relate to Current Request to relate the change directly against the CI unavailability entry. You are then prompted to specify the relationship type between the current request and the selected CI unavailability.
   If the CI does not have any unavailable CI entries, the Configuration Item Unavailability dialog box appears.	Select the unavailability type that best describes the down time (for example, Scheduled Full). Enter the appropriate Scheduled Start and Schedule End dates. Enter remaining information, as needed. Click Save.

4. Save the request.