Change vs Release - what's the difference?!

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

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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



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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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



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.



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?



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?



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



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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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)



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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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!



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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Release Management is growing up!

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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?



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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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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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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No more alligators thank you!

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Questions?

[email protected]

www.pinkelephant.co.uk

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