User scenario for operator-initiated changes

This topic describes a scenario in which the changes implemented by a BMC BladeLogic Server Automation operator are automatically recorded, tracked, and approved in BMC Remedy ITSM.

The operator-initiated change use case is part of the larger Continuous Compliance for Servers use case.

Overview

In this scenario, an operator in the IT operations organization is using BMC BladeLogic Server Automation to implement changes on the data center servers. The operator creates the job, selects the Execute Now option, and specifies that the change should be approved in BMC Remedy ITSM by selecting an appropriate approval type.

After completing the job definition in the job wizard:

• a BMC Remedy ITSM change and task ticket is created automatically

• the job execution is blocked and displays Waiting for approval status.

As soon as the corresponding change request in BMC Remedy ITSM has been approved and BMC BladeLogic Server Automation has been notified, the job is executed and the corresponding ticket in BMC Remedy ITSM is updated with the results. This workflow ensures that all server configuration changes are logged for tracking by the change manager.

Scenario

As part of a regular maintenance schedule, the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation operator creates a File Deploy Job to deploy new configuration files to several target servers. Because the administrator has specified that File Deploy Jobs must be approved by BMC Remedy ITSM, the wizard displays the Approval Information window.

• The operator chooses Remedy Manual Approval, accepts the defaults for Change type, Impact, and Risk Level, and enters a description of the change that will result from the execution of the job. For information on configuring job approvals, see "Executing a job with BMC Remedy ITSM approval" in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.

• The operator chooses to have a new change ticket opened for this job execution, and completes the job definition. BMC BladeLogic Server Automation schedules the job and requests that a new change request be created in BMC Remedy ITSM. The new change request is created using a specific change template and includes one task, even if multiple servers are used as targets. The change request ID and task ID are sent to the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation system and the values are attached to the job schedule. The servers that have been specified as targets are associated to the change and task requests as CIs.
• The operator checks to see if the interaction with the change management system was successful by reviewing the job schedule log, which is displayed under the job until the job starts running. For information, see "Viewing job schedules" in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.
• Because the BMC BladeLogic administrator had configured this particular type of change (File Deploy) to have automatic approval in BMC Remedy ITSM, no manual intervention is required for the job to approved and subsequently executed. 
• The operator checks the status of the File Deploy Job and sees that it has been approved and executed. For more information on checking the status of jobs configured for change management approval, see "Status types for change management approval jobs" in the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation User Guide.
• After the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation job execution completes successfully, the BMC Remedy ITSM user opens the change ticket to review the following items:
  • Status of task (Completed)
  • Status of change record - determined by BMC Remedy business logic
  • The actual start and end Date of the Change
  • Review which servers were updated

• The BMC Remedy Service Desk user reviews the status of the change ticket and the task ticket, noting that the job succeeded and the change and task tickets have been closed. By reviewing the Dates tab of the task ticket, the operator can review the details of when the job was executed.

• The BMC Remedy Service Desk user can also perform the following tasks:
  
  • From the General tab of the task ticket, the BMC Remedy Service Desk user can click Launch to display the BMC BladeLogic Server Automation console, where the user can review the job details to verify the change actions.
    
  • From the BMC Atrium CMDB CI Relationship Viewer, the user can view the Change Summary report by CI to show the changes to the CIs affected by this change request.
    
  • If there were failures in all or some of the targets, the user can review the status of the change and task records to review the status of the task (which would display as failed), the status of the change request, and which servers were updated and which were not updated, resulting in the failure (in the WorkInfo note).

Note: For more information on using the change management console, see the "Using the Change Management Console and the Change form" in the BMC Remedy Change Management User's Guide.