1. Configuration Management
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2. Overview
Intent
Be able to meet the responsibilities of EA for configuration management in Defence
Content
Introduce ITIL
Determine risks of configuration changes
Report risks
In this Block we will see how to assess the risks of emerging technologies, including the price/ performance trade-offs. This material supports 035C1 primarily.
This Block draws upon Block 6 Information Collection. The sources of information about emerging technologies, such as are most pertinent here.
Of course, it also builds upon Block 9, where we saw how AnnL can be used to develop strategic objectives.
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3. Why should EA bother about Configuration Management?
How many of you have been involved in Configuration or Change Management?
Why?
Can you give one reason why Configuration/ Change Management is important to EA?
Let students discuss for 5 minutes
Bring out need to know what is in place (configuration)
Bring out impact of uncontrolled changes upon the sustainment of an architecture - defeats the whole purpose of having an EA
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4. Welcome to ITIL Who knows ITIL?
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
set of (6) books describing good practice
produced by UK Office of Government Commerce
supported by IT Service Management Forum (ITSMF)
covered by BS15000 now (temp) ISO and AS 8018 Service management Parts 1 and 2
has accreditation process
… and increasing demand
Bring out that ITIL experts are getting about $160K
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5. ITIL Service Support We are most interested in ITIL Service Support
Have a look at Chapter 7 “Configuration Management”
And Chapter 8 “Change Management”
Circulate the copy of the ITIL Service Support book
First published in Tenth impression in 2005.
Note: Review of these books is underway.
Bring out that we are equally interested in Change Management.
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6. Other Standards concerned with Configuration
ISO is not the only standard that mentions ICT Configuration Management
What else does?
ISO 12207: 1997 Information Technology - Software life cycle processes
Point out that refers to software rather than to ICT systems as a whole
Mention that these standards are available through the DefWeb
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7. Configuration Management and Change Management
Configuration Management = model of ICT in play (“As-is” Architecture)
Change management = amending configuration because of problem or incident + enhancing configuration to take up opportunity (amending Architecture short of full “To-be” analysis?)
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8. Change Management Process
Basically
Receive request
Log request, compare with others
Determine initial impact
Gain approval from Change Advisory Board (incl business managers)
Consider risks of change and priority of effort
Incl impact upon EA (we hope)
Schedule changes
Make changes, test, and retest
Log effects
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9. Technology Regulatory Framework
In Defence Change Management will be governed by the “Technical Regulatory Framework”
### Discuss when details known.
See AS IAM
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10. Activity: Use of EMS
Use the Group Decision Support System (GDSS) or Electronic Meeting System (EMS) to discuss roles and responsibilities for configuration/ change management
Set up the Grouputer, in Meeting template, with three Agenda: “What is the role of Enterprise Architects in the Change Management process?”, “Who else should be involved in Change Management approvals?”, “How should EAs carry out their roles - any useful techniques?”
Get 12 students to take up a keyboard each
Demonstrate the Team page. Explain the F9 key for submitting personal entries into the Team space
Open up the Meeting, and get the group to enter items under the Discussions for each Agendum
When discussing techniques, bring out use of Systems Architect and Rochard as serving as Configuration Data base
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11. Use of AnnL in Change management
AnnL can be used to assess the risks of requested changes
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12. Systems Dependency “The hip bone is connected to the thigh bone …”
Some things are not important in themselves but they enable other things to happens
So, they “inherit” the importance of those other things
What examples of dependency are there

13. Reporting risks
Refer back to Block 10 Emerging Technologies, where looked at AnnL in assessing risks.
Use the assessment and pricing functions of AnnL to determine the risks, including the budget impacts
Note: Can set up standing measures (as Service Level Agreements) in AnnL, as well as Total Cost of Ownership models.
Also have standing description of configuration in terms of technology components involved
Should be able to rapidly consider requests against standing models.
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14. To Whom are Risks Reported?
Under the Technical Regulatory Framework
Who analyses the risks?
What is the ‘house style for the risk report?
Who approves the changes?

15. Yet another use of AnnL
Go to the Tasks section (dark blue) on the In sheet
In turn, scroll the right pane to the Who, Resource units, When, Details, and Comments sections further to the right
Show the links in the usual way
Open report R12Pln
Recalculate and see the Action Plan produced
Plan can account for priority of task, adjusting for task dependency, and its urgency
Also produced synchronized list of roles and budget
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16. Activity: AnnL in Project Management
In teams
For 15 minutes
Go to the Task sections of the In sheet for the Case Study
Have a fiddle with some items
See what happens
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17. Change management as Projects
When does a change request become a project?

18. Summary
There is a pretty good process in place for managing changes to ‘configurations’ (EAs).
It is all about managing the risks of proposed changes - even if it is not said that way.
Next Block
Compliance and Audit will be considered in Block 17
But next is …
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